The Best Time to Pray for VBS

Katie DeCilloMany of you have finished up VBS already– the first week of June is THE busiest week for VBS! Some of you are in the midst of VBS, and some of you are still planning.  The best time to pray for VBS?  Always!

While we love the fun of decorating for VBS and preparing crafts and snacks for the kiddos, our most favorite thing about VBS is that it is an amazing opportunity to share Christ with kids and their families.

So whether you’ve finished VBS, are in the middle of one, or are still planning, don’t forget to stop and pray.

If you’ve finished VBS:

  • pray for the seeds that were planted– that God would continue His work in the lives of those children
  • pray for the kids who accepted Christ and their families– that God would help parents disciple those children at home as they continue to strengthen their relationship with Christ
  • pray for the VBS director and volunteers, that they would receive an extra dose of rest and refreshment to continue ministry through the summer
  • pray for VBS follow-up– that you’ll be able to connect with unchurched families in the coming weeks and months to form an ongoing relationship
  • pray for other churches who have not yet had their VBS– that they make much of Jesus in the coming weeks

If you’re in the middle of VBS:

  • pray for the children who have been attending– that their hearts would be softened to the message of Jesus
  • pray that other children and families nearby would learn about your VBS and be able to attend and hear the good news of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior
  • pray for your VBS director– that he or she would have extra rest, energy, and strength to get through the week
  • pray for the volunteers– that they would experience the hand of God this week and would have wisdom in leading kids to Christ

If you are still planning your VBS:

  • pray that many children and families would learn about your VBS so they can hear the good news about Christ
  • pray for the VBS director– that he or she would have all the help necessary to get VBS off the ground in the coming weeks
  • pray for the volunteers at your church– that they would experience God while preparing lessons, music, snacks, decorations, etc. and that they would have wisdom in leading kids to Christ

If your church isn’t doing VBS:

  • pray for outreach opportunities
  • pray for wisdom in discipling children and families within the community
  • pray for churches in your area who are hosting VBS or other outreach events

I scream, you scream, we all scream for VBS??

katie2aIf you’ve been around kids for any amount of time, you know they can be LOUD!  What’s more fun than to be a little loud during VBS?

This year, make sure you don’t miss these super fun Screamer Balloons.  They’re long balloons that make a crazy “screaming” noise when you let the air out!

Check out this funny video of some of our LifeWay Kids team trying them out for the first time.

Catching a New Vision: VBS 2013

photoHappy Thursday, VBS friends!

I love Thursdays, don’t you?  If you’re anything like me, (busy!) you’re looking forward to the weekend and a couple of days of rest, but you’re thankful to still have two more days in the week to get everything on the “to-do” list done!

How’s your planning coming along so far?  What are you working on right now?

I’ve got a couple projects on my plate right now (including a brand new social media feature for sharing ideas you guys are gonna LOVE!) that I’m really excited about seeing come to fruition.

Speaking of seeing… do like my new specs?

Even though these Fun Glasses don’t have special lenses, I think wearing them is helping me catch a new vision for the work ahead. Maybe you could use a pair to help your team catch the vision for VBS 2013?

And of course, if YOU have them, your kiddos are going to need a pair for themselves, too!

 

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!

Over the River…

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img_5318Over the river (Little Pigeon River) and through the woods (Mt. Pisgah National Forrest) to VBS 2013 Events we go! It is going to be a COLOSSAL week!

This is the week we (LifeWay’s VBS Events Team) look forward to all year – the first in a series of awesome fun events – where VBS groupies from all 50 States, Canada, and Mexico (and sometimes even a groupie or two from Great Britain or Korea) join together for two days of exciting VBS sights and sounds!

Over 1200 VBS leaders will be our guests at Ridgecrest Conference Center later this week for worship with Dr. Shane Garrison and Austin Adamic, teaching by some of the best VBS practitioners in the country, inspiration and creativity of LifeWay’s VBS Graphics and Publishing Team, and a performance of the Colossal Coaster World Musical by a great children’s choir. AND if all this is not enough, how about 60 degree weather (we typically have ice) in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

If you are not registered for the Ridgecrest event, there is still time to join us January 18-19 in Fort Worth, January 31-February 1 in Nashville, or February 8-9 in Kissimmee. Like I said before, these events are going to be COLOSSAL so don’t miss out.

To learn how you can be part of a one of these awesome Preview events go to lifeway.com/vbs/events.

We’ll be looking for YOU!

Four Weeks and Counting…

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Hopefully it is looking a lot like – and sounding a lot like – Christmas where you are today. It certainly is here in the VBS office! But it is also looking and sounding a lot like four weeks until the first national VBS Preview at Ridgecrest Conference Center in North Carolina.

We are in perpetual motion putting the finishing touches on a not-to-be-missed event! We have now hit capacity at Ridgecrest and the Nashville Friday/Saturday events, but there is still room at Fort Worth, Nashville Thursday/Friday, and Kissimmee.

A complete list of breakout sessions is now available at lifeway.com/vbs/events. Check it out today!

In addition to the basics for Colossal Coaster World and Club VBS: Jungle Jaunt, you will have the opportunity to explore decorating options with Mark Jones and the VBS Design Team, be introduced to LifeWay’s newest VBS resource Backyard Kids Club, be challenged by the preaching of Dr. Shane Garrison, and participate in worship with the Austin Adamec Band.

I’m looking forward to seeing you soon for the Colossal Coaster World Experience!