The month of July can be a wonderful time to explore themes that reinforce their faith journey and help them grow in their relationship with God. Building on our previous conversation, a strong and highly recommended theme for July.

Given that it’s currently July, summer is in full swing in many parts of the world! This is a fantastic time for children’s ministry to lean into themes that are lighthearted, active, and capitalize on the unique rhythm of the season.

Here are some popular and engaging summer lesson themes for children’s ministry, along with ideas for making them fun and impactful:

Summer Adventures with God:

• Concept: Journeying with God, exploring His creation, discovering new things about Him.
• Sub-themes: Camping, beach adventures, jungle safaris, road trips.
• Lesson Ideas:
  • God as Creator: Explore creation stories (Genesis 1-2) with outdoor activities, nature scavenger hunts, or “creation stations” where kids interact with natural elements.
  • Journeys of Faith: Lessons on Noah’s Ark, Moses and the Exodus, Abraham’s journey, or Paul’s missionary travels. Use “passport” activities, obstacle courses, or relay races to simulate journeys.
  • God’s Presence Everywhere: Lessons showing God is with us wherever we go (Psalm 139, Joshua 1:9).
• Activities: Outdoor games, water activities (if feasible), themed crafts (e.g., s’mores crafts, sand art, cardboard “tents”), “campfire” story time, nature walks.

Fruit of the Spirit Fun

• Concept: Focusing on character traits that reflect God’s love (Galatians 5:22-23). This is great for a multi-week series.
• Lesson Ideas: Dedicate a week or two to each “fruit” (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control), exploring biblical examples for each.
  • Love: The Good Samaritan, Jesus loving others.
  • Joy: Stories of celebration in the Bible, finding joy in all circumstances.
  • Peace: Jesus calming the storm, resolving conflicts.
• Activities: Games that require teamwork (patience, gentleness), crafts representing each fruit, “kindness challenges,” role-playing scenarios.

Superheroes of Faith / Bible Heroes:

• Concept: Learning about incredible individuals in the Bible who demonstrated great faith, courage, and obedience to God.
• Lesson Ideas: David (courage), Esther (bravery), Daniel (faithfulness), Moses (leadership), Mary (obedience), Paul (perseverance).
• Activities: “Superhero training” obstacle courses, designing “hero shields” with scripture, Bible story charades, “secret missions” to help others.

1. Parables of Jesus (Story Time Summer):
   • Concept: Focusing on the impactful stories Jesus told to teach about God’s Kingdom and principles for living.
   • Lesson Ideas: The Sower, the Lost Sheep, the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, the Wise and Foolish Builders.
   • Activities: Storytelling with props, shadow puppet plays, building activities (for the wise/foolish builders), “finding the lost” games.
2. “Christmas in July” (with a Missions/Outreach focus):
   • Concept: A fun, unexpected way to teach about giving, the birth of Jesus, and spreading joy.
   • Lesson Ideas: The Nativity story, the meaning of giving, God’s love for the world.
   • Activities: Collecting toys for a local charity, making “birthday cards” for Jesus for an orphanage, crafting ornaments, singing Christmas carols with a summery twist.

Tips for Summer Lessons in Children’s Ministry:

• Embrace Flexibility: Summer often means varying attendance due to vacations. Choose lessons that can stand alone well, even if they’re part of a series, so kids who miss a week don’t feel lost.
• More Play, Less Sit-Down: Kids have a lot of energy in the summer. Incorporate more active games, movement, and outdoor time (if you have the space and weather permits).
• Water Fun: Simple water games, like “Duck, Duck, Splash!” or water balloon tosses, can be huge hits, especially in hotter climates.
• Simple Crafts: Keep crafts quick and easy, requiring minimal setup and cleanup, as volunteers might be rotating.
• Volunteer-Friendly: With varying volunteer schedules, ensure your lessons are easy for new or less experienced volunteers to pick up and lead effectively.
• Review and Reinforce: Use games, songs, or quick quizzes to review previous lessons, as attendance might be inconsistent.
• Outreach Focus: Summer is an ideal time for VBS or other outreach events that can draw new children to your ministry.

