Kids Ministry

Dedicated to helping Kids Ministry leaders in their mission of making disciples

Ministry, Reaching, Vacation Bible School

The Most Critical Event on Your Church’s Calendar This Year

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By Sam Luce

This past year has been one of the more difficult of our lifetimes. There has been much loss and much difficulty, but there have been some unexpected blessings as well. One of those blessings in disguise is the killing of church-as-usual and programs-as-tradition. It has caused us to think about why we do what we do.

This was a fruitful exercise because it can lay the groundwork for starting something new or evaluating something old and create a plan to start again. Twenty years ago, I led VBS because I thought that’s what I was supposed to do as a new kids pastor. I did it for about five years but didn’t get the buy-in or the traction that the effort required of me, my team, and our volunteers.

I’m also ashamed to admit that I fell into the school of thought that VBS was outdated; I was wrong! After a 12-year break, we started to do VBS again. Regardless of our opinions, most Americans are quite pro-VBS. Findings from Lifeway Research show that most (95%) American parents—regardless of how often they attend church—say their kids had a favorable experience at VBS.

What’s more, a similar number (94%) said VBS helped their child better understand the Bible, and 95% agreed VBS was one of the most meaningful church experiences for their child.

Here are a few reasons we started again and why it could be the most important item on your church calendar.

Your unchurched neighbors are open to it.

We live in a very pluralistic society that doesn’t value church but values traditions. Many parents have young kids who either don’t go to church or infrequently attend church but have great VBS memories. They want their kids to have those memories and put their kids in VBS before taking them to a church service on the weekend.

It’s an effective way to partner with parents.

Having 15 hours in the VBS week to speak new truths or reinforce what is being taught at home is invaluable. The new “regular attendees” standard is now 12 to 24 Sundays a year. VBS gives you a nice chunk of time to drill down into core truths kids need in the world we now live in.

Partnering with parents starts with equipping parents. Doing VBS with this in mind makes VBS more valuable than a simple stand-alone program.

It brings the church together.

VBS has to be a whole-church focus. It can’t be something only your department does, or an execution of the same handful of volunteers who do everything else in the church. I did a kids department-focused VBS years ago and just finished a church-driven VBS. The difference is night and day.

It’s a discipleship tool for the families in your church.

Reaching new families has to be a focus but not the whole focus. We want to reach new families, but we also need to build foundations for our families. Picking the right curriculum is essential. VBS is more than an outreach tool; it’s a gospel-shaping delivery device for the whole family.

Our church has changed. We still care about the weekend service, but we care more about intentional ways to help with spiritual formation and discipleship. The stats back this up. According to Lifeway’s research, a staggering 88% of respondents said VBS positively affected their spiritual growth as a child, and 96% feel it has positively affected their child’s spiritual growth.

If how and why we do VBS changes, it can be an effective tool to reinforce your entire church’s framework. I hope you pray about how you should do VBS.

Some ideas on how to rethink VBS in our current COVID world:

Backyard Bible School

This is a great option because it allows you to reach neighborhoods and kids you wouldn’t normally reach. It also allows you to be more flexible and keep groups smaller, which may be important depending on your state’s rules or the rate of infections in your area.

Regional Bible School

This is again a way to have a smaller setting in the communities that may attend your church but would be able to invite more neighbors. One of the things we have to look at in regard to our VBS being an outreach is how far people who don’t attend our church are willing to drive. 

VBS Tent Edition

Rent tents and use them for more spacing or for complete outdoor VBS if indoor meeting is shut down again this year.

My encouragement for you is to do VBS this year. The kids in your church and community need connection, discipleship, and hope more than ever. Do VBS even if you don’t usually do it. Our world post-COVID has changed because people have changed.

We’re going to have to think smaller, be more intentional, and demonstrate more flexibility, not just now, but on the other side of the COVID crisis.

Sam lives in upstate New York with his wife and four children. He has served as the pastor of families at Redeemer Church for the past 23 years. Read more at his blog SamLuce.com.

This post originally appeared on lifewayresearch.com.

