Planning ahead is your summer’s best-kept secret, and in this guide to summer event planning, we’ll show you why!
- If you have limited time and simply want a free downloadable resource to help with planning ahead, click here.
- If you have a couple of minutes to learn why we encourage this ministry strategy, keep reading.
When I was a kid, I loved getting our family’s mail. Most days after school, as soon as my mom put the car in park, I would jump out and run to the mailbox to see what had arrived that day – and for whom. Call me nosy, helpful, or hopeful, but one thing’s for sure: I consistently believed that our mailbox was full of possibilities. Every single day.
And the BEST day to get the mail (for me) was the day the church camp catalog arrived. See, I grew up in a denomination that invested thoughtfully into providing all sorts of camps, each and every summer, across multiple campgrounds. So. Many. Camps. And searching through all the options was like Christmas round two.
But what I didn’t realize until I was an adult is how early in the year one has to start summer event planning for camps like these.
If the goal for volunteer leaders is to be a part of a complete team, able to be fully present with children and youth throughout camp… (or VBS or a mission trip or whatever multi-day, multi-layered event is happening)…
And if the goal for parents is for them to experience a well-organized approach where logistics and expectations are clear… Where they feel confident their child will be safe in your care…
And if the goal for children and youth is to be able to spend concentrated time with a faith-filled community, experiencing what it means to follow Jesus…
Then planning can’t just “happen” a few weeks ahead of time. Solid summer event planning starts with worthwhile winter work. Work that isn’t characterized by angst or last-minute prep. Work that might just look something like this…
Step One: Kickstart Your Summer Event Planning
Six months before your summer event, schedule a day away from the office where you can invest a full set of hours solely focused on your camp, VBS, mission trip, or event. (If you’re serving in a role that is planning multiple events, gift yourself a set of multiple hours for each.)
- For this first step, we’d recommend staying small. This is a time for just you, or you and one teammate, to list ALL the logistics that will make your event successful. (You might even need to start with defining what “success” looks like.) Then, break down each big responsibility into bite-sized tasks.
- Before the end of this day, be sure you’ve clearly identified the first five things you need to do next. These could be inviting additional teammates to take ownership of parts of the big list, blocking out your next day away, or ensuring your families are communicated with sooner rather than later so they can save the dates and their kids can participate.
Step Two: Finish Five in Fifteen
Diving back into the routine demands of daily ministry after your day away has the unintentional potential to undermine the work you’ve mapped out. DON’T LET IT.
- Sit down for 15 minutes on your next day back, look at those first five things you earmarked to do next, and go ahead and schedule 30-60 minutes for each one over the next 15 days. That’s right, give yourself two weeks to tackle those first five tasks. “Finish five in fifteen.” Because, if you haven’t completed them in that time frame, you’ll know you need to call in some help.
Summer won’t wait, and neither will all the stakeholders relying on your summer event planning efforts.
You already know – families begin signing kids up for spring sports in January and some summer camps fill up before February. The calendar can get so full that some households have to hire a project manager just to find a free week for their family vacation! (Alright, maybe not. But maybe…)
- Thus, we’d recommend prioritizing these steps as a part of your first five:
- Organize your big list into categories that are a manageable size for one person.
- Make a list of people who you want on your core team. These are high-capacity volunteers who can take on a category. (Remember: don’t say someone’s no for them.)
- Confirm the dates and location(s) of your event with the larger church calendar and any other organizations you’ll be partnering with.
- Craft a communication plan to ensure your congregation, ministry families, and community know what they need to know to participate. (dates, cost, location, age range, etc.).
Step Three: Gather your Summer Event Planning Go-Getters
Once you’ve invited your core leaders to their specific areas of oversight – and they’ve said yes – plan a meeting to plan a party. 🥳
- These core team leaders will need others by their side, along with resources and supplies. (Some of which you may have already identified). So plan a meeting where this smaller group gets clued in on ALL the details. From the broken-down version of the big list to the overarching goals of the event, bring these folks up to speed on the big picture.
