I’m trying to do more with video, so here’s a quick under-4-minute clip about what and how we’re doing our community VBS this year. This will not win an Emmy, but maybe you’ll get some useful ideas.
3 thoughts on “Community VBS Overview”
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ChuckWarnock.com 
Hey Chuck,
Great idea on VBS. Here at Second Branch, I started shortly after I came doing VBS ‘commencement’ on the Sunday following VBS. The idea is that no one but parents/grandparents came to Friday’s commemencement and even then it was only to pick up all the stuff the kids had made. It really wasn’t much of a program and had no impact.
So, with that, we started having the commencement during the 11 a.m. worship service. This is what we do: Certificates are not handed out, but the kids are told they can pick them up after the service. We recognize teachers/workers as a group (stand up) and thank them. The service will go pretty much as usual except that during what would have been the preaching time, the entire school presents all the music they learned during the week. I suppose you could think of it as a children’s cantata. We make a big deal out of their learning the music during the week, and having fun with it. On that Sunday, they are able to present some fun and energetic songs but there are some really great worshipful and evangelistic songs there too. Then, I will come behind that and present a 10 minute evangelistic message.
Benefits: Anytime you recognize children in worship is a plus. The children are learning about leading in worship. They have a blast doing that. Lots and lots of unchurched people attend because moms and dads, grandparents, aunts and uncles, everyone in the family whether churched or not will come to see and hear their children sing. So, it becomes a great outreach tool. We would never have many of these folks in church on any other Sunday.
SV
Steve, good to hear from you since The Cove. Great ideas and thanks for posting them in detail. Since our VBS involves several churches, we haven’t thought about how to do a Sunday service, but that might be a thought for next year — you’ve got my brain working on that one. Thanks for your ideas, which really help tie up the entire VBS experience. -Chuck
One clarification or two…when they sing, they sing as one large group, not individual grade levels. And, we clear off the platform and there’s no adult choir that day. Something of a whole-school choral concert, including all the movements and props they may have learned and used for some of the songs. Loads of fun, parents eyes are wide-open.
Oh, and I forgot, we do hotdogs and fixin’s after the service for the parents and kids. I’ll sit down and be quiet now…