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10 Reasons To Still Do Vacation Bible School

Wayne Stocks — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 13:01:09 +0000

In churches across the nation, this year’s Vacation Bible School is quickly becoming a memory. There are many people out there who think that VBS is an outdated program whose time has come and gone. Fresh off of the excitement and exhaustion that is the controlled chaos that is VBS, here is my list of the top ten reasons to still do VBS at your church:

Kids love it. If you’re doing it right, VBS is just plain fun, and the kids love it. Fun is, of course, not the end all and be all of children’s ministry, but it is a big selling point. When kids are having fun, they are more apt to be paying attention and learning, and they are more likely to invite their friends.
It’s still a great outreach event. Again, when something is fun, kids are likely to invite their friends. In my small group of six kids alone, we had one little girl that brought two different friends during the week. At least one of those kids never goes to church.
It is an opportunity to share the gospel of Christ. I talked to another little boy who lives near the church and comes to VBS every year. It is his only exposure to church and the only time each year when he gets to hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It gives the kids in your church a chance to spend some time together. In addition to reaching out to the community, VBS let’s your regular church kids spend some time together and continue to build those relationships.
It gives adults a chance to serve and see how much fun and how rewarding working with kids can be. Many people who won’t sign up for a six month or year long commitment will commit to one week. What a great opportunity VBS presents for finding new volunteers for your ministry. I found two people to ask within the first couple of nights. I don’t know if they will plan out, but I would never have met them if it hadn’t been for VBS.
Parents get a chance to hear the gospel. If you organize your VBS in such a manner that at least one night involves parents, it gives you an opportunity to share the gospel with them. It can be at a closing ceremony, or something planned during the week. During our VBS (we used Gospel Light’s SonQuest Rainforest), we had a zoo night where the local zoo brought in rainforest animals. We asked parents to stay with their kids, and they all heard the gospel presented by our lead pastor.
You can’t buy that kind of excitement in your weekend program. There is just something special about an action-packed week of VBS that just builds to a certain level of excitement. That is the king of excitement we should feel about God and about his Good News every day, and VBS week helps to remind us of that.
You get to build relationships with kids. When else during the year do you get to spend every night of the week with the same kids? That kind of proximity and consistency is hard to come by in children’s ministry, and isn’t something you should give up up.
You get to build relationships with adults. In addition to relationships with kids, you get to serve with other people from your church that you might not have a chance to meet otherwise. It is a great time to initiate lasting friendships.
It’s just plain fun. No matter what else you say about VBS, it’s just plain fun for both kids and adults. There is no other week during the year that I find so exhausting and so fun all at the same time, and I wouldn’t skip it for the world.

Get a jump on next summer’s VBS. Read our tips for planning VBS or check out our 2011 VBS curriculum reviews.

Printable VBS Evaluation Forms

Wayne Stocks — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 18:07:08 +0000

This is the time of year when churches all around the country are either wrapping up their VBS for this summer or getting their VBS in before the school year starts again. All the planning was done months ago, volunteers were recruited, supplies were purchased, skits were rehearsed, games were planned, and VBS went off without a hitch. Everyone breathes a collective sigh of relief and wishes one another a hearty, “I can’t wait until we get to do this all again next year.”

Often though, as we move on towards getting ready for the new fall season in the children’s ministry or any number of other things, we forget to capitalize on a valuable assets. That asset is the collective knowledge, comments and suggestions of those who worked your VBS. While it is still fresh in their minds, ask your staff and volunteers for their input on what went well, what didn’t work and what should be done differently next summer. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to to constantly improve by reflecting on the past. Immediately after VBS is over, give everyone a questionnaire and ask them to give you some input. I do suggest waiting until they’ve had a good nights sleep though. If your VBS week is like ours, it can be extremely exhausting! Here are some questions you might consider including:

Practical Tip: When you first draft your VBS schedule, always plan for evaluation meetings in advance. Otherwise you might forget this step. You’re VBS publishers often want to hear this feedback too. Check their official websites for comment forms or surveys.

