Engaging Parents at VBS

If VBS is equivalent to months of discipleship hours for boys and girls, yet dads and moms have the greatest influence on their children, how should we engage and partner with parents at VBS to help them disciple boys and girls?

1. Connect with Parents

Effective ministry happens out of relationships. Do you think Dad and Mom want to come back to a church where no one greeted them, the atmosphere felt stuffy and unfriendly, and no one saw them as anything more than security tag holders? No way!

Parents need connection.

Parents need connection. They need to feel welcomed and wanted. How do we do this during VBS?

• Station smiling, friendly greeters at the door.
• Keep consistency in door greeters from year to year, trying your best to remember families on sight.
• Use social media to connect with parents. (Friend request!)
• Connect with parents throughout the year—invite them to events and special programs.
• Connect with their kids throughout the year (try the VBS birthday postcards!)
• Be present in your town. Go to kids’ events at the library, sporting events, and even town parades. You’ll even run into families at the grocery store!

2. Give Parents Resources

Kids have a blast at an epically amazing, biblically rich VBS, where they hear God’s truth for days. But then they go home. How can you put tools into Dad’s and Mom’s hands so they can disciple and teach God’s Word? Give them resources!

• Send the kids home with a daily take-home item from VBS, such as the student take-home papers, the memory verse cards, or devotion books.
• Have your family resource station open and available for VBS families to utilize. Include scripture-rich devotions, Bible studies, albums from Seeds Family Worship, and more.
• Instead of play- or food-based prizes, use family discipleship resources as your big prizes!
• Use social media, email, and snail mail to provide parents with resources. You can set up a QR code for Amazon wishlists, Spotify playlists, YouTube video devotions you’ve made, and more!

3. Invite Them Back!

While it would be great if you and your team could form a close, personal relationship with each parent, there is only so much you can do to engage with them during VBS week. VBS is still running, so your time is limited! Invite them back.

• What are you inviting them to?
• Parenting class
• Worship
• Special events

• How are you inviting them back?
• Postcard
• Email
• Phone call

• Why will they want to come back?
• Was VBS a good experience?
• Did they feel it was safe and secure?
• Did they feel loved and connected with?
• Did they feel their kids were loved?
• Was the gospel given, and God’s Word the center of the VBS?
• What is your follow-up plan?
• What are they coming back for and why?

If you want to engage with parents and help them fulfill their role as disciple-makers, maximizing kingdom impact, you need an intentional plan for connecting with them. What does this look like for your church? How will you delegate? Make a plan for how you and your team will begin to build relationships with parents. The influence they have on their children is huge. It’s an opportunity we don’t want to waste!