Building VBS Momentum on Sundays

Use Sundays to Teach Children the Music

When you start teaching the kids the songs early, it gets them excited for VBS.

Start teaching some of the VBS songs to your Sunday morning kids. This is especially great for the memory verse songs, since the kids are hiding God’s Word in their hearts. But when you start teaching the kids the songs early, it gets them excited for VBS. It gives them a sense of ownership for VBS. Purchase CDs of the music to hand out or encourage parents to stream the songs (AnswersVBS.com/streaming).

As an added perk, you’ll also have several kids familiar with the songs who can help lead them onstage or encourage others to sing (by their example).

Use Sundays to Promote

This one likely feels like a given. Of course, you’re going to promote VBS during announcements or through flyers, posters, or slides. But I want to challenge you to promote VBS with more than just a date announcement.

• Use the VBS promotion skits included in the Director – Helps section of the Resource Download to creatively and energetically get the word out about VBS.
• Set up decoration pieces early to build excitement.
• Dress in your full VBS costume to do part of the service and explain your outfit.
• Display a fun VBS countdown. A digital countdown slide in your children’s or main services keeps VBS fresh and in people’s minds, even if it’s weeks away.

Use Sundays to Recruit

Make it a point for key leaders of your VBS team to have conversations with potential volunteers. A personal invitation is always going to get more “yeses” than a mass announcement.

• Encourage your volunteers to talk up your VBS.
• Coordinate days for your leaders to wear their VBS shirts as a recruitment tool.
• And don’t forget to talk to your volunteers about something other than VBS! Show that you care about them as a person and that their worth isn’t just helping at VBS. This is a key piece of keeping good volunteers.

Use the Sundays After VBS to Keep Momentum Going

You are likely inviting VBS attendees to visit your church after VBS. Whether they are invited for a special “VBS Sunday” where kids sing a song, to a post-VBS family night, or to visit on a Sunday morning, you need to give families a reason to visit.

Inviting families to a special service or event directly following VBS is great. That’s already special. But what about the other weeks? Keep momentum going by considering a few of these ideas.

• Host a special once-a-month or once-a-quarter family event. Invite VBS families via snail mail, email, and social media each time.
• On the last day of VBS, send families home with a calendar magnet listing special events for the next year.
• Make your Sunday school hour lessons piggyback off the VBS teaching theme for the next month. Encourage families to attend so they can keep diving deeper into God’s Word.

Use Sundays to Show the Why

Show how your church is doing important Kingdom work!

You have 52 Sundays each year to build momentum for VBS. At VBS, eternities are changed. Children are discipled. As you go throughout the year, make sure you take every opportunity not just to share how much work VBS is (by asking for donations or volunteers), but to show just how important VBS is. Share the wins. Share what kids will be learning. Show how your church is doing important Kingdom work!