General Background Questions

What is your name (you may fill this survey out anonymously, but we would appreciate the chance to follow up with you on your comments is you are willing)?
What was your position in VBS?
What age group did you serve with?
Have you volunteered before?
How many years have you done VBS?
What positions have you had previously?

Questions related to Administrative Issues

What could have been better organized?
Do you feel like you received adequate training prior to VBS?
Do you feel like you received adequate written materials prior to VBS?
Are there any portions / stations / aspects of VBS which could be run better?
Is there anything you would do to make the whole process more efficient?
Where you given adequate resources to fulfill your role at VBS?
Was the “chain of command” clear to you?
Was the person you reported to able to provide clear guidance and answers to questions?

Your Impression of VBS

What part(s) of VBS went well?
What could have been better?
Was VBS well planned?
What was your favorite part of VBS?
What was your least favorite part of VBS?
Did you find your role in VBS to be fulfilling?
Did you have fun?
Please share one “success story” from this week.
If you have done VBS before, how did this year’s VBS compare to prior years?

How did Kids respond to VBS

For the kids you led, what was their favorite part of VBS?
For the kids you led, what was their least favorite part of VBS?
Did the kids you led have fun?
Did you see God working in the lives of any kids this week? If so, how?
Did your kids related to the VBS theme?

Looking Forward to Next Year

What would you change for next year?
What do you wish you would have known going into VBS?
What could be done to make VBS more fun next year?
What could be done to make VBS more effective in terms of outreach?
What could be done to make your role in VBS easier next year?
Based on your experience, would you volunteer again next year?

You can download these questions in a formated Word document or print friendly PDF file. Be sure to browse all our resourced for Vacation Bible School.

Group Publishing Drops the PandaMonium Name for VBS 2011

Tony Kummer — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 04:00:40 +0000

I caught this on Group’s Facebook page yesterday and wanted to update everyone on our site too. Group Publishing has made a last minute change to the name of their 2011 Vacation Bible School curriculum. According to their Facebook page:

We got some news! We received some feedback from concerned customers regarding the name of our Easy VBS 2011 program–PandaMonium. So, as of late last week, we have changed the name to PandaMania.

The issue revolved around some online definitions of Pandemonium. According to Merriam-Webster, the word is from Greek that meant something about evil spirits. It was also the capital of Hell in Milton’s Paradise Lost.

There was also some brand baggage. There was the Pandemonium video game from 1996 that has been released on smartphones since 2009. The game included elements of magic that might offend some Christian parents. There was also the 1982 movie titled Pandemonium and an unrelated 82-83 TV show. Both sounded a little odd too.

One of our readers brought up this issue in a comment last month. I didn’t think it was a big deal. To me, the theme name PandaMonium is a fun play on words. Almost zero kids will make a bad connection, and very few adults. Besides, I liked the idea of rewriting the dictionary. How ironic that this word could be reborn as a symbol of God’s love for a generation of kids.

On the other hand, Group has shown a teachable spirit in how they received these criticisms. They have obviously reconsidered the title and decided on a safe alternative. That is something about Group obvious to me – they are willing to change to better serve their customers. What they do is driven by ministry, not by ego. This change will likely create some extra work for them, but I trust them to do what’s right.

As for my blog, I’m going back to update the titles on previous posts about PandaMania. I will always have my PandaMonium t-shirts and now they too are an endangered species too!

Four Tasks To Do After Vacation Bible School

Lauren Foster — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:07:57 +0000

Your VBS has come to a conclusion. After all the “de-decorating” has occurred one may think all he or she is left with are some traces of hay or sand, that yellow tacky left behind on the walls from posters, snack crumbs under the chairs, and all that leftover craft supplies that seem to always accumulate in that same corner until around Christmas time. But is there more to the aftermath of VBS?

Listed below are some suggestions my church implements in preparing for next year’s VBS, as well as in cleaning up the details from this summer’s fun.

What should I do after VBS is over?

