Ministry-To-Children.com

Final Round: Vote For Your Favorite VBS

Tony Kummer — Sun, 11 May 2008 04:28:12 +0000

A few weeks back, I asked you to vote for the most popular vacation Bible School. I’ve taken the top four finishers and we’re ready for the final round. Thanks for all the great comments and feedback. VBS publishers enjoy a great deal of loyalty from their customers. Here are the top four finishers from round one.

Group Power Lab (24 votes)
Answers In Genesis: Amazon Expedition (23 votes)
LifeWay’s Outrigger Island (22 votes)
Standard Publishing: God’s Big Backyard (11 votes)

I was surprize that the top three finished so close!

I’ll let this poll run through May 25th. Feel free to leave your comments below. To make it even more fun, you’re welcome to give a stump speech in support of your favorite Vacation Bible School theme.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

If you are reading the e-mail newsletter click here to vote or leave a comment.

How To Do Vacation Bible School On A Tiny Budget

Tony Kummer — Sun, 11 May 2008 04:12:54 +0000

Some churches budget thousands of dollars for their annual Vacation Bible School program. But many smaller churches struggle to find the resources to support VBS. Here are some ideas for doing your Vacation Bible School without a lot of money.

Partner With Another Church’s VBS

Sometimes the best use of VBS money is to partner with another church (or churches) in your town to do a “Community Vacation Bible School.” There are some downsides to this in terms of safety and specific evangelistic outreach, but good planning can overcome those issues. The added challenges in planning will require a good director who can work with a team to pull it off.

Reuse Curriculum From Another Church’s VBS

Why not ask a church if you can use their materials after Bible school is over? This can work very well if you plan your VBS in July, while their’s is in June. If you have time, go and volunteer at their Bible school to see hands on how the program works. Our church makes plans to pass on our materials every year. It’s become a tradition to count how many churches get to use our props and curriculum.

Plan Easy Crafts

Aside from curriculum, craft supplies can be a major expense. If you keep the crafts minimal there is a potential to save. Don’t be too cheap, but skip the expensive craft kits that some of the publishers sell.

Ask For Simple Snack Donations

In most cases, you shouldn’t have to budget for snacks. Ask volunteers or church members to donate paper goods, cookies and other durable snacks. Even drink mixed can be donated by VBS supporters or local businesses. Kids love snacks, and usually are just happy with simple and inexpensive options.

Find A Donor To Underwrite VBS

If the church budget can’t cover the expenses, look for individual donors or business to sponsor your vacation Bible school. A few hundred dollars can make a huge difference to make your Bible school a success. Make sure you thank them publicly (if they don’t mind) and send a thank you card signed by the kids.

Another option would be to have the church take a special offering for Vacation Bible school. This may be effective in smaller churches that don’t have an annual budget. Pastoral support is essential to make this happen, so be sure your minister understands how important proper funding is for running Bible school.

Only Buy The Minimum VBS Elements

Most VBS programs allow you to buy a starter kit and then optional components separately. Often you can get by without all the fancy extras. This is something to look for when you choose a curriculum. Some require materials for every learner, while others let you make do with only the teacher’s guides. I still struggle to spend money on buying the themed t-shirts. Fortunately, our craft people have the children make custom shirts. These are about 1/3 the price and have more keepsake value for the families.

Ask For More Budget Next Year

It may be too late for this year, but why not ask for a budget increase next year? Even in small churches, the people will recognize VBS as the flagship program for children’s outreach. As soon as Bible school is over, draft a budget for the next year and take it to the pastor and finance people. The timing is important because VBS is often just a memory by the Fall when the budget committee crunches their numbers. If you can get them to agree in theory that more money would help, then it should make budget process easier when the time actually comes.

How does your church save money?

Our church is very generous toward the children’s ministry and give above what we need. So if you have more ideas to share I would love to hear them. If you have experience running VBS on a small budget, leave a comment below.

My Vacation Bible School Curriculum Reviews (you might also consider one of the smaller publishers linked from the bottom of that page they typically are less expensive and geared toward smaller churches)
How To Choose A Vacation Bible School Curriculum
Off site link: Compare VBS Prices at Family Christian Stores

Spanish Language Edition Of Vacation Bible School Curriculum

Tony Kummer — Sun, 11 May 2008 03:33:36 +0000

A reader sent me a great question asking about VBS programs in Spanish for their churches outreach to a Hispanic population in their town. I’ve done some checking and wanted to share what I’ve found with everyone.

