http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/service/getFeed.kickAction?quantity=25 New blogs from chankinson on My VBS Space Wed, 23 Jul 2008 01:54:52 GMT Wed, 23 Jul 2008 01:54:52 GMT clinthankinson@gmail.com (chankinson) clinthankinson@gmail.com (chankinson) KickApps Feed Builder 2008-07-23T01:54:52Z 14 http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/service/searchEverything.kickAction?as=11847&sortType=recent 0 http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/_Whats-Your-Ultimate-VBS-Theme/BLOG/83400/11847.html While most of the publishers have announced their themes for 2009, many are now working on materials for 2010. If you could create the theme for your publisher, what would it be? I'd probably choose a circus theme (they're fun to decorate and easy to generate excitement for in your kids) or a pirate-y kind of theme (good pirates, of course, a Swiss-family Robinson type of adventure)! What would you do? Reply to this post with your ultimate themes! While most of the publishers have announced their themes for 2009, many are now working on materials for 2010. If you could create the theme for your publisher, what would it be? I'd probably choose a circus theme (they're fun to decorate and easy to generate excitement for in your kids) or a pirate-y kind of theme (good pirates, of course, a Swiss-family Robinson type of adventure)! What would you do? Reply to this post with your ultimate themes! Wed, 23 Jul 2008 01:54:52 GMT http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/_Whats-Your-Ultimate-VBS-Theme/BLOG/83400/11847.html chankinson 2008-07-23T01:54:52Z My VBS Space While most of the publishers have announced their themes for 2009, many are now working on materials for 2010. If you could create the theme for your publisher, what would it be? I'd probably choose a circus theme (they're fun to decorate and easy to generate excitement for in your kids) or a pirate-y kind of theme (good pirates, of course, a Swiss-family Robinson type of adventure)! What would you do? Reply to this post with your ultimate themes! nonadult false What's Your Ultimate VBS Theme? text blog 432 0 0.0 http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=1597609&as=11847 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/11847/photos/PHOTO_794306_11847_1597609_ap_160X120.jpg false United States 1 0 83400 1597609 Member 0 http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/_New-Publisher-Enhancements-for-2009/BLOG/64945/11847.html Publishers are introducing their Vacation Bible School themes for 2009 along with improvements they've added to make their materials more effective for directors. We'll update this as more themes are announced, but here are some notables: Gospel Light is adding youth and adult components based on their VBS 2009 content, as well as Bible verse posters with scriptures in KJV and NIV. Cokesbury is injecting a high-energy sound into their VBS music in 2009 and offering free online registration and e-cards for recruiting leaders. Learn more about these and other new themes at Vacation Bible School Nut's Sneak Peek 2009 page! Publishers are introducing their Vacation Bible School themes for 2009 along with improvements they've added to make their materials more effective for directors. We'll update this as more themes are announced, but here are some notables: Gospel Light is adding youth and adult components based on their VBS 2009 content, as well as Bible verse posters with scriptures in KJV and NIV. Cokesbury is injecting a high-energy sound into their VBS music in 2009 and offering free online registration and e-cards for recruiting leaders. Learn more about these and other new themes at Vacation Bible School Nut's Sneak Peek 2009 page! Sun, 08 Jun 2008 20:24:11 GMT http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/_New-Publisher-Enhancements-for-2009/BLOG/64945/11847.html chankinson 2008-06-08T20:24:11Z My VBS Space Publishers are introducing their Vacation Bible School themes for 2009 along with improvements they've added to make their materials more effective for directors. We'll update this as more themes are announced, but here are some notables: Gospel Light is adding youth and adult components based on their VBS 2009 content, as well as Bible verse posters with scriptures in KJV and NIV. Cokesbury is injecting a high-energy sound into their VBS music in 2009 and offering free online registration and e-cards for recruiting leaders. Learn more about these and other new themes at Vacation Bible School Nut's Sneak Peek 2009 page! nonadult false New Publisher Enhancements for 2009! text blog 279 0 0.0 http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=1597609&as=11847 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/11847/photos/PHOTO_794306_11847_1597609_ap_160X120.jpg false United States 0 0 64945 1597609 Member 0 http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/_Web-Savvy-Augsburg-Fortress/BLOG/59527/11847.html Augsburg Fortress isn't playing around! They're taking steps each year to improve their VBS offerings by adding information, training, and online tools to help churches organize and execute their Bible schools. Rainforest Adventure 2008 offers the Web Tool Kit, with features: *Customizable church home page *Online registration for children and teachers *Online planning calendar *Scheduling tools *Supply calculator *Attendance tracker I love to see publishers continually striving for excellence in their growing their VBS resources. Are you using Rainforest Adventure this year? Let us know how these tools have worked for you! Augsburg Fortress isn't playing around! They're taking steps each year to improve their VBS offerings by adding information, training, and online tools to help churches organize and execute their Bible schools. Rainforest Adventure 2008 offers the Web Tool Kit, with features: *Customizable church home page *Online registration for children and teachers *Online planning calendar *Scheduling tools *Supply calculator *Attendance tracker I love to see publishers continually striving for excellence in their growing their VBS resources. Are you using Rainforest Adventure this year? Let us know how these tools have worked for you! Tue, 20 May 2008 12:40:06 GMT http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/_Web-Savvy-Augsburg-Fortress/BLOG/59527/11847.html chankinson 2008-05-20T12:40:06Z My VBS Space Augsburg Fortress isn't playing around! They're taking steps each year to improve their VBS offerings by adding information, training, and online tools to help churches organize and execute their Bible schools. Rainforest Adventure 2008 offers the Web Tool Kit, with features: *Customizable church home page *Online registration for children and teachers *Online planning calendar *Scheduling tools *Supply calculator *Attendance tracker I love to see publishers continually striving for excellence in their growing their VBS resources. Are you using Rainforest Adventure this year? Let us know how these tools have worked for you! nonadult false Web Savvy - Augsburg Fortress text blog 257 0 0.0 http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=1597609&as=11847 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/11847/photos/PHOTO_794306_11847_1597609_ap_160X120.jpg false United States 0 0 59527 1597609 Member 0 http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/_8-Tools-Your-Church-May-Not-Be-Taking-Advantage-Of/BLOG/59518/11847.html The Barna Group recently released a study of how Protestant churches in America are using eight technologies to reach their communities beyond the walls and communicate with the congregation within the walls. Barna looked at how churches are either using or are not using these technology tools: *Large screens for video imagery *Showing movie clips, and other video segments during church events *Sending email blasts to the congregation *Operating a web site *Offering a blog site for interaction with church leaders *Maintaining a page on behalf of the church on one or more social networking sites *Providing podcasts for people to listen to *Receiving programming and training via satellite Read the results of Barna's study Is your church or ministry incorporating any of these tech tools? If not, you're missing out on some fantastic ways to encourage and communicate to your congregation and take the gospel to your community. God has allowed us to create these tech devices, so let's use them to glorify Him. If your church is using some of these, let us know how. You may have a genius idea that helps someone else communicate more effectively! The Barna Group recently released a study of how Protestant churches in America are using eight technologies to reach their communities beyond the walls and communicate with the congregation within the walls. Barna looked at how churches are either using or are not using these technology tools: *Large screens for video imagery *Showing movie clips, and other video segments during church events *Sending email blasts to the congregation *Operating a web site *Offering a