Vacation Bible School Planning Guide
Three to Six Months Before Your VBS
Begin praying for your church’s Vacation Bible School
Ask God to prepare the hearts of church members, workers, and children who will attend.
Choose a format for your VBS.
• Will you meet in the morning, afternoon, or evening?
• Will you meet every day for a week or once a week for several weeks?
• Will your program be for children only, or will entire families be invited to attend?
• Will you meet at your church or another location?
Set VBS dates.
As you’re considering dates, you may want to find out about other summer programs offered by your church or your community so you can avoid conflicts.
Choose a Director.
If you’re reading this, that’s probably you! The Director is responsible for planning, recruiting staff, and overseeing all details to ensure that your VBS flows smoothly. For an even easier time, consider recruiting a second director who works with the leaders to train, encourage, and check in on them throughout your VBS. (Remember, your new favorite word is delegate!)
Set a budget.
Look through the entire VBS catalog to get an idea of what you’ll need for your program. Write down the cost of each item you’ll need, and then tally the total cost to set your budget. Your church may already include VBS in its budget. If so, find out what funds are available. If your church doesn’t have a VBS budget in place, don’t worry! Money for a quality VBS program needn’t be a stumbling block. There are countless ways that you can easily (and painlessly) raise the funds you need. Consider the following ideas:
* Collect an offering to cover expenses.
* Charge a per-child registration fee. Give discounts to families that register more than one child.
* Invite congregation members to “sponsor” children by contributing a per-child amount. (See the Registration section in your Ultimate Director Go-To Guide for more specifics on this idea.)
* Hold a creative fundraiser! Have a hammy volunteer walk around before and after church wearing a VBS Themed T-shirt, a fishing hat, and a giant pair of waders. Ask members of the congregation to fill the waders with change. Your volunteer will get a workout walking in all the jingly coins! There are countless things you can do!
Start collecting decorations.
Look for anything that goes with the VBS theme. You might even let members of your congregation know what you’re looking for so they can keep their eyes and ears open for potential decorations.
Many of the VBS programs have decoration ideas in the catalog and items that can be ordered such as inflatables, bulletin board paper, T-shirts, and plush animals!
2 to 3 Months Before Your VBS
Plan Vacation Bible School publicity.
Decide how you’ll promote VBS in your church and community. Refer to the Publicity section of the Director Guide or Manual for publicity ideas and resources.
Set up you’re a VBS church website.
Many of the programs have such as Crocodile Dock have an easy way to do this, check your starter kit for details on how to do this. You can also talk to you church website administrator to add a custom VBS section to your church website.
Encourage preregistration.
Whether at church gatherings or online preregistration gives you a good idea of how many kids to expect and gets them involved early. Good way to start getting staff members too.
Begin recruiting Leaders.
Use the recruiting helps detailed in the Recruiting section of your Director Guide/Manual to catch your VBS volunteers. There are plenty of ways to do this that will captivate people’s hearts and minds while allowing you to flex those creative muscles (in an easy way—with great results). Use photocopiable job descriptions, handouts, and bulletin inserts to make your job a breeze.
Network!
Networking will stretch your time and dollars. Find other churches in your community that are doing the same VBS. Get together and brainstorm decorating, fundraising, and publicity ideas that will get your whole community excited about VBS. Maybe even sponsor a VBS party. A VBS party will be a time for networking, training, idea-sharing, and support.
Estimate your VBS enrollment.
Use figures from your church’s Sunday school or figures from last year’s VBS program. Once you’ve estimated how many children will attend, figure out how many Leaders you’ll need. You’ll need one adult or teenage leader for every five children, including preschoolers. Be sure to have extra leaders ready when you need to form groups for last-minute registrants.
Order VBS materials.
If you purchased Starter Kit, you already have a leader manual for most stations and likely most of the multimedia components you need. You may want to order additional leader manuals for team teaching—and a copy of each leader manual for yourself, if you’d like. We also recommend that you review what you need ahead of time and not wait until the last minute.
Important! As we’ve said, people who have used VBS in the past tell us that their VBS programs are growing. To avoid stress and disappointment, order early and order extra! Remember we offer 100% returns on unused items.
