Little churches can have big VBS success

Vacation Bible School is one of the most effective ways to fulfill Jesus’ call to "Leave the children alone, and don’t try to keep them from coming to Me, because the kingdom of heaven is made up of people like this." (Matthew 19:14, HCSB).

The most important part of VBS is not cookies and crafts, but rather the built-in evangelistic opportunities to build relationships with children who need Christ, present the Gospel in terms and ways children will understand, and provide a fun time where children will feel good about God and the church.

Almost 25 percent of all baptisms in Southern Baptist churches can be tied directly to VBS conversion experiences. In a 2003 study by the Barna Group, data from churches showed that the probability of someone accepting Christ after age 12 dramatically drops.

VBS is one of the most effective ways to reach children with the Good News. Here are some keys to an evangelistic VBS in a smaller membership church.

1. Plan VBS at a time to reach the most children. Some options are:

• Monday through Friday, day or evening
  
• Weekend VBS – Friday night through Sunday evening
  
• Consecutive Wednesdays or Saturdays.

2. Publicize VBS to your community.

• Display large banners outside the church and in other strategic locations.
  
• Send direct mailings/postcards or hand-deliver flyers/door hangers to homes in targeted areas.
  
• Post information on free community calendars.
  
• Place paid newspaper, Internet, and radio ads or send out press releases.

3. Train your VBS workers in evangelism.

• Teach workers about the importance of providing an atmosphere that conveys Christ’s love.
  
• Stress the importance of praying for the children every day.
  
• Train teachers how to use an evangelistic tract written especially for children.

4. Provide opportunities during VBS to present the Gospel.

• Take the last two days of large group time to share a simple Gospel presentation with the children. (The pastor normally does this.) Give the children an opportunity to respond to Christ during the large group time.
  
• Encourage the children to talk to their teachers about salvation in their small group time.
  
• Train some workers to talk to the children who have questions about salvation.
  
• Follow-up in the home of all the children who made a profession of faith explaining to their parent(s) about their child’s decision.
  
• Talk one-on-one with every child who responds to the invitation. Lead every child who wants to receive Christ to pray the sinner’s prayer. Take care not to manipulate the children. The Holy Spirit will do the convincing and convicting. A new LifeWay resource to consider is "Leading a Child to Christ Training Pack" that uses the ABCs of becoming a Christian.

5. Reach out into your community with a Mission VBS.

• Consider having a mission VBS. If you anticipate that the children in your community will not come to your church, take VBS to them. Use youth and older children in this outreach effort and make them missionaries. Club VBS: Truth Trek is a great resource for your Mission VBS.

Information about both lines of LifeWay’s Vacation Bible School curriculum, Boomerang Express: It All Comes Back to Jesus and Club VBS: Truth Trek is available at www.lifeway.com/vbs.