3 Ways from Paul to Maximize the End of Summer

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

There is never a season when we should not be ready for pastoral ministry (2 Timothy 4:2), but there are seasons when the pace changes. The middle of summer is typically a nice slowdown. Parishioners are away on vacation; the church puts a pause on the business ministry, and rushing kids around town for school and sports slows down. During this season, be ready for whatever God providentially brings your way, but also be wise to rest during a slow season. Here are three ways, from Paul to Timothy, to maximize the end of your summer.

1. Read a book

In Paul’s final letter to his disciple, Timothy, Paul makes a request. “When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments” 2 Timothy 4:13. Paul needs Timothy to bring him two items. First, his cloak. Perhaps the weather had gotten cool in Rome. Second, Paul wants his books. In jail, Paul’s schedule will be freer than usual, and he will put that time to good use by studying his books.

From Charles Spurgeon’s well-known sermon on this verse:

He (Paul) is inspired, and yet he wants books!
He has been preaching at least for thirty years, and yet he wants books!
He had seen the Lord, and yet he wants books!
He had had a wider experience than most men, and yet he wants books!
He had been caught up into the third heaven, and had heard things which it was unlawful for a men to utter, yet he wants books!
He had written the major part of the New Testament, and yet he wants books!
The apostle says to Timothy, and so he says to every preacher, “Give thyself unto reading.”

Good preachers are good readers. Reading expands the mind and forces us to think deeply and broadly. One of the fears of preaching in the same pulpit for years is that all sermons begin to sound the same. Reading is the best strategy to overcome this. Reading keeps our sermons fresh and alive.

Thankfully, most readers of this blog are not imprisoned like Paul, but summer provides some time for extra reading that we will likely lose once the fall ramps back up. Grab the book you’ve been eying all year sitting on the shelf. Read something not directly tied to your current sermon series—perhaps a book that will push your mind theologically or a book that is easier and stirs your heart emotionally.

Read a good book this summer.

2. Get healthy

It’s no secret that a pastor’s call can often to lead to unhealthy habits. Our vocation is high-stress, with lots of sitting in front of a computer and meetings that typically involve food. Not a great combination for physical health. Paul reminds Timothy that “bodily training is of some value” 1 Timothy 4:8. “Some” is the key word. Physical activity is not the highest pastoral value, but there is value in pastors being physically healthy.

We are not Gnostics that affirm the spiritual and deny all we can see and touch. God has made us, both body and soul. We have souls that exist within the good bodies that God has given to us. In the same way that our souls need the deep care of God’s grace through the ordinary means of word and sacrament, so do our bodies need care through proper health. Care for both body and soul this summer because in caring for one, you are caring for the other.

With a lightened summer schedule, use some of that time to get back in shape. Work early morning walks back into your schedule or trips to the gym during your lunch breaks. Perhaps even pick a summer fitness goal—running a race, giving up junk food, or a physical challenge. Do something that will improve your health.

During stressful seasons of ministry, how much a workout helps often surprises me. Physical health is not the most important thing for a pastor, but Paul reminds us it is of some importance. Summer is a great time to work on physical health.

3. Family time

One of the qualifications Paul lists for elders in the church is that an elder must manage his household well (1 Timothy 3:5). The reasoning is that how we lead our household demonstrates how well we will lead the larger household of God, which is the church (1 Timothy 4:15). And a well-run church is the pillar and buttress of truth. 

That’s a sobering call for us pastors—that our family life can have a far-reaching impact. What easily happens is that amid busyness, we can unintentionally push family life to the sidelines. There is no shortage of examples of wives and children sacrificed on the altar of a busy ministry.

Summer is a great time to slow down and invest in your family. Family vacations, long weekends, movie nights, and trips to the ballpark all provide a foundation of memories that is very helpful to fall back on during the busyness of fall. It is difficult to carve out family time when life is busy, but the summer schedule makes it easier. Don’t waste this opportunity.

Summer is sadly winding down. The days are already getting shorter. We should eagerly look forward to all that God will do during the busyness of the upcoming year. We ought not despise our call from God. But a wise pastor will understand the year’s rhythms and take advantage of slower periods. During this final stretch of summer, maximize the slowness, knowing that a busy season is just a few weeks away.

©2023, 2025 Jon Saunders. All rights reserved. Used with permission.