1. Evaluate: This is such a crucial aspect in making an event even better. About two weeks after our VBS is over, the children’s staff at my church find ourselves sitting around a conference table thinking about things that went off extraordinarily, as well as discussing things that might not have come off with such a sensation. This is also a time where we can discuss volunteer evaluation forms that we distributed the last night of our VBS and examine specific areas that our volunteers pointed out as strong or weak aspects of VBS. It is important that one take time to reflect on every aspect of the program and evaluate what could go better next year. Think about each element of the event and ask questions such as, “What could make registration go smoother when that bottle-neck occurred during the first 15 minutes of every night?” or, “Why were the snack volunteers always flustered—were the snacks too hard to put together?”, and “Did we do a good job in making sure our children were secure and parents were identified before picking them up?” As one ponders over the events of VBS, ideas can come to mind to make even the smallest details fly more smoothly for next year, or one can become aware of something that may just not be working well and need tweaking before VBS 2011.

2. Show Appreciation: During my week of VBS, I really strived in thanking volunteers each night as I saw them working hard and loving on the children. Even though I tried to intentionally show appreciation for their long hours and dedication, I know that I must have had a few slip by without receiving a “pat on the back” or have some walk away feeling that it was just expected that they serve every year at VBS. One thing that can be done to try and show just how much your volunteers mean to you is to write them a hand written thank you note after VBS. Try to make each note unique by thinking of specific things you saw that volunteer do to serve the Lord. Receiving a thank you note can go miles with your volunteers and make them aware of the fact that you saw them serving that week and didn’t take their time for granted.

3. Organize & Store: One thing that resulted from our evaluation last year was the need to organize and store the supplies we used for crafts and recreation from each year. By organizing even the smallest things like crayons, scissors, tape, and hoop-la-hoops, these things won’t have to be bought next year and can save money in the VBS budget. This year we are making a conscience effort to keep things organized and labeled so that next year things will be on hand and we won’t have to make that last minute trip to the store for 10 more bean bags…

4. Follow-Up: Probably the most important aspect of VBS aftermath is to follow-up with children who visited VBS. It is vital to make contact with these families and welcome them to the church for your worship service and events. VBS can serve as a way for you and your church to reach your local community in the coming months and even years. Through one event, you have a door to reach these children on a daily basis and share with them and their families the Good News of the Gospel.

Need More Ideas? Be sure to check out all our Vacation Bible School planning tips. You can also browse our VBS curriculum reviews for 2011.

PandaMania Decorating Ideas for VBS

Tony Kummer — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 22:24:54 +0000

If you follow Group VBS on Facebook or YouTube, you might have noticed some helpful videos they’ve been posting about VBS decorations. Each of these shows you how they made some of the themed elements for their PandaMania VBS theme.

If you church is doing Group’s VBS next summer, you will love these videos. This extra support will be a great add-on to the printed decorating instructions in the PandaMania starter kit. Actually anyone with a jungle themed Vacation Bible School will benefit from these ideas.

How to Make a Bamboo Bridge

How to Make Bamboo Drums

How to Make a Bamboo Fence

I saw these (and many more) Panda VBS decorating in action when I attended the Group VBS field test. The church really looked great and I had no idea these theme ideas were so easy to get together. For the record, Shannon “the decorating dunce” is actually a really smart kid – and makes a convincing Panda.

Review: VBS Curriculum from the Seventh Day Adventist Church

Wayne Stocks — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 17:57:39 +0000

Last month, we agreed to review a copy of the KCGN – Kids’ & God’s Communication Network curriculum. I decided the best way to present my evaluation was to walk you through the evaluation process itself. For more information check out their official website.

What is KGCN?

KGCN describes itself as a “child evangelism kit.” The most likely application is for a vacation bible school, but as the manual points out, this could also be used for children’s church, children’s prayer meeting or short-term evangelism meeting.

This VBS curriculum is produced the Review and Herald Publishing Association (official website | Wikipedia article), a publishing house for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. That said, nothing jumped out at me that would be considered “strictly denominational,” and I don’t believe other denominations (or non-denominational churches) will have any problems with the material.

