The Summer Challenge

We want summer to shape our kids instead of letting drift shape them. We lay out the Summer Challenge, five simple anchors that build faith, wisdom, service, intergenerational connection, and resilience before fall. 
• reframing summer as a discipleship lab, not a break 
• spotting “drift” signs like nonstop screens and entitlement 
• reading one real book to build attention and wisdom 
• memorizing a weighty Scripture passage that forms the heart 
• serving someone anonymously to practice humility and sincerity 
• setting up one meaningful conversation with an older believer 
• choosing one hard thing on purpose to grow perseverance 
• making the plan visible, doable, and celebratory as a family 
Make sure you have subscribed so that you don't miss our next episode 
Email us at podcast at waynechristian.org, we will send you a little PDF printable 
We'd love to hear how your summer challenge goes, so shoot us an email, podcast at waynechristian.org 

Send any questions you want answered to podcast@waynechristian.org

This podcast is presented by Wayne Christian School- A Christ-centered community school whose mission is to assist parents and churches in the education of their children from a biblical worldview to impact their world for Christ. You can learn more at waynechristian.org 

Transcript

Summer Drift Versus Summer Purpose

Nate 0:00

Summer is almost here, and right now one of two things is going to happen in your home. Either summer is going to happen to you, or you are going to happen to summer. And those two things produce very different results in your children.

Luis 0:17

We all have seen what drift looks like. Screens from the moment they wake up to the moment they go to sleep, a schedule with no margin and no meaning. Kids who reach September a little softer, a little more entitled, and a little less ready for what is ahead.

Nate 0:35

But summer doesn't have to be like that. What if instead of a break, summer became a discipleship lab? Three months where the values you talk about all year actually get practiced, tested, and built into your child in ways the school year never allows.

Luis 0:54

Today we're going to give you five things, just five, that if your child does them this summer, they will step into the fall more capable, more grounded, and more form than when they left the classroom. We are calling it the Summer Challenge.

Why Summer Can Shape Faith

Nate 1:18

Welcome to Equipped for Impact, the podcast designed to assist Christian parents, leaders, and educators to raise up the next generation to stand firm in their faith and influence the world for Christ. We're your hosts. I'm Nate. And I'm Lewis. And we are glad you're here with us today for this end of school year episode. Because today is the last day of school for us. For us. For us. So if you're listening to this on the day it releases and you go to school here, where where Lewis and I are, um, it's a half day, it's party day, and then you're done. We're done. You're done. But if you don't go to school with us, why not?

Luis 1:57

Yeah.

Nate 1:57

You you probably still have school for another two or three weeks. Probably. Four or five, maybe? Yeah, that's right. When we we went to Germany last summer, and we were there fourth of July week. Yeah. And kids were still in school. Wow. Of course, they don't start school till like late September. So that's like the whole thing. But it was it was crazy.

Luis 2:14

So they don't celebrate Independence Day then?

Nate 2:16

They do not celebrate Independence Day. What in the world? Sorry. I did not celebrate Cinco de Mayo either. Did you celebrate Independence Day while you were in Germany? Um I did wear red, white, and blue. And did you wear red, white, and blue glasses? I did not. You should have. I did not. I'm sorry. But okay, we're gonna get serious here. Our summer kickoff episode. And this is five activities, right? One summer, but it's focused on being intentional. Okay? The summer challenge. And by the end of this episode, you'll have everything you need to make it happen in your home. So before we get into that though, let's take a minute and talk about why these things matter. For most families, summer planning means childcare and camps and vacations and beach trips and probably some fishing. Yeah. And those things are fine, but that's logistics, right? It's not discipleship.

Luis 3:08

And you've heard us say it before. Deuteronomy 6 tells us to impress God's commands on our children when we sit at home, when we walk along the road, when we lie down, and when we get up. And this doesn't just apply to the school year, but this applies to everyday life. And summer is everyday life with the volume turned all the way.

Nate 3:29

That's right. So think about what summer actually gives you, right? You don't have the school schedule to dictate your child's activities. There's no homework, no carpool crunch to try and get there, you know, in time for the morning bell, or to pick them up at the end of day car line, which I think is even more stressful. You know, you have more opportunities to have meals together. There's probably some really long car rides in your future the next couple of months. There's evenings where you're at home and you don't have to get to bed early because you got school the next day, right? But summer should not turn into a gap in discipleship. It's one of the greatest opportunities of the year. And the question is whether we're going to treat it that way or not.

Luis 4:11

So when you think about it, right, you have three months without school structure, and you're either gonna I would say two and a half months. Is it two and a half months?

