Summer is coming to a close soon, but it isn’t too late to make a spiritual impact in the lives of your children.

My wife came up with a great list of ways we (as parents) can live out our faith with our kids this summer.

1. Pray together. It all starts there. As a parent, ask God to reveal areas in the lives of your children that need His help.
2. Pick a family verse for the summer. Consider making it your summer “motto”. Then touch base each week to find ways that verse has impacted how you live.
3. Share ways God is working in your life. My family recently discovered these “Faith Talk Cards” as a great way to start the conversation.
4. Serve together: Ask what needs to be done and look outward.Pick up trash in a park or around the neighborhood.Offer to mow a neighbor’s lawn while they are out of town.Bake and deliver cookiesHave a lemonade stand or garage sale and donate the proceeds.
5. Invite some neighbors over for a back yard BBQ and spend some time sharing how you’ve seen God at work in the life of YOUR family this summer.
6. Create a family prayer chart: It may be harder to get the whole family together during the summer. But if you post prayer needs in prominent place in the house, you can each pray for each other individually. Schedule some time at the end of the week to update the chart and celebrate God at work.
7. Share the best part of the day (or week) and the worst part of the day (or week) for each member of your family. Pray for areas that need help, and praise God for the peaks in the week.
8. Be Still: Set the alarm freakishly early to go watch the sunrise together. Or stay up late to watch it set. Just spend time… together… quietly.
9. Send each other love notes: Maybe it’s a note tucked in a summer-camp suitcase, or a picture stuffed under a pillow in the bedroom. Find creative ways to surprise each other with notes of affection.
10. At the end of the summer take time to remember and celebrate what God has done. Have a bonfire with s’mores and share stories.

So help me out! I’d love to know ways YOU are keeping God at the center of your summer. Feel free to leave a comment and share your ideas and what’s worked for you!