Even if you’re planning a late-summer program, it’s not too early to order materials. As you update your registration count, you can order additional student supplies as needed.
Explore your church facilities.
You’ll want to be deliberate in selecting your station areas. If your plans involve more than 150 children, avoid chaos and alter the basic VBS setup, maybe run two or more simultaneous stations. You’ll need to set up a separate room or area for each station.
Plan and schedule a leader training meeting
Many VBS Starter Kits contain videos on how the VBS will look. Your leaders will enjoy seeing the VBS in action. Be sure to include all leaders in your training so they can better understand their role. Most programs are filled with helpful, practical tips to make the leaders the best staff around. Plan to meet for at least two hours.
8 Weeks Before Your VBS
Begin recruiting leaders.
The leaders are like older brothers and sisters in the VBS family. Leaders can be teenagers, college students, parents, or grandparents. They need only to love the Lord and love children.
Bayou Crew Leaders should plan to participate in VBS for the entire time. If they need to be absent one or more days, encourage them to find their own substitutes.
Begin publicity.
Fill in your program’s dates and times on a VBS Giant Outdoor Banner. Display the banner in a prominent outdoor location.
Hang VBS publicity posters in your church and community.
Show a DVD during a worship service or other church gathering, maybe even show highlights from last year’s VBS. This brief video gives people a glimpse of how VBS works and what kids will learn. You’ll find that the video helps build enthusiasm, recruit volunteers, and promote attendance for your program. Be sure to follow up the video by telling the congregation how excited you are about the program!
Begin gathering supplies.
Refer to the Director Guide. Consult with Leaders to inform them of how you’ll handle supply collection. Will you gather all supplies, or will each leader gather his or her own supplies? You may want to ask church members to donate food supplies (such as whipped topping and cookies) or easy-to-find items (such as decorations).
Plan your VBS schedule.
The average VBS program runs for up to three hours each day. Most VBS materials are developed with these parameters in mind. See the daily schedules in your Director Guide to see how this works. If your program will meet for more or less time than three hours each day, you’ll need to adapt these times accordingly.
4 Weeks Before Your VBS
Recruit additional volunteers.
In addition to Leaders you may want to recruit volunteers to help with registration, transportation, and child care for the staff.
Get your congregation excited about The Mission aspect of the VBS.
Most VBS programs have a mission component. Check out that section of your and find easy ways to get everyone involved with this mission project.
Continue publicity.
Mail VBS invitation postcards to children in your church and community. Distribute VBS doorknob danglers in your neighborhood. Write your church’s name and when your VBS will begin. (Invitation postcards and doorknob danglers are available in most VBS programs.) Be sure to tell them how to register and direct people to your VBS website for easy registration.
Continue preregistration.
Photocopy the VBS a registration form. Insert copies in your church bulletins, distribute copies in Sunday school classes, and keep a supply in your church office. Encourage parents from your church to preregister their children and their children’s friends. This will make your first day more manageable.
Hold the scheduled leader training meeting.
Plan to meet in a large room where you’ll be able to try out some VBS snacks and activities. Before the meeting, set up a TV and DVD player, and decorate the room using the suggestions provided in the staff training outline in your Starter Kit. Bring the leader manuals and any guides.
Meet with each Station Leader.
It’s a good idea to touch base with each Station Leader on a one-on-one basis. Take each person to lunch or out for ice cream or simply go for a walk together as you discuss what supplies the leader needs, what concerns he or she may have, or any aspects of the program that are not clear. This will not only prevent miscommunication but also help your volunteers know how much you appreciate them.
Provide VBS information to your church office.
Fill in your church’s information on a community flier and photocopy a stack of completed fliers on bright-colored paper to put in your church office. Someone in the office can refer to the fliers if people call with questions about your program and can distribute fliers to people who stop by the office.
If your church has a phone answering machine, you may also want to include VBS information in your recorded message. If your church has its own website, be sure to add VBS information there, too.
2 Weeks Before Your VBS
Check your registration count.
