Summer for some might mean vacation from all things church-related, but that's hardly the case in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo, Ohio, where the fun-loving faithful can't wait for the August youth ministry's fundraiser.

That's because, for the first time this year, a $10 donation to the diocese buys a 70-mile ride across the Ohio countryside with more than 200 of their fellow motorcycling Catholics. Leading the pack will be the Rev. David Reinhart, a priest with a dual passion for bikes and bonds made possible by warm weather play.

"It doesn't take a lot of convincing," says the Rev. Reinhart, chaplain for youth and young adult ministry in the Toledo Diocese. "Bikers are looking for something to do on a Sunday afternoon. And it gives me and other church leaders a chance to interact in ways we might not otherwise."

For decades, churches have been trying to find new ways to reach those who consider themselves spiritual but not religious - especially young, childless adults. Many a stuffy conference has addressed the problem, though few have tangible results to show for it.

Today, however, leaders in a number of religious organizations are exploring whether the best way to reach out might be to lighten up, especially in the warm months when regular church life takes something of a breather. Games, sports, and parties held outside the confines of church buildings are increasingly laying a groundwork for friendships among church types and those whose ties to religion are tenuous at best. What's emerging are the seeds of new relationships - and seeds of hope for renewed trust in religious institutions.

"The idea is if you can get [the unchurched] to do something they enjoy with Christian people, they might find Christians aren't as weird as they thought," said Scott Jones, professor of evangelism at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. "This idea and methodology for making disciples are ancient. Is there an increase in activity of this type in recent years? I'd have to say yes."

Signs of recreational ministry are as varied as the institutions behind them.

At Our Lady of Pompeii Roman Catholic Church in Chicago, a routine discussion group in late July attracted more than 100 young adults when the church used food to turn its courtyard into a lively piazza.

In Northern Texas, the United Methodist Church is scrambling to keep up with enrollment in its summer volleyball league. And in Gloucester, Mass., St. John's Episcopal Church is providing a social setting for anyone interested in nature, art, and food through a first-time event billed as "God in the Garden" held at one parishioner's seaside home.

Not every sponsored outdoor event in the summer is a sign of barriers falling between those who believe and those who don't. Churchgoers may invite the world to their picnics but find that only regulars turn out.

"There are an awful lot of churches that are worn out by summertime," says Dean Borgman, professor of youth ministry at Gordon-Conwell Theological School in South Hamilton, Mass.

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