Reaching, Uncategorized, Vacation Bible School

Yes to VBS

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2020 was a challenging season for ministry—and 2021 is (so far) proving no less difficult! But that doesn’t mean we can continue to delay or postpone strategic ministry opportunities until a time that is (hopefully) more convenient. Ministry to children cannot be deterred or deferred. It’s simply too important! For most churches, 2020 meant that they couldn’t conduct regular church programming and special events in the same ways as usual. Sunday School went virtual. Worship was livestreamed. There was certainly a learning curve, but many churches saw that once they broke out of the same old mold they’ve been using for years, their creativity kicked in and the work of ministry continued in new, fresh, and exciting ways. 

It’s time to do the same thing for Vacation Bible School! VBS is one of the largest evangelistic outreaches of the year for many churches. It consistently accounts for one-quarter of ALL baptisms in a given year. It has the potential to open more doors in your community than any other single week on the church calendar. That’s why it’s so important to say YES to VBS this summer—no matter what it looks like! You can have a VBS in-person, in the park, in the home, or any way in between. Where and how doesn’t matter … it’s the WHY that counts. It’s worth it to your kids to say yes to VBS this summer! It’s worth it to your community to say yes to VBS! It’s worth it to the kingdom to say yes to VBS!

This summer, whether you’re in person, online, or somewhere in between, Lifeway wants to help you say yes to VBS! We’ve identified four creative (and safe) ways VBS can happen in 2021 and a whole set of resources to help you be successful, no matter which option you choose. I’m particularly excited about the new resources designed especially for virtual VBS, which include:

  • Daily Bible story videos (5 for preschoolers, 5 for kids)
  • Virtual VBS Directors Guide (with activity adaptations for Bible study, rec, and crafts)
  • Family Connection Bundle (take home resources for families to do together)
  • Kids Craft Bundle (individual, pre-packaged crafts for each day)
  • VBS at Home on Ministry Grid (videos and written prompts to equip parents to lead a VBS experience at home)

The time to say yes to VBS is now. Pick a format and commit to it. Begin preparing now so that you are well positioned to pivot as needed. Remember, no matter how you say yes to VBS this summer—Lifeway’s got you covered! Learn more at https://vbs.lifeway.com/yes-to-vbs/

Kids Ministry, Ministry, Vacation Bible School

How VBS Led Me to Kids Ministry

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by Bekah Stoneking

There are three things I remember most vividly from my summer vacations as a kid:

  1. Mom homeschooled us to keep our skills sharp over the break (I still get a little itchy when I see math workbooks or Reader’s Digest vocab lists)
  2. “Fun Fridays,” when we’d get a break from “summer school” to go on field trips around the city
  3. Vacation Bible School

Like many other VBS kids in the 90s I remember store brand cookies and punch on the gym floor, colorful beads on a leather bracelet symbolizing the plan of salvation, what recreation felt like out in that steamy Georgia heat, and learning the motions to really fun songs. 

My church loved us kids and it was obvious—from VBS, to Sunday school, and everything in between—that they believed Jesus loved us, too, and they wanted us to know that and to know Him. I came to faith as a young child and events like VBS helped nurture my young faith. 

What I didn’t realize at the time was how God was using VBS to not only continue working out my salvation, but to draw me to a lifetime of serving Him.

The summers after I’d aged out of my church’s VBS just lacked color and vibrancy. So, the summer before my freshman year of high school, I signed up to volunteer; I just couldn’t stay away from Vacation Bible School! I served with other youth group members on the rec team, and on the crew that collected and organized the supplies the kids donated for our missions project. Then on “Family Night” the Sunday after VBS, I sat frozen in my pew, hands gripped so tightly on the pew in front of me my knuckles turned white and my fingers throbbed. 

Everyone around me was up, moving around, singing, and doing the motions. But there I sat, trying to convince God I couldn’t do what He was asking me to do.

There, the summer I turned 14, just a handful of weeks before I was to start high school, God called me into children’s ministry.

At the end of the worship rally our pastor shared the gospel. As people walked the aisle in repentance and faith, I walked the aisle in tears—confused, feeling really young, and convinced I’d be told there was no place for me. 

