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Vacation Bible School

Discussion in 'Other Discussions' started by FriendofSpurgeon, Jun 9, 2009.

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  1. FriendofSpurgeon

    FriendofSpurgeon Well-Known Member
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    Do most churches still do Vacation Bible School during the summer? If so, what is your church doing this year?? Please feel free to share what works/doesn't work.

    Here, our annual VBS started this past Monday with the highest registration ever -- over 500 kids this year. With about 300 volunteers, the church campus is a very busy place this week! We wrap up the week with a parent's night on Friday night. The children come back with their parents. Moms & dads get to see what their children have been learning all week and the children sing the new VBS worship songs. Then we top it off by having VBS Sunday, where the worship in both services is led by the VBS volunteers.
     
    #1 FriendofSpurgeon, Jun 9, 2009
  2. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    We are a very small church. In fact, we have no one attending under the age of 21.

    Next week we will be sponsoring Funtastic Friday, and hopefully one night per month after that.

    This first year will be a see-how-it-goes.

    We did request some assistance from our sister churches - but nothing.

    So please pray for us.
     
    #2 Salty, Jun 10, 2009
  3. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    Friend - That's awesome! I'd love to watch your church do that ministry since ours is large too - not as large but still the biggest around here.

    Salty - I'll be praying for God to bless your ministry!


    VBS is a huge undertaking at our church. It's a no brainer as to whether or not we'll do it again. We will be doing SonRock Camp (I think it's called) and we have 450 kids and 160+ workers. It's a wonderful week with all hands on deck - with some even using their vacation time to be able to volunteer.

    My responsibility is to feed everyone during the week. I do the snacks for the kids (cookies, trail mix and lemonade) and snacks for the workers (cakes, donuts, fruit, cheese, coffee - lots of it, bagels, etc.) and this year it looks like we'll be doing a special thing for the moms on Thursday so I'll be thinking about that food too.

    Friday night from 6-8, we have the VBS Fair which is always a huge hit. The kids earn tickets all during the week and then use those tickets to do the rides/games/shop at the "store" on Friday night. We have hot dogs, ice cream, funnel cakes for dinner - can you get any better than that? What's fun about the tickets is that every year, they figure into the skit at the beginning of the day and EVERY year, El Gato (a bad guy in a sombrero) steals the tickets but is caught by "Silver Fox Security" (our pastor). It's a tradition and it's so funny to see the kids screaming and yelling that El Gato is there. LOL What's even funnier is to see the original skit script and see how much we need to change it. We have lots of people who are always in the skit so we need to add characters and then also include the side story of the VBS tickets. :)

    We all LOVE VBS.


    That reminds me! I need to call my workers!
     
    #3 annsni, Jun 10, 2009
  4. Tom Bryant

    Tom Bryant Well-Known Member

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    Very good you all.

    We do VBS a little different. We do it 5 successive Sundays during the Summer. It starts right after 1st service gets out with opening stuff (we use Group), then they go thru everything while the adults not working in VBS go to small groups and the 2nd service. Then they come back into the worship center about 11:45 for 15 minutes of closing fun.

    It's worked well to invite kids to church and then has proven itself to be less strenuous to our workers than a 5 day all out blitz. The adults who are not working love that the worship center during summer is made up in the various themes.
     
    #4 Tom Bryant, Jun 10, 2009
  5. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    That sounds very similar to how Northpoint Community Church (Andy Stanley's church) does their program called "KidStuf" although it's now only once a month.
     
    #5 annsni, Jun 10, 2009
  6. Tom Bryant

    Tom Bryant Well-Known Member

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    I think he got that from us... :laugh: :laugh:
     
    #6 Tom Bryant, Jun 10, 2009
  7. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    Oh, is THAT how it happened?? ROTFL!!
     
    #7 annsni, Jun 10, 2009
  8. SBCPreacher

    SBCPreacher Active Member
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    Ours starts Sunday PM (the 14th) and runs through Friday PM. Last year we had about 70 kids plus workers. We're praying God sends us more to minister to this year.
     
    #8 SBCPreacher, Jun 10, 2009
  9. FriendofSpurgeon

    FriendofSpurgeon Well-Known Member
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    Interesting way to do that. I know some churches here have their VBS in the evenings. Sometimes this is better, especially when both parents are working.

    Each year, we have a theme. This year, the theme is "Crocodile Dock -- where fearless kids shine God's light" and the whole sanctuary has been turned into Louisiana swamp. It looks really amazing, though I don't know how Sunday services will turn out.

    We also have a specific mission that is supported by the kids' offerings that week. For the past two years, we have supported the Sanctuary of Moses, a Christian school in Benin, West Africa that was started by a fellow church member. This year, it is Casa de Luz (House of Light), a Christian childcare center in Honduras. It's wonderful to see the kids get excited about where their offerings are going.
     
    #9 FriendofSpurgeon, Jun 10, 2009
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