Nate 4:20

No, it's not a full three months.

Luis 4:21

I I think it's about 12 weeks from the time we end into the time we come back here at our school. Here at our school, right? And so it's either a gap or an opportunity, and the difference between the two is intentionality. And so we're gonna give you these five simple anchors that you can start planning right now before the summer really gets going, right? Because this episode's airing on this side of Memorial Day. Yep, right, and then Memorial Day kind of becomes like the unofficial start to summer. Yep. And so take the next few days to listen to this, jot some ideas down, and then give your child a summer that is gonna shape them with purpose that goes way beyond entertainment. It's not complicated, it doesn't require a big budget, and it's gonna help your child develop more this summer than if you just let them hang out and watch Netflix and play video games all day.

Nate 5:20

Yep, that's right. So let's get into these the summer challenge.

Challenge One Read One Real Book

Nate 5:24

Here's challenge one. Read one real book. Read a book, okay? Not a textbook. It I will allow ebooks. That is okay. Ebooks are okay. It doesn't have to be a physical book. But it does need to be a real book, not a textbook, not something on an assigned reading list. It's a book that they choose, uh, or that you help them choose that they read purely because it's worth reading. And I know what you're thinking, right?

Luis 5:51

My kid does not like to read. It's because they haven't found a book that they like. Absolutely. But here's what we know. Children who resist reading have usually only been handed books chosen by someone else for a grade, right? But give a kid a book that actually matches who they are and what they love, and then all of a sudden the resistance disappears.

Nate 6:16

Yeah, and and we need to pause for a second. And there has been this trend, especially in like younger readers or the middle grades, I think they call them sometimes. And so that's like upper elementary to middle school, to make a book appealing by throwing a bunch of potty humor in there, and it's like, you know, boogers and poop and stuff like that that kids giggle at, right? So don't go that direction, right? But you can find a book that matches their interests and that they enjoy, right? Go to the library and find something. There's dragons, there's magic, there's, you know, mysteries, there's a bunch of options out there.

Luis 6:52

In fact, we did a summer reading list episode last year.

Nate 6:55

Yep. Episode 18, right? Man, 18. And we're on what, 59 right now? Yeah, 58, 56, 58. Something like that. Oh man. So anyway, so 40 episodes ago, you can go back and you can grab that. Some of that's for your kids, some of that's for you, but that's a good place. And the the principle here is bigger than a list, right? Because Proverbs 4-7 says, get wisdom, right? And though it costs all you have to get understanding, and that's really important. We live in a world training our children to consume content in five-second clips, right? But a book goes against the grain. It's something that will help form them, even if it's a fiction book. Yeah. Right. I've quoted the C.S. Lewis quote too many times on this on this podcast, but talking about how through good fiction, you know, it's like sneaking past watchful dragons, and it can really get to a moral lesson into their heart when they're not really expecting it. Because it's a a good book that's really moving them along.

Luis 7:56

Yeah, and and if you need a recommendation, let me give you a specific category that might be worth considering. Now, remember, you want your child to pick the book, right? But have them consider a missionary biography. Oh, yeah. Have them look at someone like Jim Elliott, Hudson Taylor, Lottie Moon, Adenarim Judson, right? Yep. What those books do is it gives your child what you could call a moral imagination. It's a picture of what a life that's fully committed to God actually looks like in practice. And so this isn't theory, but they see it as a story, right? And stories shape us in ways that arguments and theology and doctrine and apologetics never can or are able to.

Nate 8:45

Yep, that's right. And here's here's another practical piece of advice here is sit down with your child before summer starts and let them pick this book with your guidance and put it somewhere visible and and set a goal. It can be a loose goal and make it appropriate to your child. So if your child's not a reader, two chapters a week is probably good. If your child is a reader, like our kids are readers, um, but we've fostered that over years, we've gotten to that point, right? So so don't take this as I have to start there. But like two chapters, like my kid would be like, that's nothing. I mean, no, they've I I'm this morning, the day we're recording this, my child had started a it's like a 600 page, it's a fiction book, and they started it over the weekend, they're already almost at page 500. Wow. And it's like just a couple of days. So two two chapters would not be useful to her, but whatever works for your kid, set it and then celebrate it when they reach that goal.

Luis 9:41

Yeah, yeah.

Nate 9:41

And read alongside them, right? Yeah. Even if it's a different book, but let them see you reading as well. When they say I'm bored, yeah, read a book. Let's read, let's read together. Let's read together. There you go.