blog site for interaction with church leaders *Maintaining a page on behalf of the church on one or more social networking sites *Providing podcasts for people to listen to *Receiving programming and training via satellite Read the results of Barna's study Is your church or ministry incorporating any of these tech tools? If not, you're missing out on some fantastic ways to encourage and communicate to your congregation and take the gospel to your community. God has allowed us to create these tech devices, so let's use them to glorify Him. If your church is using some of these, let us know how. You may have a genius idea that helps someone else communicate more effectively! Tue, 20 May 2008 11:53:42 GMT http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/_8-Tools-Your-Church-May-Not-Be-Taking-Advantage-Of/BLOG/59518/11847.html chankinson 2008-05-20T11:53:42Z My VBS Space The Barna Group recently released a study of how Protestant churches in America are using eight technologies to reach their communities beyond the walls and communicate with the congregation within the walls. Barna looked at how churches are either using or are not using these technology tools: *Large screens for video imagery *Showing movie clips, and other video segments during church events *Sending email blasts to the congregation *Operating a web site *Offering a blog site for interaction with church leaders *Maintaining a page on behalf of the church on one or more social networking sites *Providing podcasts for people to listen to *Receiving programming and training via satellite Read the results of Barna's study Is your church or ministry incorporating any of these tech tools? If not, you're missing out on some fantastic ways to encourage and communicate to your congregation and take the gospel to your community. God has allowed us to create these tech devices, so let's use them to glorify Him. If your church is using some of these, let us know how. You may have a genius idea that helps someone else communicate more effectively! nonadult false 8 Tools Your Church May Not Be Taking Advantage Of text blog 1056 0 0.0 http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=1597609&as=11847 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/11847/photos/PHOTO_794306_11847_1597609_ap_160X120.jpg false United States 0 0 59518 1597609 Member 0 http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/_Real-Help-for-the-Childrens-Ministry-Professional/BLOG/59516/11847.html I've been a huge fan of Children's Ministry Magazine from Group Publishing for years. They fill it with very practical stuff to help you in whatever ministry capacity you're in. The monthly newsletter, Children's Ministry Professional Edition takes it up a few notches. It's designed as a resource that goes way beyond teaching you how to make "Happy Birthday, Jesus" cookies. Answers to real questions like: How do I handle conflict with another staff member? What's the best way to start my search for a new church staff position? I'm not great with finances, so how should I best handle my church budget? You can check out the details here. If you're a current subscriber, let us know how the newsletter has done for you. I know from experience that children's ministry is often seen as a "lower-level" staff position. But many church members don't understand the level of professionalism, in so many areas, that the position demands. If you're looking for advice, ideas, or help, try the newsletter. Group even has a free downloadable sample available. I've been a huge fan of Children's Ministry Magazine from Group Publishing for years. They fill it with very practical stuff to help you in whatever ministry capacity you're in. The monthly newsletter, Children's Ministry Professional Edition takes it up a few notches. It's designed as a resource that goes way beyond teaching you how to make "Happy Birthday, Jesus" cookies. Answers to real questions like: How do I handle conflict with another staff member? What's the best way to start my search for a new church staff position? I'm not great with finances, so how should I best handle my church budget? You can check out the details here. If you're a current subscriber, let us know how the newsletter has done for you. I know from experience that children's ministry is often seen as a "lower-level" staff position. But many church members don't understand the level of professionalism, in so many areas, that the position demands. If you're looking for advice, ideas, or help, try the newsletter. Group even has a free downloadable sample available. Tue, 20 May 2008 11:48:05 GMT http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/_Real-Help-for-the-Childrens-Ministry-Professional/BLOG/59516/11847.html chankinson 2008-05-20T11:48:05Z My VBS Space I've been a huge fan of Children's Ministry Magazine from Group Publishing for years. They fill it with very practical stuff to help you in whatever ministry capacity you're in. The monthly newsletter, Children's Ministry Professional Edition takes it up a few notches. It's designed as a resource that goes way beyond teaching you how to make "Happy Birthday, Jesus" cookies. Answers to real questions like: How do I handle conflict with another staff member? What's the best way to start my search for a new church staff position? I'm not great with finances, so how should I best handle my church budget? You can check out the details here. If you're a current subscriber, let us know how the newsletter has done for you. I know from experience that children's ministry is often seen as a "lower-level" staff position. But many church members don't understand the level of professionalism, in so many areas, that the position demands. If you're looking for advice, ideas, or help, try the newsletter. Group even has a free downloadable sample available. nonadult false Real Help for the Children's Ministry Professional text blog 571 0 0.0 http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=1597609&as=11847 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/11847/photos/PHOTO_794306_11847_1597609_ap_160X120.jpg false United States 0 0 59516 1597609 Member 0 http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/_Just-Say-No-to-Nickle-and-Diming/BLOG/44868/11847.html While some churches have budget money set aside to finance all or part of their VBS, others depend on other sources of revenue. As the summer approaches, fundraising ideas are moving their way to center stage. We have some strong options at Vacation Bible School Nut to help you raise money. However, If you can avoid fundraisers by encouraging your church leadership to add a line item for VBS to the budget, do it. To be completely transparent, I'm not a huge fan of fundraisers because it's easy to nickle-and-dime church members and neighbors to death by constantly sponsoring them. My son is in elementary school and scouts and it seems like we have fundraisers every month or so. People just get tired of continually, without mercy, being begged for money. I'm sure you, as leaders of children, know what I'm talking about! Here are a couple of suggestions to overcome this challenge by providing value, both physically and spiritually, to the giver. *Invite an adult Sunday school class or small group to adopt a grade-level or individual class in your Vacation Bible School. You're not asking them to buy something they may not use, but giving them the opportunity to personally help change children's lives. They might choose to contribute the funds for decorating, crafts, etc or purchase the supplies themselves and participate in the decorating or setup for VBS. *The one fundraising item that we purchase every year is the Entertainment coupon book. Every time we go out to eat, we pull out the book and decide where we'll go based on the coupons we have left. The coupon book saves us exponentially more than what we pay for it. It's the most valuable fundraising item I've encountered. For more ideas, check out our Fundraising resources page . Let me know your ideas. What are some fundraisers you've led or participated in that were successful? While some churches have budget money set aside to finance all or part of their VBS, others depend on other sources of revenue. As the summer approaches, fundraising ideas are moving their way to center stage. We have some strong options at Vacation Bible School Nut to help you raise money. However, If you can avoid fundraisers by encouraging your church leadership to add a line item for VBS to the budget, do it. To be completely transparent, I'm not a huge fan of fundraisers because it's easy to nickle-and-dime church members and neighbors to death by constantly sponsoring them. My son is in elementary school and scouts and it seems like we have fundraisers every month or so. People just get tired of continually, without mercy, being begged for money. I'm sure you, as leaders of children, know what I'm talking about! Here are a couple of suggestions to overcome this challenge by providing value, both physically and spiritually, to the giver. *Invite an adult