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9/1/2013

Rethinking Vacation Bible School - Jolene Roehlkepartain

1 Comment

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How effective is your Vacation Bible School (VBS)? Is it drawing the number of participants that you hope that it will?

Many congregational leaders struggle with VBS. With the increased competition for children’s time, many congregations have either cut VBS way back, joined forces with another local congregation to offer VBS together, or have dropped it.

But other congregations are breathing new life into VBS with success. They’re thinking out of the box and working at creating a VBS model that works in their congregation.
What are they doing?

They’re talking a lot with parents about what matters to them. They’re asking questions, such as these: What attracts your kids to VBS? What turns them off? What other activities get in the way? What pressures do you feel as a parent that could be greatly reduced if our congregation offered VBS in a new way? How do you wish the church could help you as a parent?

They’re choosing more strategic times to offer VBS. Many congregations have discovered that summer no longer works as well for VBS because of all the other commitments families have. Instead, they’re doing VBS during school breaks, such as during fall break, winter break, or spring break. Others pinpoint one-day school breaks, such as Martin Luther King Day, President’s Day, and Labor Day.

They’re focusing VBS more. A number of congregations have created more focused VBS offerings, such as a VBS only for preschoolers and another one that helps older children discover the Christian themes in the Harry Potter books. By creating more specialized VBS offerings, they’re finding that not only are kids excited but so are people willing to volunteer.

What matters is not to do the same thing over and over but to discover a new way to offer VBS so that not only your church benefits but so that children and parents benefit as well.

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1 Comment
Elaine Krome, AiM link
10/15/2013 03:57:29 am

VBS has been a challenge, so this past July we changed the approach. We offered an intergenerational for 4 Wednesday evening entitled FRESH AIR IN THE COURT YARD. Began at 5:30pm with pizza and salad. In two week increments, had a series about our faith journey; each participant received a disposable camera and they "walked their faith journey through the facilities and outside grounds. The next week, as a group, we assembled the pictures on a large canvas and had great interaction and conversation. After the activity we closed with worship. During the final two weeks each one decorated a "Blessing Bowl" The following week we had dialogue about: what is a blessings? do we always see situations as blessings?
The experience did take a lot of planning (being the first) but found the intergenerational component very positive.
A unique service opportunity: everyone (if able) were to help with clean up including taking the recyclables! In the weeks and months since this summer ministry, I have seen friendships and relationships blossom.

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    The Learning Exchange Blog is  written by our team of Curators:
    - Shannon Kelly
    - Jim Merhaut
    - Kyle Oliver
    - Jolene Roehlkepartain
    - Janet Schaeffler
    - Debbie Streicher

    To learn more about them go to About the Team.

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