My Initial Impressions

When the package arrived and I opened it, the first thing I noticed was the great packaging of the kit itself. It comes in a high quality messenger bag which makes a great first impression. I have to give the creators of the kit credit for that because the first impression they give is one of attention to quality and detail and it made me want to get into the rest of the material. I was hoping that the rest of the material lived up to that initial impression.

The Contents of Bag

Here are the contents of the bag:

KGCN Director’s Manual
Good News – God’s News Live Program Manual
Good News – God’s News Tour Program Manual
Play-by-Play Program Manual
Do It Yourself Program Manual
Snack Attack Program Manual
Builder’s Square Program Manual
History Mystery Program Manual
Operation Cool Aid Program Manual
Package of posters
Music CD
Music DVD
Special Features DVD
Media Resources CD-ROM

What is the basis of KGCN?

This kit is built around the idea of teaching kids five different ways in which God communicates with us. Each day is built around a daily headline which summarizes the main point for the day. These include:

God Calls (Verbal Communication)
God Shows (Visual Communication)
God Writes (Written Communication)
God Cares (Body Communication)
God Comforts (Intuitive Communication)

Each day is reinforced by an individual Bible story and a memory verse.

How does it work?

KGCN is built around different stations with tour guides who lead kids from station to station. The stations include:

1. Good News – God’s News Tour is the introductory phase of the evening with all kids gathered together for a presentation which includes music and a presentation of the memory verse.

2. History Mystery/Do It Your Self uses drama, storytelling, and other interactive methods to teach the day’s Bible story. There are at least two different options provided in the kit for how to tell these stories (one involving puppets).

3. Snack Attack provides the kids with a healthy snack each day. These snacks were not an afterthought. Some of the snack ideas presented are incredibly creative and reinforce the story at the same time.

4. Builders Square is the craft station of the day. The crafts are designed so that the materials needed can be purchased from well known retailers detailed in the manuals.

5. Play-by-Play is game time. The games include various types of activities – some more rambunctious than others.

6. Good News – God’s News Live is the final section of the day and reemphasizes the songs, bible story and skit for the day.

Each station (including games and snack time) includes questions and other activities to help reinforce the main message.

My overall impression

As I said above, when I first got KGCN in the mail it looked like a top notched product, and I was excited to review it. Unfortunately, the first thing I grabbed out of the bag to review was the music CD. I am not a musical person, but I do believe that music is critical to a VBS or other event like this. Music has a way drawing kids in and getting them excited. To be perfectly honest, I did not care for the music included in KGCN. (See the video below to decide for yourself.) While I do think that they picked songs which fit well in flow of the event, I didn’t find the music to be exciting or all that engaging. It felt like music that would be better for a pre-school VBS rather than an elementary age VBS.

So, after the music, I was little worried about what I might find in the rest of the kit. Things took a turn for the better again though as I started to review the manuals for the various stages they are well put together, and I think they would be engaging and keeps a child’s attention. KGCN is well thought out, full of good content, and well presented. The whole kit is very cohesive, put together in such a way that every activity further emphasizes the main point, and presented in a manner that will be easy for the various leaders to follow. The directors manual in particular includes tons of great resources related to preparing for the event. I also appreciate that the kit includes built in options for some of the stations.

Other than the music, if there was one thing I thought was problematic about the kit, it was the lack of gospel content on several days. There is one day where the gospel seems to be highlighted, but the remainder of the week, it was deemphasized (at best) or not present (at worst). There is solid biblical content each day, but I would prefer a more consistent presentation of the gospel – especially in something dubbed a “child evangelism kit.”

Overall, I appreciate the effort the creators of this kit put into teaching kids about communication with God. I think this is critical in helping kids to understand that God’s story is about relationship and communication is fundamental to that relationship. I would have liked to have seen some more emphasis placed on prayer as a way we communicate back with God. The music left a lot to be desired, but the quality of the manuals is top notch, and it is clear that a lot of thought and work went into to putting it all together. Any purchased outreach or VBS generally requires some modification, and this KGCN is no exception. That said, with some minor modifications, I think this could make a great VBS experience for your kids.