Sunday school class or small group to adopt a grade-level or individual class in your Vacation Bible School. You're not asking them to buy something they may not use, but giving them the opportunity to personally help change children's lives. They might choose to contribute the funds for decorating, crafts, etc or purchase the supplies themselves and participate in the decorating or setup for VBS. *The one fundraising item that we purchase every year is the Entertainment coupon book. Every time we go out to eat, we pull out the book and decide where we'll go based on the coupons we have left. The coupon book saves us exponentially more than what we pay for it. It's the most valuable fundraising item I've encountered. For more ideas, check out our Fundraising resources page . Let me know your ideas. What are some fundraisers you've led or participated in that were successful? Wed, 26 Mar 2008 20:14:07 GMT http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/_Just-Say-No-to-Nickle-and-Diming/BLOG/44868/11847.html chankinson 2008-03-26T20:14:07Z My VBS Space While some churches have budget money set aside to finance all or part of their VBS, others depend on other sources of revenue. As the summer approaches, fundraising ideas are moving their way to center stage. We have some strong options at Vacation Bible School Nut to help you raise money. However, If you can avoid fundraisers by encouraging your church leadership to add a line item for VBS to the budget, do it. To be completely transparent, I'm not a huge fan of fundraisers because it's easy to nickle-and-dime church members and neighbors to death by constantly sponsoring them. My son is in elementary school and scouts and it seems like we have fundraisers every month or so. People just get tired of continually, without mercy, being begged for money. I'm sure you, as leaders of children, know what I'm talking about! Here are a couple of suggestions to overcome this challenge by providing value, both physically and spiritually, to the giver. *Invite an adult Sunday school class or small group to adopt a grade-level or individual class in your Vacation Bible School. You're not asking them to buy something they may not use, but giving them the opportunity to personally help change children's lives. They might choose to contribute the funds for decorating, crafts, etc or purchase the supplies themselves and participate in the decorating or setup for VBS. *The one fundraising item that we purchase every year is the Entertainment coupon book. Every time we go out to eat, we pull out the book and decide where we'll go based on the coupons we have left. The coupon book saves us exponentially more than what we pay for it. It's the most valuable fundraising item I've encountered. For more ideas, check out our Fundraising resources page . Let me know your ideas. What are some fundraisers you've led or participated in that were successful? nonadult false Just Say No to Nickle-and-Diming! text blog 668 0 0.0 http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=1597609&as=11847 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/11847/photos/PHOTO_794306_11847_1597609_ap_160X120.jpg false United States 2 0 44868 1597609 Member 0 http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/_LifeWays-VBS-Tools-Online/BLOG/44693/11847.html Because many churches are traditionally 20-25 years behind the rest of society when it comes to using technology, I get excited when I see churches and Christian organizations leaping into the 21st century with new online tools. LifeWay has offered its VBS Tools Online for the last few years, but has upgraded its offerings for 2008. VBS Tools Online provides directors and leaders easy tools to handle online and offline registration with customizable registration forms. Read more about VBS Tools Online . Because many churches are traditionally 20-25 years behind the rest of society when it comes to using technology, I get excited when I see churches and Christian organizations leaping into the 21st century with new online tools. LifeWay has offered its VBS Tools Online for the last few years, but has upgraded its offerings for 2008. VBS Tools Online provides directors and leaders easy tools to handle online and offline registration with customizable registration forms. Read more about VBS Tools Online . Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:52:26 GMT http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/_LifeWays-VBS-Tools-Online/BLOG/44693/11847.html chankinson 2008-03-26T00:52:26Z My VBS Space Because many churches are traditionally 20-25 years behind the rest of society when it comes to using technology, I get excited when I see churches and Christian organizations leaping into the 21st century with new online tools. LifeWay has offered its VBS Tools Online for the last few years, but has upgraded its offerings for 2008. VBS Tools Online provides directors and leaders easy tools to handle online and offline registration with customizable registration forms. Read more about VBS Tools Online . lifeway vbs tools online nonadult false LifeWay's VBS Tools Online text blog lifeway vbs tools online 237 0 0.0 http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=1597609&as=11847 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/11847/photos/PHOTO_794306_11847_1597609_ap_160X120.jpg false United States 0 0 44693 1597609 Member 0 http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/_Choosing-a-VBS-Curriculum/BLOG/30819/11847.html Choosing a VBS curriculum may be a snap or a painstaking process for you. Many churches use the same publisher year after year, while others enjoy the variety of different approaches. This year, there are dozens of choices. If you're still undecided, read on. Lynda Freeman with 'Round About the Church has evaluated the various themes for 2008 and selected her TOP 5. Find out who the winners are here. You'll also pick up some helpful hints on this year's material. Check out our Curriculum Comparison Chart and VBS Publisher Report Card to prepare for 2008! Choosing a VBS curriculum may be a snap or a painstaking process for you. Many churches use the same publisher year after year, while others enjoy the variety of different approaches. This year, there are dozens of choices. If you're still undecided, read on. Lynda Freeman with 'Round About the Church has evaluated the various themes for 2008 and selected her TOP 5. Find out who the winners are here. You'll also pick up some helpful hints on this year's material. Check out our Curriculum Comparison Chart and VBS Publisher Report Card to prepare for 2008! Thu, 21 Feb 2008 02:24:28 GMT http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/_Choosing-a-VBS-Curriculum/BLOG/30819/11847.html chankinson 2008-02-21T02:24:28Z My VBS Space Choosing a VBS curriculum may be a snap or a painstaking process for you. Many churches use the same publisher year after year, while others enjoy the variety of different approaches. This year, there are dozens of choices. If you're still undecided, read on. Lynda Freeman with 'Round About the Church has evaluated the various themes for 2008 and selected her TOP 5. Find out who the winners are here. You'll also pick up some helpful hints on this year's material. Check out our Curriculum Comparison Chart and VBS Publisher Report Card to prepare for 2008! choosing a vbs curriculum nonadult false Choosing a VBS Curriculum text blog choosing a vbs curriculum 247 0 0.0 http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=1597609&as=11847 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/11847/photos/PHOTO_794306_11847_1597609_ap_160X120.jpg false United States 0 0 30819 1597609 Member 0 http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/_8-Easy-Steps-to-Destroy-Your-VBS/BLOG/30701/11847.html Most VBS directors work hard to make VBS an effective and life-changing event for everybody involved. But if you're not into that, here are some great tips that could help you make your VBS totally meaningless and a complete waste of time. Implementing one or two of these will certainly cause damage, but all eight might just make the perfect VBS storm! Plan everything at the last minute Planning a VBS is usually a huge undertaking. You can't afford to wait until a few weeks before the big event to start planning it. Reserve at least 4-6 months to put it together. If you only have a few weeks, downsize, reschedule, or change the format. Throwing it together looks bad and causes everyone tons of unnecessary stress. Anything of value is worth doing well. Forget your purpose for VBS What are you aiming at? Hopefully, you're looking to introduce children to the King. VBS is an excellent tool to help children start a relationship with Jesus. If your purpose isn't set and followed through with, you're running an expensive 2-3 hour day care for the week. Time is too valuable and passes too quickly to miss out on an opportunity to change lives for Christ. Keep it a secret Don't keep VBS to yourselves! You're doing all of this because you love kids and are