Plan for Your 2024 VBS to Be Truly Effective

For many years, since 1894, churches across the country and around the world have made Vacation Bible School a regular part of their Children's Ministry. But, as we enter 2024, is VBS still a tried and true part of the ministry year for most churches? Is it too "old fashioned"? Should we continue to put the time, work, and resources into VBS? 

VBS 2024 - Outback Rock from Group Publishing

I'm delighted for the opportunity to once again share Group's weekend VBS with you . . .  Outback Rock. The idea with this resource is to provide two affordable 2 1/2 hour sessions, plus a one hour celebration which churches could use over one weekend . . . or over three weekends . . . or they might be able to spread it out for one Saturday a month for a Summer of fun! And, if you do not mind repeating games and focusing more on the same Bible Adventure, you could stretch it for a week of VBS.

Put Your Summer Children's Ministry into Full Gear with Group VBS

Even though it is nearing the end of February, we know Summer will be here before we know it, so it is time to think about what our Summer Children's Ministry will look like. I have been writing about Group's VBS resources for a few days, but today I want to ask you, how do you plan to use your VBS? 

VBS 2024 - Hometown Nazareth by Group Publishing

Today I'm happy to look at "Hometown Nazareth" from Group Publishing - which equips you to take the children in your church and community on a visit to Jesus' hometown, Nazareth, where they will be able to experience village life as Jesus might have lived it when He was a boy!

Yes! VBS Does Make Solid Dollars & Cents for Your Ministry!

There was a time, not too long ago, when nearly all churches budgeted for VBS. Most considered it (and rightly so) a part of their evangelism budget as VBS was one of their biggest evangelism outreaches of the year. In many churches it was their biggest outreach of the year. Then in the years leading up to COVID more and more churches stopped using VBS - far, far too many stopped any ministry opportunities to children in the Summertime. Then COVID hit and pretty much all churches stopped offering VBS - and everything in person for two years. Last year some churches were starting to plan for VBS again, and this year even more churches are taking a serious look at VBS. I am very happy to see this as VBS is a fantastic way to reach into your community - it is one of the best and most effective ways you are able to make use of the money you budget for evangelism. Why is this? Consider the following . . .

VBS 2024 - SCUBA from Group Publishing

If you only choose one VBS resource to use in your ministry this Summer, I highly recommend Group Publishing's SCUBA - diving into friendship with God. Now, if you have read my reviews over the past nearly thirty years, you know I recommend getting one VBS resource with all the "bells & whistles" your church is able to afford and use it for a week of VBS and then on Sundays throughout your Summer (don't worry, I'll post in a few days about how to do this.) But, if you only use for VBS, then SCUBA is absolutely the VBS to use, in my opinion. Why do I write this? For the following reasons . . . 

It is Time to Pick Your VBS for 2024

It is the time of year where I share my VBS reviews. I used to write my reviews for this blog and for Christianity Today's Your Church Magazine - I'd typically review about 16 kits each year. Now, especially after COVID, there are not 16 publishers still producing VBS, but there are some. I no longer review them all - I choose the VBS kits which I believe are the best based on my years of reviewing curriculum and then share my reviews with you. This year I am reviewing VBS from Group Publishing.

Why Another Curriculum? Why Deeper In for Children?

 

Yes, I agree there are a number of excellent curriculum resources currently available for churches to use in their Children's Ministries, so why am I releasing   Deeper In for Children? There are several reasons, but the biggest one is because  Deeper In for Children  does several unique things -

Get Deeper In for Children Digital Curriculum Today!

  

Yes! Deeper In for Children curriculum is available! You are able to get this digital curriculum to use in your church for only $50 a quarter - both preschool AND elementary age levels are included as are additional curriculum resources you are able to use for a second service, longer Sunday School, and even Mid-week ministries!  When you use Deeper In for Children in your church you will find you have the tools you need to help children go deeper into God's Word, so they truly understand the important things God wants them to know - how they need His Grace, how they are able to choose to accept His Grace, and how Grace changes their lives!

Be Encouraged; God Sees!