Here was the question about VBS in Spanish:

Do you know if any of these are available in Spanish? I am from MN but work with kids and churches in Mexico. I feel that VBS packets are ideal to use for 1 week here or there as an evangelism tool to bring the kids in and get them interested! Not any churches that I’ve seen do this here but in from ones’ home it could be great for neighborhood groups!

Unfortunately, I could only find a three vacation Bible school publishers making Spanish language resources available. But the good news is that they are two of the best.

Spanish Language Edition VBS Curriculum

LifeWay has been publishing Spanish resources for their VBS for at least several years. They have these available on their website to order or you can special order them from any store that carries the LifeWay Vacation Bible school. Here is the link for Spanish Edition of LifeWay VBS.

Group Publishing is offering a bilingual Spanish/English edition of their Avalanche Ranch VBS program. This is not their current 2008 theme, so it might not appeal to churches who are doing PowerLab VBS. But if you plan a combined Spanish and English vacation Bible school program this should meet your needs. Here is the link for the Spanish/English Bilingual edition of Group’s Avalanche Ranch VBS.

Concordia Publishing House offers a good selection of Spanish language VBS and Sunday school products. Here is the link for the Spanish and Multicultural curriculum from Concordia. Here is the reader tip and recommendation:

Concordia Publishing House publishes original Spanish and bilingual Vacation Bible School programs that are written by native speakers, not translations. They have five themes available, all of which are excellent for Spanish-speaking churches, outreach to the Latino community, or mission trips. The themes are Ambush, The Secret of the Chest, Hot Air Balloon on the Loose, Sea Odysseys, and Family Portraits.

Concordia also offers many other Spanish resources, including Sunday School and other children’s materials, theological commentaries and resource books, tracts, certificates, and more! The resources are very good and are faithful to the Bible.

Do You Know Of Any Others?

Please leave a comment below if you know of any other Spanish language Vacation Bible School curriculum.

Sharing Jesus: It’s just a walk across the street

Tony Kummer — Fri, 09 May 2008 02:11:04 +0000

“Hey Daddy, I have an idea that we can do before school is out.”

It was Wednesday night. My son and I were driving home from church. He is a typical 7-year old, full of big ideas and the energy to make them happen. We had just talked about building a new doghouse over the summer break.

“Ok son, what’s your plan?”

“What if we tried to tell some of our neighbors about Jesus. I could read something from the Bible and you could tell them what it means.”

I paused, not sure what to say. In that moment, I could think of a dozen excuses. Like too many Christians, we do not really know our neighbors. From what we do know, we are not excited about learning more. In fact, the family he wanted to visit is known for their colorful language. What if they slam the door? What will that do to his faith?

I might have believed my excuses, if God had not giving me the same burden. Over the previous week, I had felt a growing conviction to witness to families on my block. How could I say that I love my neighbors, if I had never spoken to them? How could I tell them the sweetest name I know, if I did not even know their names?

“Ok son, we’ll try to go.”

“But when?”

“Maybe tomorrow, after you get home from school.”

“Daddy this is great. It’s just a walk across the street and it’s kind of like we’re being missionaries.”

So, we made our plans, deciding in advance what we would say. He chose John 3:16-17, then packed his Bible in a book bag. He even made some notes to help me explain about Jesus. That night, we said a special prayer for our neighbors.

To my shame, I wanted him to forget about it. But by morning, he was calling this our mission. Over breakfast and on the way to school, he kept plotting. After school, his excitement had only grown.

“Dad, are we still going?”

It was time. As we walked across the street, I put my hope in God. After all, this was his idea and it was up to him to work it out.

I knocked… No answer, but those few steps of obedience had filled me with courage.

“Son, let’s keep going and try the other neighbors.”

Over the next 20 minutes, we visited two apartments next-door to our house. Both ladies we met were church attendees who had already professed faith in Jesus. We have now learned their names and hope to become their friends.

“Hey Daddy, when do you think we can do this again?”

“I think tomorrow will work, we still have a lot of people left to talk to.”