passionate for them to know about God's love. Invite your neighbors, coworkers, and relatives. Use the media, pass out fliers, host a VBS promotional event, march in a parade...just invite people. It's tempting to just focus on "our kids" in our churches, but if there are children in your community, refusing to invite them is saying, "I don't care about you." Be disorganized If you've ever been to an event, which all of us have, that was completely disorganized, you didn't want to stick around. On top of that, you lost any respect for the people in charge. It takes time and fore thought to run an excellent VBS. Be sure to have the supplies you'll need. Diagram your traffic flow through the church as children rotate from one activity to the next. Make your check-in process a pleasant experience for parents, not a 45-minute disaster. Avoid training your teachers Great teachers are a treasure to be highly valued (Amen!). Invest in them by introducing them to the curriculum well in advance of VBS. Communicate your daily schedule and processes you've set to execute VBS like a well-oiled machine. Give them tips on creative Bible teaching, disciplining children, and safety issues. Throwing your teachers (especially new recruits) to the "sharks" and asking them to "wing it" is a BIG mistake and may be the end of a budding VBS teaching career! Make it boring Church is well-known for the "Boring" stereotype, so please don't reinforce it. Your church should be the most exciting place your kids experience. Remember, we're the ones with the greatest news in the world! Choose a cool theme that will spark the interest of your kids. You might reconsider if your theme is something like "Adventures in Leviticus". Use interactive learning in your teaching time that gets them out of their chairs. Make the Bible as fascinating as it really is. Make visitors feel unwelcome If God is bringing new children to your church, treat them as such. If you treat them as nuisances or outsiders, you'll lose them and have some "'splaining to do" with God! They've never been to your church, so don't expect them to know where the bathroom is or the insider language you use. Love on them and let them know how excited you are to have them at VBS. They might just keep coming back. Don't follow up After directing my first VBS, I messed up on this one. It was an exhausting week and I just wanted to put everything aside. After getting back in to the swing of my busy summer schedule, I started contacting my follow-ups...about 3 weeks after VBS. Because I waited too long, I showed these families that I really didn't care enough about them to strike while the iron was hot. If you're not following up with children and their families, you're not demonstrating the love and honor God's called you to show them. Well, you've probably thought of a few more. If so, please post them. I pray you'll avoid every one of these and have your best Vacation Bible School ever! Most VBS directors work hard to make VBS an effective and life-changing event for everybody involved. But if you're not into that, here are some great tips that could help you make your VBS totally meaningless and a complete waste of time. Implementing one or two of these will certainly cause damage, but all eight might just make the perfect VBS storm! Plan everything at the last minute Planning a VBS is usually a huge undertaking. You can't afford to wait until a few weeks before the big event to start planning it. Reserve at least 4-6 months to put it together. If you only have a few weeks, downsize, reschedule, or change the format. Throwing it together looks bad and causes everyone tons of unnecessary stress. Anything of value is worth doing well. Forget your purpose for VBS What are you aiming at? Hopefully, you're looking to introduce children to the King. VBS is an excellent tool to help children start a relationship with Jesus. If your purpose isn't set and followed through with, you're running an expensive 2-3 hour day care for the week. Time is too valuable and passes too quickly to miss out on an opportunity to change lives for Christ. Keep it a secret Don't keep VBS to yourselves! You're doing all of this because you love kids and are passionate for them to know about God's love. Invite your neighbors, coworkers, and relatives. Use the media, pass out fliers, host a VBS promotional event, march in a parade...just invite people. It's tempting to just focus on "our kids" in our churches, but if there are children in your community, refusing to invite them is saying, "I don't care about you." Be disorganized If you've ever been to an event, which all of us have, that was completely disorganized, you didn't want to stick around. On top of that, you lost any respect for the people in charge. It takes time and fore thought to run an excellent VBS. Be sure to have the supplies you'll need. Diagram your traffic flow through the church as children rotate from one activity to the next. Make your check-in process a pleasant experience for parents, not a 45-minute disaster. Avoid training your teachers Great teachers are a treasure to be highly valued (Amen!). Invest in them by introducing them to the curriculum well in advance of VBS. Communicate your daily schedule and processes you've set to execute VBS like a well-oiled machine. Give them tips on creative Bible teaching, disciplining children, and safety issues. Throwing your teachers (especially new recruits) to the "sharks" and asking them to "wing it" is a BIG mistake and may be the end of a budding VBS teaching career! Make it boring Church is well-known for the "Boring" stereotype, so please don't reinforce it. Your church should be the most exciting place your kids experience. Remember, we're the ones with the greatest news in the world! Choose a cool theme that will spark the interest of your kids. You might reconsider if your theme is something like "Adventures in Leviticus". Use interactive learning in your teaching time that gets them out of their chairs. Make the Bible as fascinating as it really is. Make visitors feel unwelcome If God is bringing new children to your church, treat them as such. If you treat them as nuisances or outsiders, you'll lose them and have some "'splaining to do" with God! They've never been to your church, so don't expect them to know where the bathroom is or the insider language you use. Love on them and let them know how excited you are to have them at VBS. They might just keep coming back. Don't follow up After directing my first VBS, I messed up on this one. It was an exhausting week and I just wanted to put everything aside. After getting back in to the swing of my busy summer schedule, I started contacting my follow-ups...about 3 weeks after VBS. Because I waited too long, I showed these families that I really didn't care enough about them to strike while the iron was hot. If you're not following up with children and their families, you're not demonstrating the love and honor God's called you to show them. Well, you've probably thought of a few more. If so, please post them. I pray you'll avoid every one of these and have your best Vacation Bible School ever! Wed, 20 Feb 2008 15:34:17 GMT http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/_8-Easy-Steps-to-Destroy-Your-VBS/BLOG/30701/11847.html chankinson 2008-02-20T15:34:17Z My VBS Space Most VBS directors work hard to make VBS an effective and life-changing event for everybody involved. But if you're not into that, here are some great tips that could help you make your VBS totally meaningless and a complete waste of time. Implementing one or two of these will certainly cause damage, but all eight might just make the perfect VBS storm! Plan everything at the last minute Planning a VBS is usually a huge undertaking. You can't afford to wait until a few weeks before the big event to start planning it. Reserve at least 4-6 months to put it together. If you only have a few weeks, downsize, reschedule, or change the format. Throwing it together looks bad and causes everyone tons of unnecessary stress. Anything of value is worth doing well. Forget your purpose for VBS What are you aiming at? Hopefully, you're looking to introduce children to the King. VBS is an excellent tool to help children start a relationship with Jesus. If your purpose isn't set and followed through with, you're running an expensive 2-3 hour day care for the week. Time is too valuable and passes too quickly to miss out on an opportunity to change lives for Christ. Keep it a secret Don't keep VBS to yourselves! You're doing all of this because you love kids and are passionate for them to know about God's love. Invite your neighbors, coworkers, and relatives. Use the media, pass out fliers, host a VBS promotional event, march in a parade...just invite people. It's tempting to just focus on "our kids" in our churches, but if there are children in your community, refusing to invite them is saying, "I don't care about you." Be disorganized If you've ever been to an event, which all of us have, that was completely disorganized, you didn't