Luis 9:53

The

Challenge Two Memorize A Passage

Luis 9:54

second challenge is memorize one passage of scripture. And we're not talking about just memorizing a verse. We're not talking about memorizing like something that's very familiar, but find a passage, something with enough weight to it that when they're 25 years old and and going through something hard, they can pull back this passage from memory.

Nate 10:17

Yeah, Psalm 119, 11 is a classic verse. You probably have it memorized, but it's your word I've hidden in my heart that I might not sin against God. And, you know, that's that hidden word is not, you know, knowing where to look it up. Uh, I had a professor that talked about memorizing scripture is just being able to read the Bible without physically having the Bible read. That's really good. Like that's the whole point. Yeah. And so if you've memorized it, it's internalized, it's in your heart, and you can bring that up in a moment. And summer is a perfect time to actually pick some verses that that are good for you and your family and work on them when there's no schedule pressure with extra homework or extra assignments.

Luis 10:59

And you know, there's some great options depending on their age, right? Psalm 23 for younger kids, right? Maybe Romans 8, 28 through 39 for older kids.

Nate 11:09

Yeah, a big section, but it's important because you get the full flow of the argument. Yep. Yep.

Luis 11:13

Or the beatitudes, like memorizing the beatitudes, memorizing Philippians 4, 4 through 8, memorizing James chapter 1, 2 through 4, and and let the passage speak to where your child is actually right now. So if they're struggling with fear, maybe you need to go to Isaiah 41. If they're struggling with identity, go to Ephesians 2 and help them find a passage that's not just a memory exercise, but it's actually forming them where they are right now.

Nate 11:45

Yeah. And and again, work with them on this. Don't just make them stare at a verse in their Bible. Put it in a card in the bathroom mirror, say it together at dinner, teach, you know, teach it back to you and explain it. Make it a game, do fun things. And here's the best part is that as you memorize it with them, it becomes a shared language in your home. And you'll be amazed at how often it comes up organically in the exact right moment as the Holy Spirit brings that to both of your memory in a situation. Yeah. So let's jump into number three. So so we've got read a book, memorize a scripture.

Challenge Three Serve In Secret

Nate 12:21

Challenge three is the secret agent blessing. Right. I really like this one. The secret agent blessing. Okay. So this is a chance for you to serve someone outside your family. A simple, concrete act that is others focused. And and you can, you know, give specific shape to what it really looks like to serve others.

Luis 12:43

Yeah. And we're calling this one secret agent blessing because here's the idea, right? Pick someone, a neighbor that is going through a hard time, an elderly person that lives on your street or goes to your church, a single mom, uh, maybe a pastor who is struggling and caring a lot. And then plan this secret covert act of service. Can you play like a secret agent theme song in the car when you're going to do it? Like the Mission Impossible thing? Do, do, do, do, do. Is that it? Do do. Maybe. I don't know. So yeah, I mean, I just threw you off your groove in prison. You know? But it's but it was the head movement. Like your head was moving into the beat video podcasting. So if people can see like the head movement, they would understand why my mind left. That's the closest I get to dancing. I dance from the neck of. From the neck of. And so I don't even know where to go with with this. But we might have to cut this and end it out. I think this is the perfect beat, right? Okay. And so, but but finding that person that you can bless with this covert act of service, mow their lawn while they're not home, leave a box of groceries on their porch, rake their yard, write them a letter of encouragement, and leave it without a name. The idea is to be anonymous in doing this.

Nate 14:06

And the reason to do it that way is because it targets something that, again, is is counter-cultural right now. And it's our children are growing up in a world where every kind act is a potential content opportunity. We're going to snap a picture and put it on the gram because it's, you know, it's what we're doing, and we want everybody to know, you know, what we're doing and that we're good. And this is, you know, they they measure value that way. Likes and views and comments. And doing it anonymously, doing it secretively, teaches them to do good when absolutely no one else is watching.

Luis 14:43

So no grabbing the phone, taking the selfie, and saying, like, hey, doing God's work today, feeding the homeless, right? Hashtag blessed. Blessed. And then put it on Instagram for the world to see. Yep. Because that's actually what Jesus talks about, right? In Matthew 6, he says, when you give to the needy, do not left let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that your giving maybe in secret. And then when your father, who sees in secret, will reward you, right? And so there's a theological foundation behind this challenge because God sees what you're doing, not what your Instagram feed is seeing, right? Yep. And we want our kids to live for the audience of one, right? Not for the Instagram audience.

