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So you want to do VBS differently, but are working with a smaller budget? Don’t worry, you don’t have to buy any expensive craft kits or purchase a brand new curriculum. This is completely doable for small churches that are sticking to a smaller budget!
It can often be hard to come up with new ideas that engage kids in each age group. However, I want to encourage you that your children’s ministry can bring in some of the best ideas with these simple tips.
Keep reading to discover 5 ways your small church can have a great week of VBS, that’s full of new, fun ideas!
Try one of these ideas to still hold a traditional Vacation Bible School, but do it in a way that saves smaller churches both time and money.
1. Partner With Another Church In Town
An easy way to get started is by talking to other small churches in your area. Other church members might be having the same issues as you are: short on budget, not too many volunteers, or scattered resources. By becoming partners, you are presented with a great opportunity! You can combine all of your resources and free VBS tools to achieve the goal of reaching your community, by doing it together!
This is a great way to share:
- Expenses
- Responsibilities
- Volunteers
- Victories and the mission of sharing the Gospel of Jesus with the kids in both your church and community.
Other information and outside perspectives are always valuable! Not only does it have the potential to spark new ideas in your mind, but you also get the chance to develop stronger relationships with the churches and people around you! It might even be fun to exchange contact information or social media accounts, that way you can all send new ideas each other’s way!
Divide up all the areas and have teams work on each section. We are not in competition to share the Gospel. Do it together and work WITH your team members!! Let everyone toss in their ideas and resources, and see how God will work and what you can come up with!
2. Find Used VBS Curriculum And Materials
What if you did your VBS at a time when others have already finished theirs? If all the churches in town do it at the beginning of the summer, why not wait until right before school starts when the parents of children are “itching” to have the house to themselves for a little bit?
If you schedule your VBS at an alternative time, you could see if you could procure other churches’ used and leftover VBS items. Many churches spend hours on VBS decorations and are happy to pass them on to someone else. Leftover craft supplies are also great; instead of all kids doing the same project, each small group does a different one. Lesson devotionals and VBS planners are always a good idea! They help with planning the whole event! Add a few of your final touches with input from your team and you will have a fantastic and somewhat unique VBS week! Remember, it’s not about the curriculum or what the craft or snack is; it’s about engaging with those kids and showing them God’s love!
3. Switch Up Your Days
Turn a weekly VBS theme into a mid-week or Saturday morning club over the entire summer. Most successful VBS curriculums provide you with a 5-day plan of crafts, lessons, snacks, and games. Some will even provide you with a leader guide for you to follow along with! If you convert those days into weeks you could have a 5-week program, add an extra week for a celebration wrap-up party, and you have an entire 6-week summer program. This is also a great idea because it doesn’t tax your volunteers as much as coming out for five nights/days straight. They can spread out their time over the summer. Also, you may find different volunteer positions for the different people who are able to come!
4. Hold A Weekend VBS
Why not pack a weekend full of fun by doing your VBS event on a Friday night and all day Saturday? Plan your stations to have a rotation on Friday night, and introduce your music and worship time, and lesson theme. As you plan your VBS, have your team pick the top 3 favorites in each of the rotations (different activities, crafts, snacks-lesson theme) and do those three rotations throughout the day on Saturday. Plan a simple lunch for everyone and do a closing program at the end of the day. Make sure to the younger children and their parents to a special time in the worship service on Sunday to sing for the congregation and receive their VBS certificates.
5. Get Creative With Your Schedule
What about scheduling your VBS at a unique time, making your small church stand out among the others? Try doing VBS during spring break, winter break, a local school holiday, or a long weekend. Many times parents are stuck for childcare during these times, and your VBS could be a welcome place for kids to be! So look at your calendar and dare to be different –– see what God can do!
By scheduling VBS at a different time, you also allow yourself to find seasonal church supplies that could go along with your theme really well! When you start to get creative with your schedule, you can ensure that you’ll have enough time to plan everything out and create the best VBS you possibly can!
Think Outside The Box With VBS
Don’t be afraid to ask God to show you an idea that will …
- Use your volunteers to the best of their abilities
- Work in your small church
- Make your community see your small church in new ways
- Help you be the hands and feet of Jesus to those around you!
Remember, we don’t have to be limited by what we think we are obligated to do because all the other churches are doing it. We also don’t have to be limited by our church budget! God is already at work in your small church; find out where that is and join Him. Sure, God works through a traditional VBS program, but He also can work through something completely different.
No matter what the theme of your VBS is, or how many people show up, just know that God is working through it all!
I hope this article liberates you to think outside the box or maybe even throw the box away completely! So start planning, and whatever you do, do it for the Lord.
Looking for a step-by-step guide to starting or restarting your children’s ministry?
Check out the Children’s Ministry Bundle For Small Churches!
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