want to stick around. On top of that, you lost any respect for the people in charge. It takes time and fore thought to run an excellent VBS. Be sure to have the supplies you'll need. Diagram your traffic flow through the church as children rotate from one activity to the next. Make your check-in process a pleasant experience for parents, not a 45-minute disaster. Avoid training your teachers Great teachers are a treasure to be highly valued (Amen!). Invest in them by introducing them to the curriculum well in advance of VBS. Communicate your daily schedule and processes you've set to execute VBS like a well-oiled machine. Give them tips on creative Bible teaching, disciplining children, and safety issues. Throwing your teachers (especially new recruits) to the "sharks" and asking them to "wing it" is a BIG mistake and may be the end of a budding VBS teaching career! Make it boring Church is well-known for the "Boring" stereotype, so please don't reinforce it. Your church should be the most exciting place your kids experience. Remember, we're the ones with the greatest news in the world! Choose a cool theme that will spark the interest of your kids. You might reconsider if your theme is something like "Adventures in Leviticus". Use interactive learning in your teaching time that gets them out of their chairs. Make the Bible as fascinating as it really is. Make visitors feel unwelcome If God is bringing new children to your church, treat them as such. If you treat them as nuisances or outsiders, you'll lose them and have some "'splaining to do" with God! They've never been to your church, so don't expect them to know where the bathroom is or the insider language you use. Love on them and let them know how excited you are to have them at VBS. They might just keep coming back. Don't follow up After directing my first VBS, I messed up on this one. It was an exhausting week and I just wanted to put everything aside. After getting back in to the swing of my busy summer schedule, I started contacting my follow-ups...about 3 weeks after VBS. Because I waited too long, I showed these families that I really didn't care enough about them to strike while the iron was hot. If you're not following up with children and their families, you're not demonstrating the love and honor God's called you to show them. Well, you've probably thought of a few more. If so, please post them. I pray you'll avoid every one of these and have your best Vacation Bible School ever! nonadult false 8 Easy Steps to Destroy Your VBS text blog 1066 0 0.0 http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=1597609&as=11847 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/11847/photos/PHOTO_794306_11847_1597609_ap_160X120.jpg false United States 0 0 30701 1597609 Member 0 http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/_15-Ways-to-Know-Youre-a-Vacation-Bible-School-Nut/BLOG/30457/11847.html Here's a popular listing from VBS Nut. This list isn't complete. If you have any to add, let me know! 15. Your spouse and children refer to VBS as "Mom or Dad's 6-month homeland mission trip" 14. 1/2 of your wardrobe has "VBS" imprinted on it. The other 1/2 has paint stains 13. Your best china is made of paper and shaped like a safari hat 12. You've won "Most Valuable Shopper" at the local dollar store 10 years straight 11. You can't walk through your church preschool department without at least one devoted 4-yr old attaching himself to your leg 10. People ask if the glitter in your hair is a new look 9. Your garage looks like a mini-warehouse for Oriental Trading inventory 8. Each spring-every prospective helper you try to recruit seemingly vanishes from the planet 7. You go to sleep at night humming the VBS theme song 6. You wake up the next morning humming the VBS theme song 5. You can sing "Jesus Loves Me" in four languages 4. You introduce yourself to people by your VBS messenger board user name 3. Regardless of rain, snow, or sleet, you won't rest until you discover the VBS themes...for the next three years 2. You're number 1 on the church janitor's "Most Wanted" list 1. You'll give your life to see children come to know Jesus as their Savior and Lord! Here's a popular listing from VBS Nut. This list isn't complete. If you have any to add, let me know! 15. Your spouse and children refer to VBS as "Mom or Dad's 6-month homeland mission trip" 14. 1/2 of your wardrobe has "VBS" imprinted on it. The other 1/2 has paint stains 13. Your best china is made of paper and shaped like a safari hat 12. You've won "Most Valuable Shopper" at the local dollar store 10 years straight 11. You can't walk through your church preschool department without at least one devoted 4-yr old attaching himself to your leg 10. People ask if the glitter in your hair is a new look 9. Your garage looks like a mini-warehouse for Oriental Trading inventory 8. Each spring-every prospective helper you try to recruit seemingly vanishes from the planet 7. You go to sleep at night humming the VBS theme song 6. You wake up the next morning humming the VBS theme song 5. You can sing "Jesus Loves Me" in four languages 4. You introduce yourself to people by your VBS messenger board user name 3. Regardless of rain, snow, or sleet, you won't rest until you discover the VBS themes...for the next three years 2. You're number 1 on the church janitor's "Most Wanted" list 1. You'll give your life to see children come to know Jesus as their Savior and Lord! Tue, 19 Feb 2008 01:30:46 GMT http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/_15-Ways-to-Know-Youre-a-Vacation-Bible-School-Nut/BLOG/30457/11847.html chankinson 2008-02-19T01:30:46Z My VBS Space Here's a popular listing from VBS Nut. This list isn't complete. If you have any to add, let me know! 15. Your spouse and children refer to VBS as "Mom or Dad's 6-month homeland mission trip" 14. 1/2 of your wardrobe has "VBS" imprinted on it. The other 1/2 has paint stains 13. Your best china is made of paper and shaped like a safari hat 12. You've won "Most Valuable Shopper" at the local dollar store 10 years straight 11. You can't walk through your church preschool department without at least one devoted 4-yr old attaching himself to your leg 10. People ask if the glitter in your hair is a new look 9. Your garage looks like a mini-warehouse for Oriental Trading inventory 8. Each spring-every prospective helper you try to recruit seemingly vanishes from the planet 7. You go to sleep at night humming the VBS theme song 6. You wake up the next morning humming the VBS theme song 5. You can sing "Jesus Loves Me" in four languages 4. You introduce yourself to people by your VBS messenger board user name 3. Regardless of rain, snow, or sleet, you won't rest until you discover the VBS themes...for the next three years 2. You're number 1 on the church janitor's "Most Wanted" list 1. You'll give your life to see children come to know Jesus as their Savior and Lord! nonadult false 15 Ways to Know You're a Vacation Bible School Nut text blog 213 0 0.0 http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=1597609&as=11847 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/11847/photos/PHOTO_794306_11847_1597609_ap_160X120.jpg false United States 0 0 30457 1597609 Member 0 http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/_The-Most-Important-Promotion-of-All/BLOG/22637/11847.html January is an exciting time! For many churches, it's the time that veteran or newly-annointed VBS directors start to hunker down and gear up for what may be their churchs' largest event of the year. Each carefully checks her list for prospective VBS teachers and helpers and strategizes the most appealing approach to rope in these unsuspecting and helpless folks. Directors begin their quest for ideal decorations and props to help them turn their buildings into theme "wonderlands". Maps of their communities are laid out so they can best target the families they hope to invite and reach with their Vacation Bible Schools. With so much activity, is it possible that some of us forget to promote our VBS to the most important audience of all? Many times, I found myself paying little attention to purposefully and passionately praying for my VBS. Sure, I would pray as the event edged closer and would remind my congregation to lift up the children we hoped would attend. But it wasn't the priority it deserved to be. God is more passionate for our VBS and what He wants to do through it than we could ever humanly be! How do you pray for your VBS? As you plan for decorations, recruiting, crafts, worship, snacks and all of the other stuff, make your prayer plan just as, if not more important than the others. Recruit a group of prayer warriors at your church to pray daily. Ask each person in your congregation to pray for the child that will be seated during VBS right where they are seated now. Invite each adult Sunday school class to adopt a VBS class to pray for. Pray that God will make His presence known each day of VBS - that it won't just be an expensive babysitting event. Pray that God will bring children throughout the