But that’s not how I was received, of course. My pastors were among the most loving and encouraging people in my young life. They helped me find my place in our church’s ministry. I shadowed a few leaders and volunteered in different areas until I found my fit. I went to training alongside the adults. I was loved and respected, even though I was young. And after a few years of apprenticing, I became the lead teacher of a Kindergarten Sunday school class my senior year. 

I went on to college where I majored in elementary education and served in children’s and youth ministries in my college town. I became a second grade teacher. I went on to seminary and served a church as their children’s minister. There, I began writing lesson plans for our church, and for summer programming at another church. I graduated from SEBTS and was a part of a church plant where I helped oversee and create educational content for the children’s ministry there. This is also when I began writing for Lifeway Kids. I re-enrolled at SEBTS and am now finishing my doctorate in education while serving churches through Lifeway Kids full time. 

And it all started in a little town in Georgia at Vacation Bible School.

From hearing the gospel and meeting Jesus for the first time to realizing the “thing” God made them to do, VBS can be the tool God uses to change a kid’s life forever, and He can work through that life to touch thousands.

VBS is so profoundly worth it. As someone who participated in VBS, then was called to ministry through VBS, then planned and led VBS from a church leadership position, and now works alongside the VBS team at Lifeway, I am just one story of how a week over the course of a few summers can impact a kid. The work you’re doing matters. Every hour, every plan, every changed plan, and every changed plan that changes again matters to the kingdom because every kid matters to the kingdom, and God has a plan for how He will work through those kids to impact your neighborhood and neighborhoods around the world for His glory.

Vacation Bible School

ANNOUNCING VBS 2021 PREVIEWS!

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I look forward to January all year long. Why? Because January = VBS Previews! My absolute favorite time of year! It’s always so exciting to be with VBS leaders from across the country as we get our very first look at the brand new VBS. We all get amped up and inspired to make this year our best VBS ever!

VBS Previews have typically taken place in four different cities across the country. And while that was great for people who live within driving distance of those cities, many people have expressed disappointment that it’s too far and too expensive for them to ever attend. That’s just not fair! We believe everyone ought to be able to experience the magic that is a VBS Preview!

So for the first time ever, VBS Previews are going virtual in 2021! That’s great news! You won’t have to take off work to attend, there will be no travel expenses, and you can bring even more of your team! Plus, you can pick the date and time that works best for you!

Rather than a two-day event, VBS Previews 2021 will be condensed into a single morning or afternoon. (Each person on your team will need his/her own ticket. When purchasing multiple tickets, PLEASE make sure to register each person using his/her own email address in order for each person to get his/her own login.) Tune in LIVE during those hours and you’ll get to attend an energizing main session that overviews the theme, Bible content, and choreography for Destination Dig as well as take your pick from over 20 breakouts to train, equip, and prepare you for VBS 2021.

Will it feel like I’m just watching videos by myself? Absolutely not! You will be able interact with everyone attending with you from around the country live and in real time. We’ve even designed special spaces within the online event that will allow you to turn on your camera and microphone to participate in live discussions with the Lifeway VBS team and with VBS leaders just like you! You’ll be able to network with one another and share ideas as well as get individualized help. Oh, and did I mention that there will be PRIZES and giveaways? Oh yes! Throughout the live event you will have opportunities to play games and win prizes—just for attending.

Tickets are just $49 and include live access during the event, specialized countdowns and bumpers for Destination Dig, and a free VBS t-shirt. Click here to reserve your spot today!

This article originally appeared on the Lifeway VBS Blog here.

Kids Ministry, Vacation Bible School

What I Learned From Teaching VBS at the Park

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By Landry Holmes

This year, many churches have been faced with the challenge of doing VBS differently than before, or not doing it at all. Fortunately my church took a cue from the free eBook 4 VBS Strategies for This Summer  and chose to conduct VBS at a city park.