In the interest of full disclosure, I was provided with a free copy of KGCN in order to do this review. That did not impact the contents of the review.

Need More VBS Ideas? Check out our resource page for Vacation Bible School. You might also enjoy our 2011 VBS Curriculum reviews.

2011 Cokesbury VBS: Shake It Up Café

Tony Kummer — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 17:37:14 +0000

Cokesbury has announced their VBS theme for 2011. It’s titled, “Cokesbury – Shake It Up Café: Where Kids Carry Out God’s Recipe.” In each of the five days, kids will explore a different Biblical festival and discover the principles for living according to God’s plan. The graphics on the website play off a cooking theme with large chef’s hats, aprons, pots & pans, and tablecloths.

Theme Impression

I’m a big fan of the food network and my own children enjoy some of their shows too. I think this could be a really fun theme. I love the originality and variety of creative directions it could take. My imagination jumped back to the 2007 Disney film Ratatouille which introduced the world of fine cooking to this generation.

Michael from Cokesbury sent me one clarification about the theme. Some have mistaken that the whole think happens in the church kitchen. The truth is that this VBS does not involved the kids being in the kitchen at all – the cafe and kitchen are just the setting (the same as kids are not really riding pandas in Group’s PandaMonium). The Shake It Up Café VBS will feature all the standard VBS fun: recreation, crafts, music, assembly time, mission.

More Information

Our website will have a full review of this Vacation Bible School curriculum sometime this winter. You can get more information from Cokesbury’s official website, Facebook page, or Twitter account. They have bible content overview and music samples.

2011 Regular Baptist Press VBS: Rev It Up!

Tony Kummer — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 17:26:24 +0000

Here’s another VBS curriculum you might consider for next summer. Regular Baptist Press has announcing their 2010 VBS theme. It’s called Rev It Up! Full Throttle for God. The artwork features NASCAR style stock car racing and an oval race track.

Here is the description they sent:

Well fans, it’s the race your whole family’s been waiting for! Students of all ages are becoming part of racing teams—complete with pit crews, drivers, and fans! Teachers have transformed into crew chiefs, the staff became pit crew leaders, and the director is the race official. Get ready to Rev It Up! with this year’s Vacation Bible School! We’re going Full Throttle for God!

The program’s flexible rotational model allows you to maneuver through various points of the Rev It Up! Speedway. Your racing teams will meet together at the Grandstand for a time of worship and singing. They may even get to meet Speedy the racing turtle, the official race mascot! You’ll have fun fixing crafts in the Racecar Garage and playing games in the FanZone! Your team meets daily at Pit Road to get refueled through the Bible lesson-time. And of course, there’s the speedway Concession area where your teams will enjoy snacks—some that you even make yourself!

Your team will quickly recognize that Rev It Up! is a gospel-centered curriculum that weaves the salvation message into each lesson. It’s built around a solid theological framework and motivated by a desire to teach Bible truths using age-appropriate methods.

Let’s go racing with Rev It Up! Full Throttle for God!

Theme Impression

It’s been a few years since any major publisher did a race car VBS theme. I think it will be a hit with kids, especially boys who almost always love fast cars. Plus the new Disney Pixar film Cars 2 is set to debut in June 2011. So this will have series draw for kids next summer. If your church is looking for a cars related VBS theme, here is one to consider.

More Information about Rev It Up!

Our website will offer a full review once we get a sample kit from RBP. For now you can check out their official website, Facebook page, or VBS community site.

2011 Gospel Light VBS: Son Surf Beach Blast

Tony Kummer — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 04:47:31 +0000

Gospel Light Publishing has announced their 2011 Vacation Bible School theme. It is called “Son Surf Beach Blast VBS.” The logo artwork features a surfboard, dolphin, and a large splash. Other artwork pictures kids running on the beach with the caption, “The Sea. The Sand. The Son!”