Children's Ministry can be one of the most joy-filled places in the church where anyone  can serve! Having the opportunity to see God through the eyes of children; the wonder and awe children have which give us a bigger "view" of Him! The blessing of having a part in leading children to Jesus and watching them grow in their faith! Yes, there is a lot of joy in serving in Children's Ministry!

Why is Deeper In for Children a Great Fit for Your Children's Ministry?

There is no shortage of curriculum resources available for churches to choose from for their Children's Ministries - many of which are well written, so what makes Deeper In for Children the curriculum for your church? It is designed to do some unique things . . .

Some Thoughts About Deuteronomy 6 & Psalm 78

Children's ministry matters because children matter. God gave very specific directions to parents, grandparents, and to His people in general about how important it was for them to love Him and then pass this love for Him to their children. 

Help Children go Deeper Into God's Word with Deeper In for Children

Deeper In for Children is written to engage children in the learning process from start to finish by getting children to open Bibles, research the Bible event for the day, and prepare props which they use during the Large Group time. We do these things so the children go deeper into God's Word and will remember what they did in class and will be able to understand and live God’s Word in their everyday lives! 

Equip Families to Hand Down a Confident Faith

June 2015 in a town not far from where I live, a tornado hit; four churches in this small  community were seriously damaged. One church was 160 years old. The members of this church were understandably quite dismayed and disheartened to see the significant damage to their church. However; their sadness turned to rejoicing a couple months later when the builders who began the work to rebuild brought them shocking news. As these builders surveyed the damage and began the work, they discovered nothing was holding up the floor of this old church building. The years had taken their toll and unbeknownst to the church members, their church floor was unsupported and about to collapse. The tornado actually saved them.

Teach The Essential Part - It Matters

One of the roles and responsibilities of people who serve in Children's Ministry is for them to help equip, encourage, and come alongside parents and grandparents as they hand down confident faith to the children God has entrusted to them. Children spend from one to eight hours every four weeks at church - and more and more of them spend just an hour or two every four weeks - but they live with their parents; and if their grandparents are engaged they are spending significant time with them as well. Obviously we will be most effective as people who serve in Children's Ministry when we equip, encourage, and come alongside parents and grandparents to help them hand down confident faith.

Who Benefits & What Does This Mean?

Which of the families in your ministry will benefit from having grandparents who are engaged, equipped, and encouraged to focus on being intentional in the way they pass on a heritage of confident faith? While the answer may seem obvious, this is a serious question with a serious answer, because the truth is each and every family in your ministry will benefit from this, including . . . 

This IS Job One . . .

I watched a video by George Barna today and want to share a few of the main points he makes . . . consider the following -

• Children are THE most important mission field you as an adult will ever encounter!
• Children are THE mission field God sent parents and grandparents to win over for Him!
• Nobody else will have the impact on children a parent and grandparent are able to have!

Engaged Grandparents = Grandparents Who Value the Children's Ministry

As I talk about Grandparenting Ministry, you may wonder how such a ministry really connects with a Children's Ministry . . . well; "consider this; if you have grandparents who are engaged and focused on passing on a heritage of confident faith to their grandchildren, these grandparents will become much more interested in the Children's Ministry. They will want to know what is happening in the Children's Ministry. They will care about what happens in the Children's Ministry. They will become much more focused and committed when it comes to praying for the Children's Ministry!"

Make a Difference in the Other 165 Hours

While serving in Children's Ministry is something which matters and gives us an opportunity to impact lives and make a difference, we are limited by time. A week has 168 hours - 168. Of these 168 hours, even in the best situation, we have  children in our ministries for three of those 168 hours - just three. Yes, we are able to make a difference in those three hours, but we are greatly limited as we are not able to be with those children for the other 165 hours of the week - or anywhere close to those 165 hours. But their parents are. And their grandparents have the potential to influence them for many of those 168 hours as well.

Be Aware of the Impact You Make

As a leader in your church's Children's Ministry, you matter. What you do matters. The decisions you make matter. You and these things matter, because you, the things you do, and the decisions you make impact the lives of the children and families in your church. For this reason before you do something or make a decision, please consider the following things you may not think to consider . . .