It was a great experience, and here’s what I learned from teaching at VBS this year:

  • Kids thrive outdoors. Behavioral challenges were virtually non-existent. The use of the park’s pavilion, as well as wide-open grassy areas, gave kids room to be kids. They could run, talk loudly, and move about more freely than in the confines of a building.
  • Volunteers respond to new challenges. As soon as our church family heard we were going to conduct VBS at a local park rather than at our church building, adults and teens signed up to teach, prepare snacks, set-up and take-down awnings, and help in many other ways.
  • Curriculum works anywhere. Everyday, I led a small group of kids in Bible study under a tree. I used the curriculum my church had purchased for a traditional indoor VBS, and with an adjustment here and there, I was able to teach boys and girls about Jesus effectively. The kids played games, listened to a Bible story, and used their activity books. Again, I had little trouble keeping their attention.
  • The gospel is location neutral. This past Sunday, my pastor baptized a boy who became a Christian during VBS. He and his family are affiliated with another church in town; however, the child wanted to be baptized in our church. Would this kid have come to our church building, heard the gospel, and trusted in Jesus during a traditional VBS? Perhaps. However, I do know that each day at the park every child heard the gospel.

I was surprised at the consistency in which kids attended VBS this year. In fact, every child in my Bible study group who started on Monday stayed until the end of VBS on Friday. Was it hot? Yes. Was it inconvenient to set-up and tear-down daily? Yes. Were there bugs? Yes. Did the snacks melt prematurely? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely!

Even during a global pandemic, VBS is worth it because the gospel is worth it!

_________________________

Landry Holmes is the Manager of Lifeway Kids Publishing and Network Partnerships. A graduate of Howard Payne University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Landry served on church staffs before joining Lifeway Kids. He is a church leader, writer, workshop facilitator, and publisher.  Landry also teaches children at his church in Middle Tennessee. He and his wife Janetta are the parents of two adult sons and two daughters-in-law, and the grandparents of four adorable grandchildren.

Vacation Bible School

Dig In to Bible Stories for VBS 2021

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Pack your bags and grab your gear, VBS 2021 is headed to present-day Israel where an epic adventure of discovery awaits. Discover long-hidden treasures, amazing finds, and exciting evidence that proves biblical events were not just stories. They really happened.

Each day during Destination Dig, junior archaeologists will use a real-life artifact from Bible times to help them discover more about who Jesus is and why He came. Let’s take a closer look at the Bible stories connected to each artifact.

Day 1: Jesus Was Born (Isaiah 7:14; Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:18–2:6)

Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, God told prophets to write about His plan to send His Son to be our Savior. Many years later an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph. The angel told him Mary would have God’s Son, and they were to name Him Jesus. Just as God promised, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. God promised He would send His Son, and He did.

Day 2: Jesus Healed a Blind Man (Psalm 146:8; Isaiah 35:6-6a; John 9:1-41)

Prophets wrote about what would happen when God’s Son came to earth. They wrote about miracles He would perform such as healing people. When Jesus began His ministry, He did everything God said He would do. One day while in Jerusalem, Jesus passed a man who had been blind since birth. Jesus spat on the ground and made some mud. He spread the mud over the man’s eyes and told the man to go wash in the Pool of Siloam. The man did as he was told, and he could see! The man told people what Jesus had done. Later, when the man saw Jesus, he worshiped Him.

Day 3: Jesus Experienced Betrayal and Rejection (Psalm 41:9; Isaiah 53:3,7; John 13; 18:1–19:16)

Jesus shared one last special supper with His disciples. During the meal Jesus explained that one of the disciples would betray Him. Jesus knew His betrayal and death would fulfill God’s plan. After the meal, Jesus and all the disciples except for Judas went to the garden in Gethsemane. While they were there, Judas brought the soldiers to arrest Jesus and take Him to the high priest to begin the trials the prophets had written about many years before. Pilate, the Roman governor, tried to find a way to release Jesus, but the crowd shouted, “Crucify Him!” Jesus remained silent just as the prophecy said He would. Finally, Pilate gave in to the people’s demands, and Jesus was handed over to the soldiers to be crucified.