community - that all will feel welcomed and loved. Pray that God will change the lives of children and families with the Gospel - that it won't be a divine opportunity wasted. Pray that God will draw volunteers to serve - that all will use the gifts God has given them to minister. Pray that God will glorify His name through your Vacation Bible School January is an exciting time! For many churches, it's the time that veteran or newly-annointed VBS directors start to hunker down and gear up for what may be their churchs' largest event of the year. Each carefully checks her list for prospective VBS teachers and helpers and strategizes the most appealing approach to rope in these unsuspecting and helpless folks. Directors begin their quest for ideal decorations and props to help them turn their buildings into theme "wonderlands". Maps of their communities are laid out so they can best target the families they hope to invite and reach with their Vacation Bible Schools. With so much activity, is it possible that some of us forget to promote our VBS to the most important audience of all? Many times, I found myself paying little attention to purposefully and passionately praying for my VBS. Sure, I would pray as the event edged closer and would remind my congregation to lift up the children we hoped would attend. But it wasn't the priority it deserved to be. God is more passionate for our VBS and what He wants to do through it than we could ever humanly be! How do you pray for your VBS? As you plan for decorations, recruiting, crafts, worship, snacks and all of the other stuff, make your prayer plan just as, if not more important than the others. Recruit a group of prayer warriors at your church to pray daily. Ask each person in your congregation to pray for the child that will be seated during VBS right where they are seated now. Invite each adult Sunday school class to adopt a VBS class to pray for. Pray that God will make His presence known each day of VBS - that it won't just be an expensive babysitting event. Pray that God will bring children throughout the community - that all will feel welcomed and loved. Pray that God will change the lives of children and families with the Gospel - that it won't be a divine opportunity wasted. Pray that God will draw volunteers to serve - that all will use the gifts God has given them to minister. Pray that God will glorify His name through your Vacation Bible School Wed, 23 Jan 2008 03:36:24 GMT http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/_The-Most-Important-Promotion-of-All/BLOG/22637/11847.html chankinson 2008-01-23T03:36:24Z My VBS Space January is an exciting time! For many churches, it's the time that veteran or newly-annointed VBS directors start to hunker down and gear up for what may be their churchs' largest event of the year. Each carefully checks her list for prospective VBS teachers and helpers and strategizes the most appealing approach to rope in these unsuspecting and helpless folks. Directors begin their quest for ideal decorations and props to help them turn their buildings into theme "wonderlands". Maps of their communities are laid out so they can best target the families they hope to invite and reach with their Vacation Bible Schools. With so much activity, is it possible that some of us forget to promote our VBS to the most important audience of all? Many times, I found myself paying little attention to purposefully and passionately praying for my VBS. Sure, I would pray as the event edged closer and would remind my congregation to lift up the children we hoped would attend. But it wasn't the priority it deserved to be. God is more passionate for our VBS and what He wants to do through it than we could ever humanly be! How do you pray for your VBS? As you plan for decorations, recruiting, crafts, worship, snacks and all of the other stuff, make your prayer plan just as, if not more important than the others. Recruit a group of prayer warriors at your church to pray daily. Ask each person in your congregation to pray for the child that will be seated during VBS right where they are seated now. Invite each adult Sunday school class to adopt a VBS class to pray for. Pray that God will make His presence known each day of VBS - that it won't just be an expensive babysitting event. Pray that God will bring children throughout the community - that all will feel welcomed and loved. Pray that God will change the lives of children and families with the Gospel - that it won't be a divine opportunity wasted. Pray that God will draw volunteers to serve - that all will use the gifts God has given them to minister. Pray that God will glorify His name through your Vacation Bible School bible, prayer, school, vacation nonadult false The Most Important Promotion of All text blog bible,prayer,school,vacation 159 0 0.0 http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=1597609&as=11847 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/11847/photos/PHOTO_794306_11847_1597609_ap_160X120.jpg false United States 0 0 22637 1597609 Member 0 http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/_Whats-the-Heartbeat-of-Your-Vacation-Bible-School/BLOG/21393/11847.html I'm currently serving in two churches. I've been active innumerous ministriesat Lexington Baptist Church outside of Columbia, SC for the past seven years.Last summer, my wife and Ijoined the launch team of a church plant in Northeast Columbiacalled Crossmark Church. God is doing great things in both churches. It's an honor to be a part! I asked Sandi Self, the children's minister at Lexington to write an entry for this site. Each week, she ministers to over 700 children. She has a passionate heart for reaching kids and families and views VBS as an important tool in that mission: There are as many different ways to do Bible School as there are churches. All day, weekend, 4 days, over Easter or Christmas break, in Sunday School…regardless of the format, the main thing is to keep the MAIN ONE as the main thing. Evangelical in purpose, VBS is a target for the Evil One. He would prefer that the elements (decorating, recruiting, snacks, etc) take the place of Jesus. But we are wise and in using that Divine Wisdom, we use decorations and snack and rec and music and rewards and other methods to point to THE REASON for Bible School. Here&#39 ;s The Great Balancing Act: The Old Testament says there is a time and place for everything. Use logic and moderation in setting the tone in a VBS room. If the decorations overpower the Bible learning time, consider taking away some of it. I heard a famous movie star say once that when she was ready to go out on the town she would look in the mirror for one last glance before getting in front of all those cameras. If there was one thing that stood out about her makeup, hair, or clothes and it was so “attention demanding” that the rest of her attire was unnoticed, she replaced it with a more subtle version. May Jesus and His love be our theme, no matter the decorations/theme. If someone is held back from teaching by being overwhelmed by decorating, an idea is to select several who really “get into it”. Let them use $20 or so per classto decorate a corner or a theme wall with little things around the room and throughout the building tohighlight the theme. Let the teacher teach and decorators decorate. Remove the excuses and enable the gifted! How many children attending your VBS is the definition of Success? Limits in VBS can be defined by the size of the worship center, size and number of classrooms, or amount of budget. Could it be that our true limits are our teacher resources? Never sacrifice safety/security and quality in classroom learning for more children. Ratios of children to workers should be followed to be sure we can teach God’s Word and that we don’t spend all of our timeshushing or disciplining children. Some feel one teacher for 30 children is adequate. In a VBS setting, as with all church settings, please follow the “two-deep leadership” rule (Two teachers minimum at all times in all classes). This rule protects us and our children from all sorts of security and safety issues, but it also helps to have children receive some individual relationship-building inside the classroom. A thought I have had recently is this: God offers blessings in working with our children. Volunteers must step forward with a cheerful, receptive heart to receive those blessings. A sense of guilt or duty only breeds disgruntled volunteers and gives way to complaints and impatience. As God provides the leadership, so grows our VBS. He provides the creative minds, sincere hearts and focused minds to teach the children. Perhaps the definition of success should be that the children were safe and loved. I'm currently serving in two churches. I've been active innumerous ministriesat Lexington Baptist Church outside of Columbia, SC for the past seven years.Last summer, my wife and Ijoined the launch team of a church plant in Northeast Columbiacalled Crossmark Church. God is doing great things in both churches. It's an honor to be