Have you ever wanted to create the ultimate summer bucket list for growing in faith? One that helps you grow in your faith as well as have adventure. 

Let’s create one together. In this article, I’ll go over different ideas so you can create a summer bucket list that is fun, filled with faith adventures, and helps you grow in your faith.

Our starting place for our summer bucket list for growing in faith starts with prayer. 

Pray for something specific for 5 minutes a day.

As a Christian woman, prayer has always been part of my life, but recently, I have tried to pray for specific things in my personal life and Growth. But my time is short. I have family, work (multiple jobs), friends, time for my health, and Spiritual Growth. 

So what started to happen was that the dreams God put in my heart or prayers for my own life were always the last things on my heart, mind, and prayers. 

But I believe they were God’s desires. I started to feel the urge to pray for these things, but time was always fleeting. 

Then, I had the idea to set a timer and pray for those things for 5 minutes daily. Now, It’s a daily practice, and honestly, it has changed so much in my life over the past 2 months. 

What I thought was selfishness (my own shame speaking) was actually the opposite. Since I started this, I’ve felt more at peace and have less frustration, and I have seen answers to prayers. Just five minutes a day. 

This would be the first thing to add to the summer bucket list. Pray for 5 minutes a day specifically for something you want to see God do over this next year or something that is in your heart. 

Those desires that you thought were gone. Start praying for them and see what God does. 

The next on the summer bucket list for growing in faith, 

Do a digital detox

Take a day, a weekend, or a week and do a digital detox. Choose a time frame that works for you, but detox from social media, computers, TV, and anything related to digital. 

If you need to, you can start small, two hours, and build from there.

Next is a basic part of our Christian faith, but many people don’t take the time to do it. It’s too,

Read the Bible. 

This is one of the most important things you can do as a Christian right after receiving Jesus. 

According to the American Bible Institute, fewer Americans are reading scripture.

But here are 9 benefits of reading the Bible.

1. Feeling lonely drops 30%
2. Anger issues drop 32%
3. Bitterness in relationships drops by 40%
4. Alcoholism drops 57%
5. Sex outside of marriage drops 68%
6. Feeling spiritually stagnant drops by 60%
7. Viewing pornography drops 61%
8. Sharing your faith jumps 200%
9. Discipling others jumps 230%

This is research done by Lifeway Research. Here is the full article. 

Helpful suggestions if you are new to reading the Bible. 

• Make it easy for yourself.
• Download a Bible app on a phone or tablet
• Read a version that makes it easy to understand. 
• Start small if you need to, just a verse a day. 

I like the SOAP method of Bible study, which stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. 

Here is a helpful download for you. I like this method because it’s easy to understand and helps us apply the Bible. 

Now, the faith-based adventure element to our summer bucket list.

Go on an outdoor adventure.

One way I connect to God and grow in my faith is to be out in nature. I live in one of the fastest-growing cities in America, and I am busy, just like everyone. So, getting out in nature every couple of months is essential to me. It changes my health and mental state and helps me focus on God’s creation. 

A neuroscientist named David Strayer researched people being out in nature for three days. It’s called the “three-day effect.” He found that after just 3 days, people can reboot their brains. They were more creative and were able to problem-solve faster. 

So get out in nature and reboot. Think about what God has done in your life and the fantastic creation surrounding you. 

Step out of your comfort zone and go outside. 

Write out a declaration.

Around five years ago, I heard about a book by Shawn Boltz. Breakthrough. It’s just a small, basic book that gives Prophesies, Prayers, and Declarations. I started reading the book, and it transformed my life. 

I know it was God who transformed my life, but the book was a catalyst that changed my thinking. This is when declarations started to become a part of my spiritual Growth. And I believe they can help you grow in your faith. It might seem ‘super spiritual” but it’s really just declaring the words from the Bible over your life.

To be very honest, it was so hard for me at first. I felt like I shouldn’t be asking for anything for myself. The idea that God could and wanted to bless me in abundance was such a foreign concept to me. Then as I started to

I love this blessing from 1 Chronicles 1:10

“Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.”

Here is how I write it to declare it over my life:

“God, bless me and enlarge my territory, my influence and annionting you have for my life. Let your favor be on my life. Protect me from harm and those who want evil for my life.”

The next on the Summer bucket list for growing in faith, 

Worship

Set aside a time for worship. It can be anytime in the day or night. You can go to a night of worship at a church. Create a worship prayer list, find a worship concert on youtube.

Here is one by Lakewood Church

If you worship by writing, reading, walking, or singing, then set a time aside and do it.

Practice gratitude

Write what you are grateful for in your life. Take a moment to write the things in your life that changed after you accepted Jesus. 

Things you could write about:

• I am grateful that Jesus changed my life and why and how.
• Write about a person you are thankful for that is in your life.
• I appreciate these things in my life.
• Thankful for the small things. List small things that you are grateful for.

The last on our faith-based summer bucket list is 

Volunteer somewhere.

Giving time to give back changes our perspective and helps us focus on others. It is an easy way to see God use you in your life. It’s also a wonderful way to be grateful for what you have. 

Volunteering is also a way to grow as a person and in your faith. 

Where you can volunteer:

Check out your church website and see if they have any volunteer opertunities or if you have the budget go on a mission trip. Some churches even have day mission trips. Here is a website that is all about volunteer opportunities.

Do a day mission trip.

Day mission trips are a great way to experience a missions and not break the budget. But if you aren’t envolved in a church or are at a smaller church that doesn’t have opertunities.

Here is a couple of ideas for volunteering. Food pantries, some citites in the U.S. have government websites where you can volunteer for different projects. Volunteer match is a organization that can match you with volunteering if you are in the United States. 

If you are a church member overseas and don’t have many opertunities you could check with your church. It could be a day program or outreach. Brainstorm ideas and see what you come up with it could help your community to grow in faith. 

Here is a free downloadable bucket list to start your summer journey.

Recap of the ultimate summer bucket list to growing your faith

1. Pray for a specific topic 5 minutes a day
2. Do a digital detox
3. Read the Bible and do the SOAP method.
4. Go on an outdoor adventure
5. Write out a declaration 
6. Have a worship night
7. Start a gratitude practice
8. Volunteer 

Let me know in the comments what you have on your summer bucket list for growing in faith. And if a mission trip is on your list check out these articles “How to share your testimony on mission trips” and “A woman’s guide on how to prepare spiritually for a mission trip”