Nate 15:27

Yep, yeah, that's right. And you can do this again together as a family and debrief afterwards, right? Ask your child what they noticed, how they felt. We t we've talked about Paul Tripp's heart questions before and really getting to the heart. And that's not just in a discipline moment. It it's even in good moments where it's like, okay, well, what were you thinking and feeling? What did you expect to happen? And did it actually turn out that way? And you can walk through that, and it helps turn service into a conversation, and that conversation into a formative moment.

Luis 15:58

And

Challenge Four Talk With Older Believer

Luis 15:59

the fourth challenge is probably gonna be one of the hardest ones, and it's one that you need to do with intentionality. But here's the thing, right? When you do it, it's gonna be one of the most rewarding, most memorable things that your child gets to carry into adulthood. And this challenge is to have one meaningful conversation with an older believer. Maybe a grandparent, maybe a mentor, maybe a pastor, maybe a family friend who has walked with God for a long time. But sit down with your child with an older person that's significantly older than them and have a meaningful conversation with that believer.

Nate 16:41

Yep, and that's really good because Psalms 145-4 says, one generation commends your works to another. They tell of your mighty acts. And it's that intergenerational transmission of faith that it's not automatic. You need to seek that out, especially in today's culture. You know, when when this psalm was written, it was typical for families to be multi-generational, even living under the same roof, right? Not so today. And so we need to seek that out. We need to create that. And and our children are are growing up in so many age, age segregated, you know, ministries and environments, and and it's like they'll rarely develop the opportunity like to have those deep conversations with people that are a decade, two decades, three decades older than they are. And so we lose a lot when that connection breaks down.

Luis 17:33

And here's what we recommend, right? Before the summer gets too far in, identify that person. Call them, set a time, get lunch, maybe dinner, give your children. Maybe breakfast for dinner. No, let's not do that.

Nate 17:50

Why not?

Luis 17:51

Because we're trying to build disciples.

Nate 17:52

Yeah. Not have to be. And teach them what's good bacon at nine o'clock at night. With what? Like on a cheeseburger? Because that's okay. Uh no, just bacon and eggs.

Luis 18:03

Bacon, no. French toast with syrup on top. I'm not a huge French toast guy, but if I was gonna have it, it would definitely not be at any time after nine, after 10:30.

Nate 18:13

If you want to have your child have a conversation with me over breakfast for dinner, we're going to IHOP.

Luis 18:19

You don't qualify as old enough. Are you sure? I think so. I think like we're thinking like somebody who's who's maybe got a little bit little bit more gray than you do.

Nate 18:27

If you want to talk to my dad, and I will tag along and we can meet at IHOP.

Luis 18:33

That's fair. Okay. Before 1030. But when you do this, right, is give them two or three real questions to ask. And not surface questions, right? But real ones. Things like, what is the hardest season of your life? And how do you how did God meet you in it? What do you wish you had known about God when you were my age? What what scripture has meant the most to you and why? I remember having to do a project in school where I interviewed my abuelo, and he was like in his 80s whenever I did. And it was a really cool conversation where I got to ask him a lot of questions. And then later on, I had another project in the school where I had to interview somebody from a nursing home that I didn't know. And that was really cool because then I learned about this person's life that I had no connection to. And so it was it was really cool. That's what we're talking about, right? Let them know that they are living in a continuation of God's story that started way before your child was even born.

Nate 19:32

Yeah. And and you, as the parent, can get out of the way, right? Let that conversation happen, and you'll be amazed at what an older believer will pour into your child when they're just simply invited to do so. Most of them are waiting for someone to ask. And, you know, I already mentioned my dad, but we actually did an episode on grandparenting with my parents, and and just that whole idea of the role godly grandparents play in children's lives and the legacy, but that doesn't happen on accident, right? You have to be intentional when when someone intentionally creates that moment and summer gives you the margin to do that.

Challenge Five Do Something Hard

Nate 20:10

So let's get into number five, and that is do something hard on purpose. This is this is a really great one, right? Because it's it's teaching the your children that they can do hard things. That's really good. Yeah, you you can finish. Even if you're not sure you can finish, you can get going, right? It's a physical challenge, a creative project, a week without screens, learning a skill that requires patience, something that makes them genuinely work and make it through, make it through the struggle.

Luis 20:41

Yeah, in the book of James, chapter one, we read this, right? Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And we want to let perseverance finish the work in our children so that they can be mature and complete and not lack anything, right? That's what James 1, 2 through 4 says. Well, perseverance is produced by testing. And if we never allow our children to be tested, then we're actually robbing them of the very process that God uses to make them whole.