Day 4: Jesus Is Alive (Isaiah 53:5,9-11; John 19:17–20:18)

God told prophets that Jesus would be born and that He would die for our sins. God also said that Jesus would die with the wicked, be buried with the rich, and be raised from the dead. Just as God said, Jesus was crucified between two criminals and Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy man, buried Jesus’ body in Joseph’s tomb. A stone was rolled in front of the tomb. On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb. The stone had been rolled away, and Jesus was gone. Peter and John came to the tomb and saw the burial clothes, but Jesus was not there. While Mary stood outside the tomb crying, a man she thought was a gardener appeared. The Man called her name and immediately Mary knew He was Jesus. She couldn’t wait to tell the disciples that Jesus is alive!

Day 5: Philip Told the Good News (Isaiah 53:7-8; Acts 8:26-40)

While Philip was preaching in Samaria, an angel of the Lord told him to go south to the road that goes to Gaza. Philip obeyed the angel. Philip saw a man traveling in a chariot. The man was reading a copy of the Isaiah scroll. Philip asked the man if he understood what he was reading. The man said he did not and that he needed someone to explain it to him. Philip explained the good news about Jesus to the man. The man believed what Philip told him and believed in Jesus. Philip baptized the man, and the man went on his way rejoicing.

For more information about Destination Dig, visit lifeway.com/vbs or check out THIS blog post.

Evangelism, Vacation Bible School

Salvation Follow-up After VBS

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by Rhonda VanCleave

From the sound of the first heartbeat, to the gender reveal day, to hospital “go time,” new parents celebrate every step of the anticipation of a new life joining theirs. After the celebration of birth, do they drop the baby off in the crib and go about their lives? ABSOLUTELY NOT! That would be appalling. 

Sadly, a similar thing happens in some churches with a birth that is equally important, the New Birth of a Christian. Much effort has been put into VBS (or any other outreach event). People have worked tirelessly to make preparations, to plan for the best experience ever, and when “go time” came, they gave it everything they had. And, joy of all joys, when kids and adults trusted Jesus as their Savior, there was much celebration! But, how many times are their names assigned to a small group class role and people go on about their church lives? We drop baby Christians in their “crib” and expect them to grow.

What plans does your church have in place that will help new Christians take their first unsteady steps toward Christian growth? The VBS Administrative Guide (the ultimate toolbox of resources for VBS planners) contains practical helps to follow up with those who have become Christians during VBS. 

First steps involve communication. Talk with parents whose children have made a profession of faith during VBS. A sample letter is provided on the CD-ROM included with the VBS Administrative Guide (“Sample_Followup_Letters.rtf”). The letter explains that someone from your church will be contacting parents. A personal conversation with the parent is very important. 

Sometimes the child may be actively involved in another church. In that case, a sample letter is also provided to help communicate the information with that pastor so their church can come alongside the child for discipleship.

Next, the beginning of discipleship is helping kids understand what it means, “Now that I’m a Christian.” Page 38 of the VBS Administrative Guide describes some of the resources available for this important step, starting with the I’m a Christian Now! Leader Kit. A basic follow-up and discipleship plan is also outlined on page 39 of the Administrative Guide. Churches can choose or develop the plan that works best for them.

The bottom line is this, plan for those new baby Christians with the same effort new parents plan for their anticipated arrivals. Expect great things from God and be prepared to welcome those new responsibilities with joy!

Prayer, Vacation Bible School

National Day of Prayer for VBS – May 17, 2020

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By Rhonda Vancleave

Each year, the third Sunday in May is designated as the National Day of Prayer for VBS. It is at this time that thousands of churches are ramping up their focus on VBS. VBS directors are making final preparations. VBS leaders are organizing their resources and gathering the items they need to make VBS fun and exciting. This special day of prayer focuses on the leaders who are preparing, the kids who will come, the friends they will bring, and especially those who will discover their need for a Savior.

Sunday, May 17, 2020, is this year’s National Day of Prayer for VBS, and we find ourselves in a set of circumstances that may be drastically different for each church. But, some things are still the same. God is still God. He is sovereign and good. God’s message is still true. Jesus is the only way to receive salvation. Churches are still finding ways to share that message with the people around them.

Some churches are changing their VBS dates and discovering the unique adjustments that entails. Some are looking for ways to gather in smaller numbers or in locations that are safer for their circumstances. Some are combining the powers of technology and various delivery systems to help kids have a special VBS experience at home. 

