It just happened. You said you would “start small”, see how it went. But from the first time you helped a child glue googly eyes to a paper plate you were hooked. You loved dancing and singing songs with crazy hand motions, telling bible stories and seeing the kool-aid mustaches on each smiling face. VBS is the best thing about summer!
But you never imagined that you would be asked to be DIRECTOR or that you would say yes. Sitting at home the day after, you begin to wonder just what you have gotten yourself into. Now it is time to say a few prayers and prepare.
You want to be the best but how? Here are a few way to help you become the best VBS Director….EVER!
PRAYER
Prayer will be the single most important thing you do for your VBS. All you have to do is PRAY FOR VBS.
People – Pray for the children and parents who are coming to your VBS.
Ready – Pray that every worker and volunteer is ready to show Christ each night.
Attitude – Pray for positive attitudes of excitement for each worker and child.
Yield – Pray for hearts that a yielded to God and His will.
Follow-up – Pray for the team who reach out to those who came to VBS as they invite them to church.
Outreach – Pray for the missionaries and other projects that your VBS offering will be supporting.
Refreshed – Pray for the volunteers to stay refreshed each night as they work with the children.
Volunteers – Pray for everyone that is helping to make VBS happen at your church
Believe – Pray for that those who hear the Gospel would believe in Jesus.
Safety – Pray for the safety of all volunteers, children and parents.
ENLIST HELP
“A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12 tells us that we are better in groups. Look for a co-director or even a few co-directors to help you. Write down everything that needs to be done and then split duties. Asking for help lessens the burden for you and allows others the opportunity to be involved in making your VBS a huge success.
PLAN, PLAN, PLAN
VBS has many working parts from staffing to curriculum selection. It can quickly become overwhelming. Checklists can be an easy way to make sure everything is completed on time. Planning should begin about 4-6 months before. Some of the key things that you will need decide during the planning phase are:
The Format
- Will VBS be during the morning, afternoon or evening?
- Will you meet for one day or an entire week?
- What age group will participate? Children? Teenagers? Adults? Families?
- Where will you meet? At your church? Another Location?
The Specific Dates
- What are the other events that are happening at your church during the summer?
- Are there community or other VBS programs in the community that will conflict?
The Budget
- What is your budget for VBS?
- What do you need to use your funds for? Crafts? Decorations? Food/Snacks?
- What things can be donated from church members?
- Do you need to have fundraisers?
STAY FOCUSED
70,135 decisions of salvation, 1,383 calls to ministry or missions and $6,526,962 given to missions through VBS offerings are just a few of the reasons why VBS is so important. For most churches VBS is the single most evangelistic event of the year. Evangelism is the main reason behind all of the hard work. Keeping this in mind can help avoid getting caught up in the small frustrations and annoyances that can come with planning a large event. Remind your workers and yourself that VBS is to help lead children and parents into an intimate relationship with Christ.
Ultimately being the best VBS director might sound good but in the end you should strive to be the best YOU! The real “secret” to being the best is making sure that you follow God and he will help you achieve even more than you could have ever imagined.