Nate 21:15

Yeah. And we talked about this in our our episode on responsibility and resilience and and all of that. One of the greatest failures of modern parenting is that we've engineered struggle out of our children's lives, right? Everything is made for them. And so effectively, they don't have the framework for what it means to struggle through hard things. And when struggles do inevitably uh you know arrive, they they're not comfortable and and they don't have that preparation to handle the the situation when it comes.

Luis 21:47

And so this summer let them struggle a little bit, right? Train for a 5k, spend a hundred days of journaling, build something with their hands, a full week without social media and documenting everything. That happens in their life, right? The goal is not the accomplishment, but the goal is the discovery that they can do hard things, that they are more capable than they realize and gave themselves credit for.

Nate 22:12

Yep. And when they finish, however they finish, you know, make it a moment. Sit down, talk about it. Again, we've we've talked about how the conversation and the connection can happen there and turning this into a formative moment and really celebrate, right? Celebrate that and help them see that God is working and has enabled them to do these things. And the stories your child tells about themselves and how they do these things matters because it shapes who they ultimately become.

Luis 22:41

So

Make The Plan Visible And Simple

Luis 22:42

we've given you the five challenges, and quickly we're gonna m help you make it real in your home before the summer starts.

Nate 22:49

That's right. So the first thing is sit down as a family and talk about the summer challenge, right? Don't make it a mandate, but just explain to your kids how cool this could be and let them have input on each of these things, what they're gonna do, and and let them design a plan that they're excited to follow through on.

Luis 23:07

And then the second thing is to write it down and put it somewhere that you're gonna see it, right? A whiteboard in the kitchen, a printout on the fridge, whatever works in your home. But writing it down creates the commitment. Visibility is gonna create that accountability without you having to nag about it.

Nate 23:24

And actually, we've got a resource to help you with that. So if you email us at podcast at waynechristian.org, we will send you a little PDF printable where you can even fill in these five challenges. Real simple, and you can get in there and you can do that. You can hang it on the fridge, they can put it in their room, whatever. But it has these five things and they can fill it in themselves. So email us podcast at waynechristian.org. Love it. And then the third thing is that you can do at least one of these five things with your children. You don't have to do all five, or maybe you will do all five, right? But just doing one will help them see, you know, that discipleship is not just a thing for kids, right? You're modeling it with them and you are growing. And frankly, your kids need to see you doing hard things, reading seriously, serving quietly, and and sitting and learning from older believers too.

Luis 24:17

And then consider adding a standing dinner table question to the rotation this summer. Something like, what do you believe about God and why? Or how would Christians think about this thing happening in the world right now? Give your kids a safe space to test their thinking at home before they have to defend it somewhere less forgiving. Let them get it wrong at the dinner table because that's what the dinner table is for.

Nate 24:41

That's right. And finally, plan a celebration for the end of this project, maybe the end of the summer, whatever. Something that your family does together to mark what you've accomplished, right? It doesn't have to be elaborate. It could just be breakfast for dinner, but it just has to be intentional because your child needs to learn early that growth is worth stopping and celebrating.

Final Encouragement And Next Steps

Nate 25:04

So, Lewis, as we wrap up, you know, what uh what encouragement or or challenge you would you give parents before they wrap up this episode and kick off their summer?

Luis 25:13

Parents, here's the simple challenge: breakfast for dinner. Before you go to sleep. No, okay. Do not have breakfast for dinner, but write down these five things somewhere where you're gonna see them tomorrow, right? Read a book, memorize a passage, serve someone in secret, have a conversation with an older believer, and do something hard. And then pick one and start planning it, right? One phone call, one trip to the library, one conversation with your child. Summer is not three months of waiting for the fall. It's three months of opportunity. Three months of dinner tables and car rides and front porches and unhurried evenings. Three months to invest in your child's soul, their mind, their character, their faith in ways that the school year doesn't allow you to do, right? Deuteronomy 6 does not tell us to find the perfect curriculum. It tells us to be present and intentional in the everyday moments, and summer gives you more of those moments than any other season of the year. So don't let them drift by. You don't need the perfect plan. You just need to be purposeful and intentional. Start there, and the good news is God will meet you in the rest.

Nate 26:27

Well, that's great. So happy summer, everybody listening to this, and thank you so much for listening to Equipped for Impact. We're gonna keep these episodes going through the summer. So make sure you have subscribed so that you don't miss our next episode. And we'd love to hear how your summer challenge goes. So shoot us an email, podcast at waynechristian.org, uh, and you'll get that printable. And we'd love to hear all of these things, and maybe we will share it uh throughout the summer as we are recording more episodes for the start of the school year. So we'd love to hear those stories. Uh, but until then, keep leading the next generation to stand firm in their faith and influence the world for Christ.