Summer Sabbath - Week 2
Does Westwood take a “break” in the summer?
While our summer rhythm may look a little different, discipleship does not take a break. In fact, we believe summer can be a critical time to stay connected, grow in God’s Word, and set a healthy pace for the upcoming school year.
Psalm 1 reminds us of the blessing of being rooted in the Word of God, like a tree planted by streams of water. That is our desire for the summer, not simply to fill a calendar, but to provide opportunities that help us remain steady, nourished, and fruitful in our walk with Christ.
Summer often brings a welcome change of pace. Schedules shift, kids are out of school, families travel, and many of us spend more time and energy on outdoor activities. These are good gifts from the Lord, but if we are not careful, summer can also become a season where discipleship is quietly pushed to the side. We can fill our calendars with many good things while slowly neglecting the most important thing: abiding in Christ and growing in His Word.
Have you ever taken time off from exercise, only to realize before long that you had lost a significant amount of strength or endurance? Our spiritual health is very similar. Changing our rhythms and methods for a season can be healthy, but abandoning our discipleship altogether for any length of time is not. When we forsake time in God’s Word, prayer, worship, and fellowship with other believers, we become spiritually weaker and less equipped to live with faithfulness.
At the same time, shifting our study focus for a season can be helpful and exciting. During the school year, many of our discipleship rhythms follow a familiar pattern, but summer gives us a chance to engage God’s Word in a slightly different setting. A men’s study, women’s study, and book club each provide unique opportunities to learn, discuss, and grow with others. This change of pace can renew our desire for Scripture and deepen relationships within the church family.
That is why summer discipleship matters. The Sunday morning sermon is vital, but it is not meant to be the only time we are shaped by God’s Word. God has given us His Word so that we might know Him, trust Him, obey Him, and be transformed by Him. We need regular time in Scripture, both personally and with fellow believers, not simply to gain information, but to have our hearts formed by the truth of God. Studying God’s Word alongside other believers helps us ask questions, grow in understanding, encourage one another, and apply the truth of Scripture to everyday life.
This summer, Westwood will offer discipleship opportunities for both adults and kids on Wednesday evenings. For adults, we will offer a men’s study, women’s study, and book club. Each of these settings is designed to be meaningful and flexible. We know summer schedules can be full with travel and family commitments, so these gatherings are structured in a way that allows you to miss a week when needed and still jump back in without feeling behind.
Our hope is that these Wednesday evening opportunities will help us stay rooted in God’s Word, connected to the church family, and attentive to our walk with Christ even when schedules change. Rather than treating summer as a pause from spiritual growth, these studies help create a steady rhythm that can carry into the school year. They allow us to begin the fall already engaged, encouraged, and ready to continue growing with greater intentionality.
While our summer rhythm may look a little different, discipleship does not take a break. In fact, we believe summer can be a critical time to stay connected, grow in God’s Word, and set a healthy pace for the upcoming school year.
Psalm 1 reminds us of the blessing of being rooted in the Word of God, like a tree planted by streams of water. That is our desire for the summer, not simply to fill a calendar, but to provide opportunities that help us remain steady, nourished, and fruitful in our walk with Christ.
Summer often brings a welcome change of pace. Schedules shift, kids are out of school, families travel, and many of us spend more time and energy on outdoor activities. These are good gifts from the Lord, but if we are not careful, summer can also become a season where discipleship is quietly pushed to the side. We can fill our calendars with many good things while slowly neglecting the most important thing: abiding in Christ and growing in His Word.
Have you ever taken time off from exercise, only to realize before long that you had lost a significant amount of strength or endurance? Our spiritual health is very similar. Changing our rhythms and methods for a season can be healthy, but abandoning our discipleship altogether for any length of time is not. When we forsake time in God’s Word, prayer, worship, and fellowship with other believers, we become spiritually weaker and less equipped to live with faithfulness.
At the same time, shifting our study focus for a season can be helpful and exciting. During the school year, many of our discipleship rhythms follow a familiar pattern, but summer gives us a chance to engage God’s Word in a slightly different setting. A men’s study, women’s study, and book club each provide unique opportunities to learn, discuss, and grow with others. This change of pace can renew our desire for Scripture and deepen relationships within the church family.
That is why summer discipleship matters. The Sunday morning sermon is vital, but it is not meant to be the only time we are shaped by God’s Word. God has given us His Word so that we might know Him, trust Him, obey Him, and be transformed by Him. We need regular time in Scripture, both personally and with fellow believers, not simply to gain information, but to have our hearts formed by the truth of God. Studying God’s Word alongside other believers helps us ask questions, grow in understanding, encourage one another, and apply the truth of Scripture to everyday life.
This summer, Westwood will offer discipleship opportunities for both adults and kids on Wednesday evenings. For adults, we will offer a men’s study, women’s study, and book club. Each of these settings is designed to be meaningful and flexible. We know summer schedules can be full with travel and family commitments, so these gatherings are structured in a way that allows you to miss a week when needed and still jump back in without feeling behind.
Our hope is that these Wednesday evening opportunities will help us stay rooted in God’s Word, connected to the church family, and attentive to our walk with Christ even when schedules change. Rather than treating summer as a pause from spiritual growth, these studies help create a steady rhythm that can carry into the school year. They allow us to begin the fall already engaged, encouraged, and ready to continue growing with greater intentionality.
Recent
Archive
2026
No Comments