Gospel Light has made sure to include Jesus in each day’s lesson and is clearly keeping with the “Jesus Every Day” promise. Each day in this VBS curriculum is built around a big question about Jesus that kids need to answer. This lines up with a bible story and memory verse for that day. The theme verse for the whole week is John 14:6. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Theme Impression

The beach and surfing themes tend to come around every few years. They always have an immediate appeal because nothing says summer fun like heading to the beach. The theme also lends itself to fun music and adorable sea animals. We’ll have to wait and see how creative they are when the starter kits are released this winter.

More Information about Son Surf VBS

Our website will offer a full review of this Bible School curriculum this winter. For now, you can find more information on the official website for Gospel Light’s VBS themes. They offer a sample of the theme song and daily overviews of the Bible content. You can also get more information from their forums. Typically you can find great decoration and craft tips on those forums.

Looking for more 2011 Vacation Bible School curriculum? Check out our coverage of all the major VBS themes for 2011. You can also find tips for planning your Bible School.

Night or Day Vacation Bible School Schedule?

Tony Kummer — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 04:12:32 +0000

A reader recently emailed me asking for advice about her VBS schedule. I thought it was a good question so I wanted to share a few quick thoughts here on the website. This is not an exhaustive discussion, so please share your ideas in the comment section below. You can also check out a helpful conversation about this on the Kidology forums.

Here is what the reader wrote:

This will be my first year directing VBS and our theme this year would lend itself well to an evening VBS, but I’d like a little input from people who’ve tried it. Do you have any information on evening versus daytime VBS programs? Or can you direct me to a source of information?

This is definitely a church specific decision because so many factors will relate to your church uniquely. At my church we’ve tried both and have settled on what works best for us. Of course that may change in a few years, but for now we stick with a morning VBS.

If I was a new VBS director I would ask the church what they have done in the past or what other churches do in the area. Then take an extra step and ask why. Sometimes doing things the same way is really the best idea, sometimes a change is needed. Whatever the situation, this should give you a good starting point.

Pros and Cons of a Night VBS Schedule

In general, finding adult volunteers will be easier for a night VBS. Many parents who work during the day can make time to help with an evening schedule. This might be a downside for retired or senior adult volunteers – ours like to be home before dinner. So check with some key helpers to see what makes the most sense in your church.

Kids will sometimes have baseball or gymnastics practice conflicts in the evenings. Many sports programs run on weeknights so that parents can attend. Children may also be at the swimming pool all afternoon and not make it to VBS on time. At my church, attendance suffered when we did a night Bible school.

In my experience, kids have more energy (or wildness) with an evening schedule. This can make things more fun or out-of-control depending on the child.

From a directing standpoint, an evening VBS gives you all of the next morning and afternoon to prepare the next days activities. This can be helpful if you or your volunteers are not into early mornings.

We did try a more ‘family-integrated’ VBS with the night schedule, but few parents really bought into it. It ended up being about the same parents sticking around who would have helped in the morning either way.

Pros and Cons of a Day VBS Schedule

Senior adult workers prefer morning VBS schedules, at least that is the case at my church. For me that made the morning much easier to staff. On the downside volunteers (and kids) would sometimes miss for doctor appointments during the day.

Our attendance was stronger in the morning with parents looking to keep kids active during summer downtime. Babysitters were always glad to bring their children to our program too. You might want to be careful of daycares. I have heard stories about preschool overload when too many came without warning.

I always liked having VBS done before lunch and then using the afternoon to prepare for the next day. This was just my preference but it helped me sleep better at night.

Weather was better for us with a morning schedule. We get less thunderstorms in the AM and the outside games are better before the full heat of the afternoon. You could argue this the other way but 9 AM to Noon seems cooler to me than 6-9 PM.

What Do You Think?

Be sure to leave your feedback below. This is an issue with lots of considerations and ultimately about your church + community. What are the benefits of having a night VBS program versus a day VBS schedule? You’ve read my pros and cons. We still want to hear your opinions.