Author Archive

May 19, 2013 – National Day of Prayer for VBS

 

Rhonda small Have you ever flipped the switch on a lamp several times and nothing happened? Do you remember the frustration of, “Why isn’t this thing coming on?” during your fruitless flips up and down. What about that sheepish, “oh,” realization when you see the disconnected plug?

This is a pretty good picture of our efforts to spread the gospel without prayer. Prayer is the power source that enlightens and charges our efforts. We are less than a month away from what are typically the two biggest weeks of VBS. Even if your VBS is later in the summer, the time to begin praying is NOW!

The VBS 2013 Administrative Guide has great prayer resources from prayer calendars to prayer walk brochures. And, this Sunday, May 19, 2013, is the National Day of Prayer for VBS.

I started thinking about praying for VBS and it occurred to me that V. B. S. is a great acronym for praying for VBS everywhere.

V – Volunteers! Recently on our Facebook we asked people to share their prayer requests. (Our team prays for you!) One of the most requested prayer concerns was for volunteers to help. Jesus told His disciples to pray for workers (Matthew 9:36-38). It is still an urgent prayer. The harvest is ready!

B – Bible! God’s Word changes lives. God promised that His Spirit would be our Teacher (John 14:25-26). We need His power and guidance as we teach Bible truths to others.

S – Salvations! VBS is still one of the strongest evangelistic efforts made by many churches. Prayer, concentrated Bible teaching, and the forging of relationships set the stage to share the gospel in a powerful way. Pray that hearts are prepared to respond to the gospel of Jesus.

I hope you’ll join me this Sunday, as we pray together for VBS!

 

 

More Than Flowers Are Popping Up During Spring Break

SpringbreakVBS

The daffodils are blooming, the trees are budding, and snow is in the forecast… it must be spring break! What are your spring break plans? Spring cleaning? Yard work? Vacation? Vacation Bible School?

Yes, you read that right! Vacation Bible School! Many school systems have one to two week breaks and parents are scrambling for a fun, safe place for their kids to be. What a great opportunity to reach out to your community. When you meet a need, you open the door to building relationships. Those relationships can provide great opportunities to share the gospel.

Last year I visited a local spring break VBS. You can read about my visit here.

Have you ever held VBS during Spring Break, or Fall Break, or other break times? What about Backyard Kids Club during Spring Break? We’d love to hear from you!!

Balloon Puppies – The Video

Balloon Puppies It was SO much fun making balloon puppies with many of you at the VBS Preview events around the country. Here, as promised, is the video demonstration for making a balloon puppy.

I like to use good quality balloons because they are easier to work with and pop less often. I like the Qualatex® brand. I use the 260Q size balloons. You can purchase the balloons from some party good stores, costume or clown supply stores, or on the web. I googled balloon animal balloons and searched for the best price. I purchased the balloon pumps from the same source.

Be careful with balloons around small children, since they can be a choking hazard.  (And please forgive our audio on this video!)

Peeking Through the Fence at Backyard Kids Club

841320_10151460870504948_144206793_oIt’s been a busy January traveling all over the country to our exciting VBS Previews. One new element of VBS is getting great buzz– Backyard Kids Club! Jennie Ross has been doing a fabulous job sharing about the new curriculum and about her personal experiences with a VBS in her own “backyard!” (“Well, actually side and front yard,” she explains with a winning smile.)

Jennie began her Enrichment Session with the basic definition–Backyard Kids Club has the same great Gospel message and fun learning environment as a traditional VBS. It is just off your church campus and in a location that reaches people who would not normally come to your church campus.

Jennie’s conference included the basics of team structure, schedules, and resources. I asked Jennie to share what people thought about the new resource. Here’s some of what she told me:

005532691Many people were really excited about:

  • Having a new “tool” to reach out to their communities without having to take their people through another training – since this matches what they are already doing in their VBS.
  • That it was broadly graded and already prepared to be used in an outdoor setting.
  • That it was simplified and portable (no big teacher packet and pages of things to cut out).

Jennie also mentioned that just like VBS in a church setting, BKC does not reach its full potential unless a follow-up plan is in place.

Here are some of her suggestions:

  • Make sure the child makes friends with one of the “regular” church kids so when they come back, they already have a friend at church.
  • Deliver a hand-written note from someone on the team. She encouraged the local “host” to deliver the notes even if another team member wrote them. Jennie emphasized that mailing was ok, but the personal touch of face-to-face delivery had a greater impact.
  • Keep back a craft to deliver the following week as a home visit (such as the ticket frame).
  • Take church information with you when you make the follow-up visit.
  • Send a follow-up letter or email from the church thanking them for attending and inviting them to other church functions or events.

Are you thinking about using Backyard Kids Club in your community or on a mission trip? Let us here from you! We’d love to share your experiences here on the blog!

A Little Jingle

‘Twas just days before Preview

And all through the hall

Boxes were piled

Some seven feet tall!

Many trips to load pallets

Lined up at the dock

Time’s running short

Take a look at the clock!

It soon with be Christmas

And then the New Year!

And then we’ll load up

Away, with a cheer!

 

First Ridgecrest, then Texas!

(Then home for a few)

Then two times in Nashville

And the Kissimmee Preview!

 

The excitement in building!

Who’s gonna come?

Be sure to sign up!

It’s gonna be fun!

 

 

Also New for the New VBS Year – Start Here!

We almost titled this page “Someone gave me this book! Now what do I do?” The first page of all six age group leader guides begins with a simple “Start Here” page.

The first words on the page are, “Don’t panic. Trust God. And follow these simple steps.” Then, step by step a VBS teacher is given helps about what to do next and where to find what he or she is looking for. We hope that new teachers, teachers who haven’t taught in a while, or even teachers who just appreciate a simple “go to” plan will find this page very helpful.

It’s one more thing that NEW for 2013!