How to Use Staff Devotions

Regardless of their roles, your VBS volunteers help share God’s truths with boys and girls.

Sure, the Bible teacher knows the ins and outs of the theme and daily lesson, but what about your other volunteers? Do they know what is being taught each day and how they can also show the day’s truths to boys and girls? Maybe not. That’s just one reason why the included staff devotions are a valuable resource.

If you’ve not explored all that these devotions have to offer, keep reading below!

Where Can I Find the Staff Devotions?

The staff devotions are included in the Helper Handbook, the teacher guide, and as downloads in the Director–Forms section of your Resource Download. You can print them from there.

What’s in Each Devotion?

In a wonderfully perfect world, every one of your volunteers would spend time preparing for VBS, not just by getting lessons, crafts, and snacks ready but also by preparing their hearts for the kingdom opportunities ahead of them. This isn't the case for the majority of VBS workers around the world.

Each staff devotion is written to help leaders center their hearts on the main message of the day, preparing their hearts so that they are ready to lead boys and girls.

VBS week is a busy week for everyone involved. (Let’s hear it for a week of takeout because no one has the energy to cook!) Your volunteers likely don’t have time to prepare their hearts and minds each day, doing a deep-dive Scripture search tailored to each lesson. Thankfully, the staff at AiG has done the hard part for you! Each staff devotion is written to help leaders center their hearts on the main message of the day, preparing their hearts so that they are ready to lead boys and girls.

How Can I Get Them to My Volunteers?

These short, 1–2-page devotions are versatile for getting them to volunteers. You can:

• Buy Helper Handbooks for each volunteer
• Print the devotions and give them to volunteers at the initial VBS worker training
• Hand out copies daily during VBS
• Provide the devotions in your volunteer break room
• Email them to leaders
• Take a picture and text it out
• Lead the devotion in person during your pre-VBS huddle
• Record a video of you leading the devotion and send it out or post it to your church’s social media channel or YouTube page.

Choose whatever way works best for your situation and your volunteers. The goal is to have volunteers actually use these, so make sure to encourage them in their daily pursuit of Christ. You might even consider providing them in multiple ways so they are more easily accessible to your volunteers.

What Will My Volunteers Gain?

VBS is an amazing and fulfilling week of service. Yes, it’s busy and exhausting, but it’s one of the best weeks, full of kingdom opportunity after kingdom opportunity. The staff devotions are a short but powerful tool designed to help prepare the hearts of your leaders as they go into that wonderfully busy week of leading.

Aid your volunteers in VBS preparation by helping them tend to their hearts.