- Then, create multiple call lists together. Rather than you being the one who calls everyone else, or these 4-5 leaders rushing to call all the same people, spend some time talking through who to invite to which teams. Each leader should leave with their tasks, a call list, and a clear invitation to the next: a planning party.
Step Four: Throw A Party, Not A Meeting
Raise your hand if you want to attend 7 different evening meetings at church for the same event. 👎
Now, raise your hand if you want to come to one big planning party where the whole team knocks it all out at once! 🙌
You know your people better than we do. But this is a fun and different take on tackling the enormity of that big list. And while we know there are a variety of ways you can empower others, troubleshoot questions, and knock out prep, organizing one big party can help prevent the procrastination and siloing that so often happens with a piecemeal approach to planning.
So here’s a sketch of what that day can look like:
- Schedule the party for March or early April (because, you know, May gets crazy). Invite the full event team, maybe making it mandatory.
- Every party needs food, fun, folks– and a focus.
(And, of course – you’re allowed to delegate these out, too, if that’s helpful).- FOOD: coffee and donuts may suffice for the morning, but providing a hearty lunch and ensuring there are snacks throughout the day will be thoughtful.
- FUN: this isn’t just a logistical checklist event. This team gets to be a part of planning an incredible set of days where all involved can grow closer to one another and closer to the Lord. So aim for interactive vs. solely informative. Incorporating fun, funny, and light amidst the work that needs to get done will be a gift to many.
- FOLKS: Make it easy for people to say yes to being a part of this day. Devoting a full Saturday can be a big ask. So consider providing childcare or, at least, try to attend to any potential hurdles that may hinder someone from showing up.
- FOCUS: This party is a multi-purpose party that can include prayer, worship, games, and fellowship – and should definitely include the sharing of the event’s theme, introduction of team members, the overarching goals, and breakout groups led by your core leaders (to discuss those big list breakdowns.) This is also a perfect time to provide the necessary safety training and emergency procedures review so that all volunteers are equipped and ready to go.
- Last but not least, the party shouldn’t end until these are accomplished:
- Everyone knows their roles, responsibilities, and any next steps.
- A giant (or multiple) “to-buy” list(s) has been created, and the way purchases and reimbursements will be managed for this event is clear to everyone.
- There’s closing prayer and growing excitement to see what the Lord will do with all that’s planned.
Step Five: Do it all again next year
Lest you think I came up with these ideas all on my own, I didn’t. 😅
This is simply my version of one part of the genius that is The Ministry Architects Preventative Maintenance Calendar. (Yes, this is the same free download link from above.)
What is a Preventative Maintenance Calendar and How can it help with Summer Event Planning?!?!
A PMC (for short) is a proactive approach to ensuring we don’t waste winter, or any other months. Instead, this tool helps us pace our days in a sustainable way. Put another way, the PMC is a month-by-month guide that maps out a thoughtful rhythm of how to attend to those non-daily responsibilities that often get forgotten or delayed. In a nutshell, it helps make sure things don’t get missed.
Why add one more tool to my toolbox? The others work fine…
For leaders who are already strategic planners, a PMC is still useful. You can combine a few of your hyper-focused guides into one comprehensive behind-the-scenes calendar. And, for leaders who feel great angst around event planning, the PMC is a game changer! You don’t have to let the phrases “last-minute” or “after-hours” characterize this work. The PMC outlines an earlier start to all major event planning and helps you have more control of the pace.
Ultimately, the PMC is one more resource that can strengthen the sustainability of your ministry and help care for others in your community more intentionally.
And who wants to miss out on that? ☺️
As a big fan of summer camp, parties, mailboxes, and well-paced ministry days, Renée would love to talk. She’d be happy to help your summer somethings be exactly what you hope they will be. Just click here to send her a note and she’ll connect with you soon.
Renée Wilson will tell you the best advice she ever received as a volunteer in youth ministry was “prepare well and love ’em to Jesus.” And that’s exactly why she’s a part of our team. Through her 20+ years of mentoring and ministering with children, youth, and young adults, Renée knows the value of building healthy teams and loves creating approaches around the vision of seeing more and more people come to know Christ.