a part! I asked Sandi Self, the children's minister at Lexington to write an entry for this site. Each week, she ministers to over 700 children. She has a passionate heart for reaching kids and families and views VBS as an important tool in that mission: There are as many different ways to do Bible School as there are churches. All day, weekend, 4 days, over Easter or Christmas break, in Sunday School…regardless of the format, the main thing is to keep the MAIN ONE as the main thing. Evangelical in purpose, VBS is a target for the Evil One. He would prefer that the elements (decorating, recruiting, snacks, etc) take the place of Jesus. But we are wise and in using that Divine Wisdom, we use decorations and snack and rec and music and rewards and other methods to point to THE REASON for Bible School. Here&#39 ;s The Great Balancing Act: The Old Testament says there is a time and place for everything. Use logic and moderation in setting the tone in a VBS room. If the decorations overpower the Bible learning time, consider taking away some of it. I heard a famous movie star say once that when she was ready to go out on the town she would look in the mirror for one last glance before getting in front of all those cameras. If there was one thing that stood out about her makeup, hair, or clothes and it was so “attention demanding” that the rest of her attire was unnoticed, she replaced it with a more subtle version. May Jesus and His love be our theme, no matter the decorations/theme. If someone is held back from teaching by being overwhelmed by decorating, an idea is to select several who really “get into it”. Let them use $20 or so per classto decorate a corner or a theme wall with little things around the room and throughout the building tohighlight the theme. Let the teacher teach and decorators decorate. Remove the excuses and enable the gifted! How many children attending your VBS is the definition of Success? Limits in VBS can be defined by the size of the worship center, size and number of classrooms, or amount of budget. Could it be that our true limits are our teacher resources? Never sacrifice safety/security and quality in classroom learning for more children. Ratios of children to workers should be followed to be sure we can teach God’s Word and that we don’t spend all of our timeshushing or disciplining children. Some feel one teacher for 30 children is adequate. In a VBS setting, as with all church settings, please follow the “two-deep leadership” rule (Two teachers minimum at all times in all classes). This rule protects us and our children from all sorts of security and safety issues, but it also helps to have children receive some individual relationship-building inside the classroom. A thought I have had recently is this: God offers blessings in working with our children. Volunteers must step forward with a cheerful, receptive heart to receive those blessings. A sense of guilt or duty only breeds disgruntled volunteers and gives way to complaints and impatience. As God provides the leadership, so grows our VBS. He provides the creative minds, sincere hearts and focused minds to teach the children. Perhaps the definition of success should be that the children were safe and loved. Wed, 09 Jan 2008 02:50:15 GMT http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/_Whats-the-Heartbeat-of-Your-Vacation-Bible-School/BLOG/21393/11847.html chankinson 2008-01-09T02:50:15Z My VBS Space I'm currently serving in two churches. I've been active innumerous ministriesat Lexington Baptist Church outside of Columbia, SC for the past seven years.Last summer, my wife and Ijoined the launch team of a church plant in Northeast Columbiacalled Crossmark Church. God is doing great things in both churches. It's an honor to be a part! I asked Sandi Self, the children's minister at Lexington to write an entry for this site. Each week, she ministers to over 700 children. She has a passionate heart for reaching kids and families and views VBS as an important tool in that mission: There are as many different ways to do Bible School as there are churches. All day, weekend, 4 days, over Easter or Christmas break, in Sunday School…regardless of the format, the main thing is to keep the MAIN ONE as the main thing. Evangelical in purpose, VBS is a target for the Evil One. He would prefer that the elements (decorating, recruiting, snacks, etc) take the place of Jesus. But we are wise and in using that Divine Wisdom, we use decorations and snack and rec and music and rewards and other methods to point to THE REASON for Bible School. Here&#39 ;s The Great Balancing Act: The Old Testament says there is a time and place for everything. Use logic and moderation in setting the tone in a VBS room. If the decorations overpower the Bible learning time, consider taking away some of it. I heard a famous movie star say once that when she was ready to go out on the town she would look in the mirror for one last glance before getting in front of all those cameras. If there was one thing that stood out about her makeup, hair, or clothes and it was so “attention demanding” that the rest of her attire was unnoticed, she replaced it with a more subtle version. May Jesus and His love be our theme, no matter the decorations/theme. If someone is held back from teaching by being overwhelmed by decorating, an idea is to select several who really “get into it”. Let them use $20 or so per classto decorate a corner or a theme wall with little things around the room and throughout the building tohighlight the theme. Let the teacher teach and decorators decorate. Remove the excuses and enable the gifted! How many children attending your VBS is the definition of Success? Limits in VBS can be defined by the size of the worship center, size and number of classrooms, or amount of budget. Could it be that our true limits are our teacher resources? Never sacrifice safety/security and quality in classroom learning for more children. Ratios of children to workers should be followed to be sure we can teach God’s Word and that we don’t spend all of our timeshushing or disciplining children. Some feel one teacher for 30 children is adequate. In a VBS setting, as with all church settings, please follow the “two-deep leadership” rule (Two teachers minimum at all times in all classes). This rule protects us and our children from all sorts of security and safety issues, but it also helps to have children receive some individual relationship-building inside the classroom. A thought I have had recently is this: God offers blessings in working with our children. Volunteers must step forward with a cheerful, receptive heart to receive those blessings. A sense of guilt or duty only breeds disgruntled volunteers and gives way to complaints and impatience. As God provides the leadership, so grows our VBS. He provides the creative minds, sincere hearts and focused minds to teach the children. Perhaps the definition of success should be that the children were safe and loved. nonadult false What's the Heartbeat of Your Vacation Bible School? text blog 354 0 0.0 http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=1597609&as=11847 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/11847/photos/PHOTO_794306_11847_1597609_ap_160X120.jpg false United States SC 0 0 21393 1597609 Member 0 http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/_3-Ways-to-make-2008-your-best-VBS/BLOG/20890/11847.html In the latest issue of Children's Ministry Magazine , Adam Day has a terrific article entitled "Sell the Sizzle". He lists 20 techniques that children's ministers can incorporate into their ministries to add sizzle and cause potential volunteers to hunger to be involved. If these work for the entire children's ministry, maybe we could apply them to Vacation Bible School in specific. None of us would mind having a throng of people begging to decorate hallways, teach 4-year-olds, or run relays during recreation! Here are a few of Adam's ideas that I applied to make VBS not only more inviting for volunteers, but also to children and families that will attend. #1 Create Great Programs - Many that are reading this would classify themselves as VBS nuts, so creating a great VBS is already THE priority. There are some leaders that look at VBS as an extended daycare without much spiritual purpose or strength. If you're going to do a VBS, make it awesome. Choose a great curriculum with a great theme. If you need some help, check out our Comparison Chart and Publisher Report Card . Recruiting new leaders and volunteers will be much easier when they see the quality and excitement that surrounds your VBS 2008. #2 Get Web Savvy - If your church or children's ministry already has a web site, create a section just for your VBS. A well-done web site not only can demonstrate a high-quality image,it canalso be extremelyinformative and functional. You can communicate with leaders and parents through your web site and/or email. Also, offer online registration through your web site. LifeWay and Gospel Light are among publishers that offer personalized