5 Ways to be Missional During the Summer

If you know me personally, you know summer is my least favorite time of year. All the things I love about living in Orlando—al fresco dining, a great parks district, outdoor movies, long walks—lose their luster in the Florida heat. Summer leaves me dreaming of chilly Winter days, oversized lattes, and snow-capped mountains. And all this longing for a climate out of my grasp can leave me a bit blue. It's a bit like reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Still, everywhere I look on the internet these days I notice people bemoaning the end of summer. While children may already be preparing to return to school, summer is not nearly over. The Labor Day holiday is over a month away and the first day of Fall isn't until September 22. While the chill in the air might start to return to most of the country much sooner than it does here (I'll count myself exceedingly blessed if the heat has diminished at all by October) there's still a lot of summer left to enjoy.

If you haven't made the most of summer yet or are concerned about the remaining days ticking away, why don't you evaluate what is left of this season? Below are some practical tips for maximizing what you're already doing and being missional in the remaining days of summer:

1. Plan a cookout. If you don't already have a cookout or two (or more) on your summer calendar go ahead and mark them down now. Be sure to invite people who may not know Jesus including your neighbors, coworkers, and others from your sphere of influence.
2. Host a front yard party. You can keep this really simple by inviting your neighbors with simple invitations and setting up an ice cream sundae bar. Invite some of your friends to be on mission with you and spend time getting to know your neighbors and learning their stories.
   
3. Invite someone to lunch. Who's that person God had been putting on your heart? Have lunch with them and pray for God to open the door for you to share the Gospel.
   
4. Share cool treats. Deliver popsicles or an ice-cold beverage to people who regularly go unnoticed in your city. Think: firemen, cashiers, police, baristas, homeless, etc. Attach a simple note and use this as an opportunity to teach your children about serving others.
   
5. Have a water day. A public pool, lake, or yard with sprinklers and water balloons is all you need. Invite everyone you know to cool off and relax. As you spend time on boats or under umbrellas you'll get to know those you invite in a more meaningful way and have the chance for deeper conversations.
   

Regardless of how you feel about this season, there are still  52 days of summer left. That's plenty of time to be intentional, live on mission, and make the most of every extra ounce of daylight. I'd love to hear in the comments below how you're being missional this summer.

About Joy

Joy is a missionary to Downtown Orlando with her husband, Jason, and drool covered Bassett Hound, Sam. She has a degree in Church Leadership and a passion for church planting born through years of experience. She teaches women how to intersect their faith and life through intentional missional living at joybrudolph.com. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

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