Dedicated to helping Kids Ministry leaders in their mission of making disciples
We’re so excited for Concrete & Cranes and hope you are too! If you haven’t already, head over to the LifeWay VBS Facebook page and watch the theme reveal video.
Click here to learn more and make sure to come back tomorrow to hear the latest podcast episode that is all about Concrete & Cranes.
Your final clue for LifeWay’s 2020 VBS is hidden in the illustration above (hint: click here to view it fullscreen!). Find the five items and then use your findings to help you sleuth out next year’s VBS theme.
Think you’ve figured everything out? Post your guess on our LifeWay VBS Facebook page.
Make sure you tune in next week for the big reveal on June 5 at 1:00 p.m. CT. RSVP here.
Press play above to hear your third VBS 2020 clue!
Any guesses? You’re getting closer and closer to solving the theme for LifeWay’s 2020 VBS. Post your guess on the LifeWay VBS Facebook page and tune in on June 5 at 1:00 p.m. CT for the answers to every clue, plus the most exciting news—next year’s VBS theme!
Come back next week for the next clue here on the blog!
RSVP here!
There’s a message hidden between the lines of this Sudoku.
Print out the puzzle, crunch the numbers until you have filled in all the blanks, and then start solving the mystery of LifeWay’s 2020 VBS theme.
The next clue is coming soon! Keep watch for the next clue here on the blog and save the date for our official theme reveal on June 5 at 1:00 p.m. CT.
RSVP here!
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Melita Thomas (VBS Specialist) and Bill Emeott talk about why VBS is worth doing for any kids ministry.
Melita Thomas serves as a Ministry Specialist with LifeWay Kids. Melita holds a masters degree in Christian Education/Childhood Ministry and a passion for kids ministry that infuses both her work at LifeWay Kids and her leadership in the local church. Melita is a member of First Baptist Nashville, where she enjoys teaching kindergartners and preteens.
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Jana Magruder & Landry Holmes share research supporting why VBS is worth the time, energy, and expense to reach the families in your ministry.
Jana Magruder serves as the Director of LifeWay Kids. She is a Baylor graduate and offers a wealth of experience and passion for kids ministry, education, and publishing. She is the author of Kids Ministry that Nourishes and Life Verse Creative Journal, which she co-authored with her teenage daughter. She and her husband, Michael, along with their three children reside in Nashville.
Landry Holmes is the Manager of LifeWay Kids Ministry Publishing. 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 enjoy spending time with their 2 sons, daughters-in-law and grand babies.
Want to dive deeper into VBS? You’re invited to our VBS Preview Events this January!
Register for one of the VBS Preview Events today by visiting online registration HERE! See the dates and locations below!
Brr! It’s cold, and winter is coming soon! The lower the temperature drops, the more I wish it were my favorite time of year in kids ministry: summer. Summer is the BEST because of VBS and the other amazing KidMin activities pointing kids toward Jesus. You can help beat your own winter blues and prepare for an amazing summer at VBS by attending one of the LifeWay VBS Preview Events this January! Let’s go “In the Wild” together at VBS Preview!
Here are 5 reasons you can’t miss a VBS Preview Event!
Register for one of the VBS Preview Events today by visiting online registration HERE! See the dates and locations below!
Churches across the world have embraced Vacation Bible School as a ministry strategy for over a century. The rich history of VBS points to why many churches continue to put the work and effort into what it takes to swing open the doors and invite an entire community to hear the gospel. Simply put, the opportunity for evangelism is the number one motivating factor and heartbeat behind VBS.
Millions of children participate in VBS every year—and while we only know what churches report—the number of decisions to follow Christ, go into ministry, and pursue a life in missions are staggering:
2.5 million participants enrolled in VBS (2017)
65,000 professions of faith (2017)
835 decisions for vocational ministry (2017)
These statistics alone are evidence of the value and heartbeat behind VBS.
From its beginning, we can see the “why” behind VBS. Some of the first “schools” began for the sole purpose of Bible teaching. Dedicated teachers felt they did not have enough time with children to teach them the Bible only on Sundays, so they created summer programming built on an intensive time in God’s Word.
Some of the earliest daily schedules on record show the school activities as:
Memory Work
Bible Work
Calisthenics
General Assembly
Mission Work
Recess
Stories from Church History
I dare say that VBS has morphed into a more fun and exciting version of this historical schedule, but you can still see the thumbprints and motivation behind the “why.”
Most of us would agree that teaching the Bible is what VBS is all about—including memory verses. We might also agree that VBS should have a missions component. In fact, the most current numbers say that over $7 million was given to mission organizations last year alone. And though “recess” is usually more organized into games and crafts, the idea that kids need to move and have fun is still baked into a typical VBS day. This allows for friendships to develop and strengthen, creating an environment where church community can develop and grow.
Whether in 1919 or 2019, a worthwhile VBS experience requires an “all hands on deck” mentality from the broader church congregation. This starts with the senior pastor and trickles down to the individual members. When everyone throws in their time and gifts to create something with the potential for such a large impact, the Lord will knit hearts together as the body of Christ works together for His glory. This too is the heartbeat behind VBS.
By looking back at the history of VBS while taking the time to evaluate why VBS is worth doing today, it’s important to recognize that the original heartbeat has not changed.
How do we keep it thriving? Keep doing what has stood the test of time:
Share the gospel with kids and families in the community
Teach the Bible in an intentional way
Foster friendships and memories that last a lifetime
Build a stronger church community
Together, let’s acknowledge that from a kingdom perspective, VBS is worth it because the souls of our kids and families are worth it.
Jana Magruder serves as the Director of LifeWay Kids. She is a Baylor graduate and offers a wealth of experience and passion for kids ministry, education, and publishing. She is the author of Nothing Less, Kids Ministry that Nourishes, and Life Verse Creative Journal, which she co-authored with her teenage daughter. She and her husband, Michael, along with their three children reside in Nashville.
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Over the course of this summer, many churches will be hosting VBS, or Vacation Bible School, at their church. It’s an incredible outreach event, but what is the next step after the last kid has gone home for the week? Melita Thomas, joins the podcast this week to share encouragement and 5 tips for follow-up after a week of VBS.
I’m thrilled to share new insights about VBS coming out of a brand new study from LifeWay Research, commissioned by our Kids Ministry team. When we set out to conduct the study, we wanted our researchers to uncover how the general American population remembers VBS growing up and how those memories affect them now in their own parenting journey.
The results were even better than we thought! Not only do most Americans recall going to VBS—they have positive memories of their experience! You may be thinking, “well, that was then and this is now—VBS has served its purpose, let’s move on.” Hold that thought. It turns out, the positive memories from the majority of Americans who attended VBS growing up translate into them wanting their own children to experience it—now.
Kidmin leaders and VBS directors should be encouraged that 69% of American parents say they would let their child attend VBS with a friend if invited—this includes parents who do not go to church. The tried and true strategy of “invite a friend to VBS!” still works. How can we equip our church family to invite friends to VBS? Here are three ideas:
The LifeWay Kids team will be sharing more about this extensive research in the coming weeks and months. This is only the first sneak peek and the results are looking good, friends. VBS is truly still worth it!
To see the first round of research, check out this article from Facts and Trends magazine.
Jana Magruder serves as the Director of LifeWay Kids. She is a Baylor graduate and offers a wealth of experience and passion for kids ministry, education, and publishing. She is the author of Kids Ministry that Nourishes and Life Verse Creative Journal, which she co-authored with her teenage daughter. She and her husband, Michael, along with their three children reside in Nashville.
