Casting the Vision

When you begin talking about VBS to your congregation, it’s important to cast the vision of WHY you do VBS.

When you begin talking about VBS to your congregation, it’s important to cast the vision of WHY you do VBS. Do you know your why?

As VBS leaders, we want boys and girls to experience an amazing week full of fun, but that’s not the ultimate goal. Above all, we want to see boys and girls meet Jesus, hear his truth, and experience his love so that they can receive his gift of eternal life. That’s our why. Does your church know this? Sometimes, it comes down to how we, the leaders, talk about VBS.

Here are a few things VBS is not.

VBS is not just another week of summer fun. While VBS is fun and the presence of fun at your VBS is essential, fun isn’t all VBS should be. The games aren’t played so that kids can play a game. The decorations aren’t hung just to brighten up the walls. Each aspect of VBS is intentional in creating a fun learning environment. (They are kids, after all.)

If you were to promote VBS as simply a fun week for kids, you’re missing the mark. Going to the pool is fun, too. VBS is fun with a purpose.

VBS does not exist to grow the church’s roster. If a family attends VBS and then later joins your church, that is amazing. But VBS shouldn’t exist solely to gain regular attendees. The purpose is to teach boys and girls God’s truth. If one child hears and responds to the gospel, that’s a win, even if no one joins the church.

It doesn’t hurt to make a goal of your VBS to attract families to your church, but make sure that the verbiage is clear that the purpose of VBS is not for church growth but rather kingdom growth.

VBS isn’t a chore. You are going to need volunteers—lots of them! How you ask for volunteers should come back to your vision. Do you beg for warm bodies to serve at VBS from the pulpit to keep the ratios on track? Or do you invite church members to join in the mission of showing boys and girls Jesus in a week they will never forget? How you invite people to serve at VBS makes all the difference.

VBS isn’t unimportant. Boys and girls will hear the life-changing message of Jesus at VBS. They will hear God’s truth and experience his love. Because of the teachings and relationships at your church’s VBS, a child might respond to the Holy Spirit and become a child of God, changing his or her eternity—talk about important! For people who aren’t used to working with kids, the kingdom importance of VBS might not be as easily evident.

People might not want to be a part of another plea for volunteers, but who wouldn’t want to be a part of making an eternal difference in a child’s life?

Sharing the vision of your VBS is almost as important as sharing the date. Your congregation needs to know why your church is doing VBS. Over and over again, share the why of VBS and the kingdom difference it makes. As you share (from the pulpit, from social media, in one-on-one conversations), invite others to join in the mission. People might not want to be a part of another plea for volunteers, but who wouldn’t want to be a part of making an eternal difference in a child’s life?

For so many reasons, VBS is the best week of the year! Cast the vision of your vacation Bible school.