The Ripple Effect of VBS

That is the potential of a VBS ministry in your church. I will share my experience of seeing VBS impact more than just VBS. Please keep in mind that I am limited by space and word count, but hopefully, this will spark some new ideas for you.

One of the first ripples VBS makes is the introduction of the gospel and Bible to kids. This ripple leads directly into kids’ programming at your church. It can help fuel so much—from kids attending because they are craving more biblical truth to volunteers looking to connect and serve more.

Using this shared experience in bringing youth closer together is a great way to continue speaking truth into the youths’ lives.

Speaking of recruiting volunteers to serve more and connect, youth volunteers are great to invest in. When youth volunteers serve at VBS, this is the perfect opportunity to share other ways they can connect with each other or serve together in the future. Using this shared experience in bringing youth closer together is a great way to continue speaking truth into the youths’ lives.

Adult volunteers are really no different. VBS provides a great opportunity for people to jump in. It is a week-long commitment, or maybe just a couple of days in your case. I like to tell all my new attendees at church, “It’s a great way to meet people.” The best part is that there will be specific start and end dates, so VBS is often easier to get new people involved. People don’t need to worry about signing up for an entire year. It is short. But it is an on-ramp for people to discover what it is like to volunteer and make an impact on others. I find first-time volunteers with VBS often find themselves happily helping in other areas outside the VBS week.

The last ripple is the excitement. At our church, we decorate . . . a lot. We spend a whole week setting everything up. Each teacher is responsible for their area, so the creativity is overflowing by the time decorating has concluded. With the decorating, I see the ripple effect happen most abundantly. It isn’t a competition, but it is building off one another. Let me explain.

I show off the first room, area, or space completed in decorating to everyone who walks into the church! I want to show them what is possible. Inspire them and start the ripple effect. From there, that person gets a spark that they turn and build upon. Now, there are two amazing areas. This goes on all week until every area is awesome. Then, on Sunday, the attendees of the church who didn’t help all week get to see everything. There is excitement. There is anticipation. There is the question, “Can’t we leave this up all year?”

This approach has shown what is possible and has started the ripple effect. It has shown those teaching that they can also make Sunday school fun. Maybe the volunteer doing snacks realizes that we need help with Sunday morning treats. As a VBS leader, you can have a short list of ways people can get involved with the church after VBS to help this process.

Ripples prove that something happened—something entered, and things are not the same.

The ripple of VBS can be felt everywhere in the church. Maybe in your first year, the rock you throw only produces a small ripple. Embrace it and encourage it. The rock may be slightly larger the following year, producing even more ripples. Every year, you will get more ripples, so be aware of where the ripples can and may go, and be ready to assist and guide in productive ways. Ripples prove that something happened—something entered, and things are not the same. The hope of the gospel came in Jesus and spread to and through his twelve disciples (John 20:21). That is where the ripple effect began.