Make sure you have enough Student books for each child to have one. Order extras just in case; many churches experience last-minute additions, first-day surprises, and unexpected increases as kids bring their friends throughout the week. Also double-check that you have enough Leaders, assigning one Leader to five children.
Check your supply collection.
Make a final announcement, or put a final supply list in your church bulletin. Gather or purchase additional supplies as necessary.
Continue publicity.
- Send copies of a news release to your local newspapers, radio stations, and TV stations. Use the snazzy clip art found on the Clip Art and/or Resources CD Set to create fliers, bulletins, posters, newspaper ads, and more.
- Announce VBS in worship services and other church gatherings. Put bulletin inserts in your church’s worship bulletins.
- Before your worship service, have a few volunteers perform a publicity skit. Show a video or message.
- Mail additional VBS invitation postcards as necessary.
Make backup and emergency plans.
What if it rains during your program? Plan in advance how you’ll handle bad weather. You may also want to line up backup Leaders in case some drop out. Inform Leaders of procedures to follow if there’s a fire or other emergency.
1 Week Before Your VBS
Dedicate and Pray for VBS staff.
Introduce Station Leaders, Student Leaders and other volunteers during your church service. Then have your pastor or other church members pray that God will use these workers to touch kids’ lives with his love during VBS.
Assign kids to groups or classes.
Using the preregistration forms you’ve received, assign children to the appropriate level. Depending on the VBS program and your preference you may mix up the age levels within the groups. Look in your Director Manual for additional helps and tips on this for your specific program.
Meet with the Main Leaders again.
Check with leaders to make sure they have all the required supplies, and answer any questions they may have. Work together to smooth out any last-minute details.
Decide when and where Main Leaders and other Leaders will meet each day.
It’s a good idea to have your staff arrive early on Day 1 to greet children and assist with registration. Be sure each Leader has a large sign with his or her group/crew number or name written on it.
Help decorate rooms.
Use the decorating ideas found in the colorful VBS catalog or leader manuals to turn your church into an environment that’s loaded with fun.
During Your VBS
Meet with Leaders Each Day for a quick huddle and prayer.
This is a great time to ask Crew Leaders if they have any needs or concerns, to make last-minute announcements or schedule changes, and to encourage your Leaders. Lead a prayer, asking God to bless your day, protect everyone, and give all leaders wisdom as they work with each child.
Register new children.
Make sure you have plenty of workers on hand to register kids the first day. (This is an excellent way to use volunteers who aren’t available to help the entire week.) Set up separate registration sites for preregistration check-in and walk-in registration. Follow the Day 1 registration procedures outlined in your Director Guide. After Day 1, maintain a registration table to register kids who join your program midweek.
Meet with Station Leaders and other Leaders after each day’s program.
Check in with all staff to see what went smoothly and what could be improved for future days. Be prepared to change schedules, rooms, or procedures. You may even need to reassign some groups. Work together to make any necessary changes to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
Give announcements during Music time or Finale.
During the course of the program, you may need to change schedules, stations, or group/crew/class assignments. You also may have personal messages or lost-and-found items to deliver to participants. Each day check with the Singing Leader and Finale Leader to schedule any announcements you would like everyone to hear.
Attend Music time & Finale each day.
These opening and closing activities will give you a good indication of how your adventure is proceeding. They also provide opportunities for children to see you and to identify you as the Director. Each day, the Music Leader may call on you to pray before dismissing kids to their stations. Besides, you’ll have fun!
Peek into as many stations as you can.
We visit a variety of VBS programs every year, and we’re amazed at how many directors don’t really know what’s happening in the stations. While you don’t need to hover over the kids or make your Station Leaders nervous, it’s important to know that leaders are following your guidelines.
Help your staff be the best it can be.
Your helpful presence will let staff members know that they’re not alone. This is also a good time to make sure they’re following the program so it will be powerful. Remember, Station Leaders need to follow the leader guides, because each station plays an important role in children’s overall learning experience.
Make sure all Station Leaders and Crew/Student Leaders are present each day.
Arrange for substitutes, if necessary. If you’re in a pinch for Leaders, ask others that are not busy to fill in—or appoint yourself Crew Leader for a day.