Photo Credit: Flickr

10 Ways To Teach Children About Missions

Tony Kummer — Fri, 09 May 2008 00:36:32 +0000

The Desiring God blog has posted an article about helping kids love missions. Their ideas are geared toward families being missions minded with their kids. Here are the ten ways they pointed out. Click through to their website to get more details on each.

Pray for missionaries.
Read missionary biographies to your children.
Supporting missionaries financially as a family
Find a missionary kid pen pal for your child
Welcome missionaries into your home.
Take risks as a family.
Encourage the traits that missionaries need
Teach your children to be world Christians.
Read missionary prayer letters to your children.
Use missions fact books and resources

Reading this list reminded me how much work I need to do on this emphasis at our church and in my family. Missions is not top of mind in our small town. This year we’re actually doing our first missions emphasis week and we are getting the kids involved as much as we can.

How do you teach children about missions?

If you have a great idea about teaching kids about missions, leave it below this post as a comment. I’d love to hear your feedback.

How To Make A Church Nursery Schedule

Tony Kummer — Sun, 04 May 2008 03:28:27 +0000

Creating the nursery schedule at church is one of my least favorite administrative tasks as a children’s minister. The next schedule is due out this week, so I thought I would share how I do it.

6 Steps To Making A Church Nursery Schedule

1. Revise The Old Dates

I’ve moved to a 6-week rotation for our church nursery. I simply open the Word document on my computer and edit the old dates by looking at my calendar. This saves me time because I don’t have to shuffle workers for 5th Sundays. It also makes the commitment level seem more manageable for the volunteers.

You can download my Sample Church Nursery Schedule as a Word document. It is very similar to my real one, only I’ve used fake names.

2. Review For Special Dates

While I have the calendar out, I look for special dates that will affect the nursery. These might be weeks when we cancel Sunday night church, or when we don’t offer a nursery because of a church-wide dinner.

3. Remove Any Outgoing Volunteers

I keep a master copy of the church nursery schedule in my office. I use it to make notes when workers need to come off, change their service dates, or I have new volunteers to add. It helps to keep these notes in a central location by actually writing them on my copy of the schedule. I just delete these names at first and leave the spots as blanks until the next step.

4. Fill The Empty Spots

Then I find workers to serve in the blanks on my schedule. I should probably write more in depth about finding volunteers, but for now here are a few time saving tips. How do I get volunteers for church nursery?

Identify and recruit new nursery workers before you need them. While drafting the new schedule, I often think of potential volunteers to add to my recruiting list. Why not contact these people in before you’re in a pinch?
Use a church nursery job description or volunteer handbook to set clear expectations. Having clear communication up front helps you avoid nursery burnout.
When I can’t fill all the nursery spots I will just write “Volunteer Needed” and send it out anyway. This lets usually results in a wave of new workers. Seeing the specific need in the bulletin is much more powerful than sending out a generic appeal for help. In cases where I still don’t have workers, I call the on my substitute list.

5. Pray For The Volunteer List

Why not take 10 minutes to pray for the nursery roster while it’s top of mind? Pray that God will bless them for their service. Ask for protection for their health so they don’t call in sick. Mention each volunteer by name. Then expand your prayer to include the hours of ministry represented on the list. Ask God to call out new volunteers with a heart to love and serve the little ones. Don’t waste this opportunity for specific prayer.

6. Encourage The Workers

Send encouragement with the nursery schedule mailing. I always like to send notes of encouragement to the volunteers included in their nursery schedule. This can be a great way to remind them how important their ministry is to the church.

Send a handwritten thank you note. Just something simple to say, “I’m glad God has your in our church and I’ve prayed for you this morning. May God bless you.”
Send an encouraging article. You can find some that I’ve written at the bottom of this page under “related articles.”

Some More Time Saving Tips

Keep a list of volunteers on call. These can regular volunteers who are willing to take an occasional second shift, or others who can only work on occasion.
Send the schedule in several different formats. We put it in the church worship folder (Sunday bulletin) 2 weeks at a time, post it around the church, and I mail ever people their own copy of the 6-week schedule. Some churches like to do reminder calls, but this is overkill in most small churches. If your congregation is tech savvy, you can email the church nursery schedule as well.
Use a one-page format (or smaller) and alter paper colors each month. Most of our schedules end up on people’s refrigerators, so I try to keep it as fridge-friendly as possible.
Put your contact number on the schedule. This gives people easy access when they need to make a change to their nursery commitment.