VBS web sites for very reasonable annual fees. If you'd like to create your own, try WebsiteSource.com . I currently host web sites with them and have foundthem to bevery inexpensive and provide great customer service. #3 Become a Promoter - Start promoting VBS early! Most churches wait until after Christmas & New Years to start pumping VBS. Consider sending out an email, newsletter, or mail piece in the fall as a teaser for the following year's VBS. You'll excite your people and potential volunteers about your cool theme, plus demonstrate your amazing passion and commitment to VBS by promoting it eight or nine months out!Help others catch your excitement. Remember, hosting a quality Vacation Bible School honors God, your attendees, and your leaders. God will bless your commitment to excellence in serving Him! In the latest issue of Children's Ministry Magazine , Adam Day has a terrific article entitled "Sell the Sizzle". He lists 20 techniques that children's ministers can incorporate into their ministries to add sizzle and cause potential volunteers to hunger to be involved. If these work for the entire children's ministry, maybe we could apply them to Vacation Bible School in specific. None of us would mind having a throng of people begging to decorate hallways, teach 4-year-olds, or run relays during recreation! Here are a few of Adam's ideas that I applied to make VBS not only more inviting for volunteers, but also to children and families that will attend. #1 Create Great Programs - Many that are reading this would classify themselves as VBS nuts, so creating a great VBS is already THE priority. There are some leaders that look at VBS as an extended daycare without much spiritual purpose or strength. If you're going to do a VBS, make it awesome. Choose a great curriculum with a great theme. If you need some help, check out our Comparison Chart and Publisher Report Card . Recruiting new leaders and volunteers will be much easier when they see the quality and excitement that surrounds your VBS 2008. #2 Get Web Savvy - If your church or children's ministry already has a web site, create a section just for your VBS. A well-done web site not only can demonstrate a high-quality image,it canalso be extremelyinformative and functional. You can communicate with leaders and parents through your web site and/or email. Also, offer online registration through your web site. LifeWay and Gospel Light are among publishers that offer personalized VBS web sites for very reasonable annual fees. If you'd like to create your own, try WebsiteSource.com . I currently host web sites with them and have foundthem to bevery inexpensive and provide great customer service. #3 Become a Promoter - Start promoting VBS early! Most churches wait until after Christmas & New Years to start pumping VBS. Consider sending out an email, newsletter, or mail piece in the fall as a teaser for the following year's VBS. You'll excite your people and potential volunteers about your cool theme, plus demonstrate your amazing passion and commitment to VBS by promoting it eight or nine months out!Help others catch your excitement. Remember, hosting a quality Vacation Bible School honors God, your attendees, and your leaders. God will bless your commitment to excellence in serving Him! Wed, 02 Jan 2008 03:25:51 GMT http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/_3-Ways-to-make-2008-your-best-VBS/BLOG/20890/11847.html chankinson 2008-01-02T03:25:51Z My VBS Space In the latest issue of Children's Ministry Magazine , Adam Day has a terrific article entitled "Sell the Sizzle". He lists 20 techniques that children's ministers can incorporate into their ministries to add sizzle and cause potential volunteers to hunger to be involved. If these work for the entire children's ministry, maybe we could apply them to Vacation Bible School in specific. None of us would mind having a throng of people begging to decorate hallways, teach 4-year-olds, or run relays during recreation! Here are a few of Adam's ideas that I applied to make VBS not only more inviting for volunteers, but also to children and families that will attend. #1 Create Great Programs - Many that are reading this would classify themselves as VBS nuts, so creating a great VBS is already THE priority. There are some leaders that look at VBS as an extended daycare without much spiritual purpose or strength. If you're going to do a VBS, make it awesome. Choose a great curriculum with a great theme. If you need some help, check out our Comparison Chart and Publisher Report Card . Recruiting new leaders and volunteers will be much easier when they see the quality and excitement that surrounds your VBS 2008. #2 Get Web Savvy - If your church or children's ministry already has a web site, create a section just for your VBS. A well-done web site not only can demonstrate a high-quality image,it canalso be extremelyinformative and functional. You can communicate with leaders and parents through your web site and/or email. Also, offer online registration through your web site. LifeWay and Gospel Light are among publishers that offer personalized VBS web sites for very reasonable annual fees. If you'd like to create your own, try WebsiteSource.com . I currently host web sites with them and have foundthem to bevery inexpensive and provide great customer service. #3 Become a Promoter - Start promoting VBS early! Most churches wait until after Christmas & New Years to start pumping VBS. Consider sending out an email, newsletter, or mail piece in the fall as a teaser for the following year's VBS. You'll excite your people and potential volunteers about your cool theme, plus demonstrate your amazing passion and commitment to VBS by promoting it eight or nine months out!Help others catch your excitement. Remember, hosting a quality Vacation Bible School honors God, your attendees, and your leaders. God will bless your commitment to excellence in serving Him! nonadult false 3 Ways to make 2008 your best VBS text blog 854 0 0.0 http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=1597609&as=11847 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/11847/photos/PHOTO_794306_11847_1597609_ap_160X120.jpg false United States 0 0 20890 1597609 Member 0 http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/_Welcome/BLOG/16170/11847.html Welcome to My VBS Space! You're invited to join the most amazing community designed specifically for Vacation Bible School directors and leaders. It's a free community that allows you to share videos, audio, photos, and all sorts of information with VBS leaders all over the world. You can create your own personal space right here and invite others to check it out...without worrying about them seeing questionable material like you'll find on other social web sites. You can also author your own blog! Post messages or ideas every day, week, or month...whenever choose. You'll find helpful tips and articles posted regularly. So, jump in to your new favorite community and share your ideas for Vacation Bible School 2008 and beyond. We're thrilled to have you! Clint Welcome to My VBS Space! You're invited to join the most amazing community designed specifically for Vacation Bible School directors and leaders. It's a free community that allows you to share videos, audio, photos, and all sorts of information with VBS leaders all over the world. You can create your own personal space right here and invite others to check it out...without worrying about them seeing questionable material like you'll find on other social web sites. You can also author your own blog! Post messages or ideas every day, week, or month...whenever choose. You'll find helpful tips and articles posted regularly. So, jump in to your new favorite community and share your ideas for Vacation Bible School 2008 and beyond. We're thrilled to have you! Clint Thu, 01 Nov 2007 17:26:59 GMT http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/_Welcome/BLOG/16170/11847.html chankinson 2007-11-01T17:26:59Z My VBS Space Welcome to My VBS Space! You're invited to join the most amazing community designed specifically for Vacation Bible School directors and leaders. It's a free community that allows you to share videos, audio, photos, and all sorts of information with VBS leaders all over the world. You can create your own personal space right here and invite others to check it out...without worrying about them seeing questionable material like you'll find on other social web sites. You can also author your own blog! Post messages or ideas every day, week, or month...whenever choose. You'll find helpful tips and articles posted regularly. So, jump in to your new favorite community and share your ideas for Vacation Bible School 2008 and beyond. We're thrilled to have you! Clint nonadult false Welcome! text blog 89 0 0.0 http://myvbsspace.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=1597609&as=11847 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/11847/photos/PHOTO_794306_11847_1597609_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 16170 1597609 Member 0