5 Super Cheap Summer Ideas
Okay, Summer is just around the corner and finances are tight for many families. Here are 5 super cheap Summer Ideas:
- FAST FOOD FRIDAYS: We want to have at least one event or activity every week during the Summer but we don’t want everything to cost a ton of money. Our solution is Fast Food Fridays. We’ve simply picked a different fast food place for every Friday of the Summer and are letting students know we will be there from 11:30 to 1:30 if they want to come hang out.
- PARK DAYS:Sounds so old school, doesn’t it! Tell students to pack a lunch (you provide a cooler full of drinks) and meet at a local park for an afternoon of ultimate frisbee, kick-ball etc. Cheap, relational youth ministry at it’s finest.
- MOVIE MONDAYS: Let students know that you will be showing a different movie every Monday afternoon. pop popcorn, dim the lights and enjoy the show.
- ADOPT A BLOCK: Pick a street in a neighborhood near your church and “Adopt” it for the Summer. Ahead of time, ask families what household projects/chores your students could do for them when you show up on X days. Pulling weeds, mowing lawns, washing cars etc. is a cheap and easy way to serve families in your community.
- “AFTER GLOW”: Okay, that is such a lame name, but it’s what we called them back when I was a student in youth group. In short, an After Glow is simply a loosely planned hang out at a student’s house after church (after Wednesday night, for example). Students sign up ahead of time for the night they want to host. Should you choose to try this, please come up with a better name!

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I never post twice in the same day but I’m so stinkin’ excited that I had to. In the mail today, I received the final manuscript for a new middle school ministry book written by Mark Ostreicher and Scott Rubin.