What Do You Think?

If you’ve found this article helpful, please leave a comment below to let me know. You can also ask a follow up question or share your own thoughts. Some of the best tips on this website come from readers, so don’t be shy. Click here to leave a comment.

My Other Articles About Church Nursery

Gospel Light’s VBS 2009: “Son Rock Kids Camp”

Tony Kummer — Sun, 04 May 2008 01:28:55 +0000

It won’t be long before the official information on the 2009 VBS themes. I just got an email from Gospel Light publishers about their 2009 theme titled “Gospel Light’s Son Rock Kids Camp.”

They are looking for feedback on their marketing headline and have set up an online survey. You will be entered in a drawing (and their mailing list) when you give your opinion. I can’t wait to see the new bible school curriculum when it rolls out.
Click here to take the Gospel Light VBS 2009 survey.

Attention Children’s Ministry Bloggers

Tony Kummer — Sat, 03 May 2008 23:49:48 +0000

One of my goals for this site is to interact more with other children’s ministry bloggers. To make that happen, I’ve made three major upgrades to my website, just for you.

Children’s Ministry Blog Aggregation: I’ve added a new page that lists a massive blogroll and the latest posts from every children’s ministry blogge I know. To date I’ve found 40 blogs for this list. This page is linked in my main navigation menu, so feel free to link that page directly from your blog. If you’re name is not on the list email me at TonyKummer@gmail.com
Comment Luv Plugin: This little tool pulls the latest post from your website’s RSS feed and automatically adds it as a signature in your comment. This gives readers another chance to discover your blog.
Top Commentator Plugin: This script takes the top 7 comment writers from the blog over the last 30 days and gives them an automatic link in the sidebar. These links do pass Google PageRank and will drive some traffic to your blogs. So, join the conversation.

My hope is to generate more reader engagement and community. Remember it’s us children’s ministry types that are always preaching learner participation.

Here are the Children’s Ministry Blogs I have listed to date:

Book Alert - Sentinel: City of Destiny

Tony Kummer — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 23:53:04 +0000

My wife and I have two boys, one girl and a third boy on the way! So, when I heard about Landel Bilbrey’s Christian fantasy novel about two boys becoming men — I was interested.

He graciously sent me a copy and I am glad to share a little information about it with you. If you want more details check out the book’s website. You can even sample the first 6 chapters! The book is available at Amazon.com Sentinel: City of Destiny

My oldest son is 7 and reads very well for his age. We’ve read through several of the chronicles of Narnia and other chapter books. His reaction after the opening chapter of Sentinel was, “Cool.” He’s really into the themes this book brings out: courage, honor, service, and following God’s plan.

The book is more allegory than I expected, but he has no trouble connecting the double meanings with real life. It’s teaching is not veiled like C.S. Lewis — it’s obviously a book of Christian teachings. This is the kind of book that parents and kids should read together. It’s a great way to talk about faith with your sons (or daughters). Don’t be intimidated, the glossary and study guide in the back are a great help.

I could see a book like this as the basis for a boys reading club over the summer. Perhaps a few dads & sons could meet together every other week to discuss several chapters. This might just be the kind of adventure that would open some boys eyes to the joy of reading.

This is the kind of book that my boys will enjoy reading more than once!

Reviews of Sentinel: City of Destiny

*Links above do not mean I recommend everything on those blogs, I’m just pointing out other websites that have reviewed this book by Landel Bilbrey

Children’s Ministry News & Notes

Tony Kummer — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:50:02 +0000

Sunday School Thoughts By A Ten Year Old

Read this post where SelahV tells about how much her granddaughters loves going to church and especially Sunday school. You might even pass it along to your teachers at church.

Encouraging Letter For Children’s Ministry Worker

Gretchen shares a letter she wrote to help her friend who was feeling discouraged with their church’s outreach to children.

Little Girl Singing The Lord’s Prayer

Peter Lumpkins posted this cute video on his blog and I thought it might encourage you too. Be sure to watch it to the last line of the song - she really gets into the song!

WPvideo 1.10

If you’re reading this in the email newsletter, click here to watch the video back on my website.