By embracing the summer vibe, you can create memorable and spiritually impactful lessons for the children in your ministry!

General Themes & Ideas for Children’s Ministry in July

Summer Fun / Outdoor Adventures

Many ministries lean into the summer atmosphere with themes like “Summer Blast,” “Beach Party,” “Camping Adventures,” or “Water Fun.” Lessons can focus on God’s creation, journeying with God, or finding joy in Him.

• Freedom in Christ / Patriotism (especially in the US): With Independence Day in the U.S. on July 4th, many curricula incorporate themes of freedom found in Christ, blessings of liberty, and honoring authorities (while still centering on biblical principles).
• “Christmas in July”: This is a popular, fun, and often charitable theme. It provides an opportunity to teach about the birth of Jesus and the true meaning of Christmas without the usual December busyness. Churches might collect toys, food, or raise money for missions.
• Growth and Discipleship: As children might be out of school, July can be a time to encourage personal spiritual growth, delving deeper into a specific book of the Bible or a series on Christian character traits (like the Fruit of the Spirit).
• Community and Outreach: Summer is a great time for VBS (Vacation Bible School) which often takes place in July. Even without a formal VBS, ministries can focus on being good neighbors, serving the community, and inviting friends to church.

Specific Days/Observances that can be relevant:

• July 4th (U.S. Independence Day): As mentioned, can be used to teach about freedom, blessings, and responsible citizenship from a biblical perspective.
• Children’s Sabbath (often late July): Some denominations or organizations designate a “Children’s Sabbath” to emphasize the importance of children in the church and society, and to advocate for their well-being.

When planning for children’s ministry in July, consider your church’s specific context, the ages of your children, and what themes resonate best with your community during the summer months.

Why this is perfect for “Children Ministry” in July:

For the month of July, a fantastic and very enriching theme for Kids Ministry could be “Growing in God’s Goodness”or specifically focusing on “The Fruit of the Spirit.”

Why the “Fruit of the Spirit” for July?

• Positive & Practical: It teaches kids tangible ways to live out their faith (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control – Galatians 5:22-23).
• Relatable: These are qualities kids can understand and practice in their daily lives, at home, at camp, or with friends.
• Weekly Focus: Each week in July (4-5 weeks) can focus on 1-2 different “fruits,” providing a fresh but connected lesson each Sunday.
• Great for Summer: It encourages reflection and growth even during a more relaxed summer schedule.

Potential Weekly Breakdown:

• Week 1: Introduction to the Fruit of the Spirit / Focus on Love & Joy
• Week 2: Focus on Peace & Patience
• Week 3: Focus on Kindness & Goodness
• Week 4: Focus on Faithfulness & Gentleness
• Week 5 (if applicable): Focus on Self-Control / Review of all Fruits.

This theme also aligns perfectly with your recent interest in our Fruit of the Spirit bundle, which could provide you with all the materials you need for this series!

Alternatively, if you’re looking for lessons focusing on courage and standing strong in faith (like the Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego story we discussed), that could also be a powerful theme for July.

Other relevant themes for Born Again Children in July could include:

• “Walking with Jesus Daily”: Focus on daily prayer, reading the Bible, and listening to God’s voice.
• “God’s Power Within Me”: Exploring how God empowers us through the Holy Spirit to live for Him and do good works (connecting to stories like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s courage).
• “Being a Light for Jesus”: Encouraging them to share God’s love and truth with others, both by word and deed.
• “Freedom in Christ”: Especially around holidays like Independence Day (if applicable to your context), this theme can teach about the true freedom found in Jesus from sin and fear.

I believe “The Fruit of the Spirit” offers a rich and deeply impactful series for Born Again children throughout July.

Coloring Page Fruit of the Spirit for Kids Ministry

Summer Bible Reading Plan for Children (and Parents)

Announcing “Bible Beach Club,” an Exciting Summer Children’s Ministry Curriculum

How To Stay Positive – When Summer Attendance Is Down

Summertime Lessons and Activities for Children’s Ministry