Let us all commit, on this unique day of prayer, to bring this ministry before God. May He guide churches as they consider how to reach kids and their families. May He give leaders the courage to focus on the “why” of VBS in order to determine their best “how.”

John F. Kennedy is quoted as saying, “When written in Chinese the word ‘crisis’ is composed of two characters—one represents danger and the other represents opportunity.” A variety of fears may be facing our churches, but the biggest danger is missing the opportunity to reach families who may be looking for answers for the very first time. We know the answers are found in God’s Word and in a relationship with His Son, Jesus. Join us in praying that churches will rise to the challenge of this crisis to embrace the opportunity of sharing the love of Jesus with their communities. His love IS our rock solid foundation.

Vacation Bible School

Designing Social Media Assets for VBS

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By Isaac Kierstead

Everything is online! Schools are online, churches are online, even game night is online. So where is the best place to get people excited for VBS this summer? Online! No matter what your VBS is going to look like, it is important to get the message out quickly and efficiently to the kids and families in your community. Creating banners and share squares for social media can be intimidating so here are a few tips and tricks to quickly create media for your church.

Here is a step by step video below on how to create a Concrete & Cranes share square.

Even if you have little to no experience creating graphics, you can use programs such as Powerpoint, Keynote, and Google Slides to make the graphics. Change the slide size to fit the graphic you want to post. If you want something more advanced you can use sites like Canva to create and share your graphics. After you set up your file, open up your VBS 2020 Administrative Guide and the VBS 2020 Decorating Made Easy book and pull all of the clip art off of the CDs. This will give you a great head start. Whether you are creating a banner for your Facebook page or slides to show in worship, having the Concrete & Cranes logo and a lot of the vehicles is a great way to start.

Now it is time to add color! I really like the different shades of green and red in the logo this year. Pulling your colors from the logo and vehicles will help make all of your posts have the same color palette and give everything unity.

Last of all is your message. As a designer, I am very excited that the VBS font “Concrete” is free for everyone to use. You can get it off the VBS 2020 Administrative Guide and the VBS 2020 Decorating Made Easy CDs. Once you have downloaded and installed the font you can use it on all of your graphics for the entire summer. Use it as the header font and pair it with a font like Proxima Nova or Helvetica to write your message. 

There are so many images and messages being posted right now, it may feel like yours is being drowned out. Do not feel discouraged! We have been called to declare the gospel message to the kids and families in our community. Some of you never imagined that graphic designer would be a part of your job description but we have an amazing opportunity to reach families in their homes. I am praying for you and I can’t wait to see what you create!

Vacation Bible School

Why Lifeway’s VBS?

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If you are like me, you may find yourself doing more and more shopping with a few keystrokes rather than walking into a store. Some of my “add to cart” choices have been great decisions, but others not so much. I’m learning which sites deliver what they promise and which don’t. Experience is teaching me which providers I prefer to trust with my choices and which ones are not so trustworthy.

This is true now more than ever in the world of VBS resources. You have lots of choices and the marketing taglines can make it hard to know which provider to choose. They all look great. However, when you consider the Kingdom significance that is often the result of this incredible week called VBS, that decision becomes incredibly important.

I know I may be biased because Lifeway’s VBS is a daily focus for our team. However, I know without a shadow of doubt, the quality of Lifeway’s VBS is amazing. It is truly one of the best.

All of Lifeway’s VBS resources are created, written, designed, and edited by people who work with kids on a regular basis in their churches. Content is vetted by theological and educational professionals. We have an amazing network of church volunteers and leaders who give us insight and help us stay in touch with the many varied communities of believers we serve. It is an honor to see the results that the ministry of VBS delivers and to realize how God is blessing.

To find out more about Lifeway’s VBS, check out the Winter issue of Kids Ministry 101 Magazine. You can also go to Lifeway’s VBS website to discover more about this year’s Concrete and Cranes®, see sample lessons, and listen to this year’s music.

Choosing a VBS resource is a huge decision. We believe Lifeway’s VBS is a decision you can trust.

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