Make sure Station Leaders and Crew Leaders have the supplies they need each day.
Have a runner available to collect or purchase additional supplies, if necessary.
Help with discipline problems as necessary.
In field tests (and from real programs across North America), workers encountered virtually no discipline problems. Each day was so full of fun Bible-learning activities that kids didn’t have time to misbehave. Combined-age Crews encourage kids to work together instead of squabble, and minor problems can be handled by Station Leaders or Crew Leaders. So your job is easy!
Stock and maintain a first-aid site.
Keep a good supply of adhesive bandages and first-aid ointment on hand, along with phone numbers for local clinics and hospitals. You may also want to keep photocopies of kids’ registration forms near your first-aid site. You can use the forms to check for allergies or other health concerns. Be sure to tell your Crew Leaders of any allergies or special needs, too.
Keep an eye on Crews/Classes.
You may notice that some Crew/Student Leaders just aren’t tuning in to their crew members and you need to reassign a few volunteers to more suitable jobs. Or if a Crew Leader is struggling with a group that suddenly grew, split the crew into two more manageable groups. A “heads up” attitude will make this VBS experience the best for each child involved.
Prepare completion certificates.
Photocopy and fill out a certificate for each child. A completion certificate is in the Starter Kit, and additional certificates are available from Concordia Supply.
Send the memories home!
We’ve heard it again and again: “My kids can’t stop singing those songs!” Plan to provide (or sell) Music CDs for the kids at your program. Set up a table, complete with information on how to obtain media items, outside your Finale area. Check out the reduced prices in the VBS catalog. (One church we visited already had them available at the registration table on the first day.) This is a good way to also raise some extra funds.
After Your VBS
Collect reusable leftover supplies.
Store the supplies in your church’s supply closet or resource room for use in future VBS programs or other children’s ministry events. If you borrowed supplies such as pool noodles, buckets, or CD players, return them to their owners.
Send off your Mission projects. See your director guide for details
Leave rooms decorated for your next church service.
If outreach was an emphasis during VBS, you’ll be pleased when visitors from your VBS program come for church. They’ll feel more comfortable returning to a familiar environment. Also, church members will enjoy getting a glimpse of what the VBS looked like.
Follow up with your VBS visitors.
Mail follow-up postcards or mailable photos (some programs have specially designed foto frames). Encourage Crew Leaders to make personal contact with the members of their Kids within two weeks after VBS. Use the additional follow-up ideas in your Director Guide.
Report on your program.
During your next worship service, invite Station Leaders, Crew Leaders, and kids who attended VBS to share their favorite VBS experiences. Encourage kids to display their Bible Point crafts. You may even want to invite the Music Leader to lead everyone in singing one or two favorite songs. When others see how much fun VBS can be, your recruiting will be a breeze next year! In fact, they may even sign up for next year’s VBS on the spot!
Present a slide show or video, or post photos from your program.
Just show all the Drama presentations back-to-back. (The work is already done!) Kids (and their parents) love seeing themselves on the “big screen.” And colorful photos will bring back memories of a terrific time at VBS. You may even want to burn a CD of all the Dramas to give to families.
Meet with your entire staff to evaluate your program.
Celebrate the best VBS ever! Make written notes of good ideas that could be used for next year’s program. Note any problems that came up and how they were solved. Brainstorm ways to avoid similar problems in the future. Include notes of how you adapted the VBS materials to fit your church. Record the names of Crew Leaders and Station Leaders who are interested in helping again next year. Post a “Join the Team!” handout and allow interested volunteers to sign up for next year’s program. (You’ll be surprised at the number who will!) Bring the VBS evaluation forms have staff members fill them out.
Thank your staff members for all their hard work.
You could hand out balloons, flowers, or baked goodies to show your appreciation.
Fill out a VBS Evaluation.
Fill out the online VBS Director’s evaluation for your VBS program. This helps the publisher develop better and better programs. Also, to help us here at Concordia Supply better serve you please fill out any surveys we send your way. Your input does matter! We read every comment and make changes based on your responses.
Click Here to give us your feedback.
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