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1. Why do you have Vacation Bible School at your church? It provides a fun-filled learning activity that is focused on Bible study, applying lessons learned to real life.

2. What age groups is VBS for? All ages. A common misconception is that is is for children only.

3. Is VBS just for members of your church? VBS is for members of your church, visiting members of other churches, those that do not attend church anywhere.

4. What can be done if you are in a small church and have very few members and limited resources? Linkup!

A. A smaller church can ask a larger church to let them join them in their VBS. The smaller church provides as many workers as it can as well as provide whatever resources they can.
B. Two small churches can "pool" their resources and workers and jointly conduct VBS together.
C. In either event, each church files their own report.

5. Can VBS be used as a Sunday School and Church Growth tool? Yes!!

A. How? Through the process of keeping thorough records of those in attendance, it can be determined which of those in attendance are unchurched. Cards are made for the unchurched and placed in the Sunday School outreach file. Contact is then made through mailing, calling and visiting to encourage attendance in Sunday School and worship service.
B. Can visitation be effective if only the children of an unchurched family attend VBS? Yes!! Many times if the children start attending Sunday School, they are effective in getting their parents involved in Sunday School attendance. This is especially effective when children are involved in programs that are presented to the church. Parents will attend events that their children are involved in.
C. What is the advantage of having unchurched adults in an adult VBS class? It provides a more relaxed atmosphere for those attending and helps them to get acquainted with someone they will know when they attend Sunday School and worship service.

6. Can evangelism be effectively carried out in VBS? Yes!!

A. How many of you accepted Christ as your Savior during VBS?
B. It is recommended that the pastor not be involved in teaching a class. This keeps him free to visit each class and to "get acquainted" with all those that attend (children and adults) and gives him an opportunity to explain the plan of salvation to a group or on a one-to-one basis.

7. What are some things that need to be planned during VBS?

A. Bible Study: Age-Group Level
B. Worship: Joint worship can be carried out for all ages at beginning and end of each day's session.
C. Crafts: These should relate to a Biblical topic and should be only a part of each session, not the complete session, as many churches did in earlier years. One person can be recruited to do rotating classes for the entire VBS membership, teaching each age-group for 1 to 1 1/2 hours each day.
D. One person can be recruited to teach music, on a rotating class basis, to each of the age-groups.
E. Recreation: This can be carried out for a scheduled amount of time by the age-group teacher or be a group that conducts recreation for each age-group.
F. Snacks: This is generally more effectively prepared by a group that is not necessarily adapted to teaching but can be responsible for preparing snacks for each of the classes.
G. Security: With so many people today that will kidnap and do harm to children, it is recommended that you have someone to continually "patrol" your church area and check anyone that he does not know is involved in VBS. Know who is supposed to pick up the child each day and be able to identify them when they come to pick up the child.

8. What is involved in planning and conducting VBS? Refer to Steps in Conducting VBS, by Janice Haywood, BSCNC, Bible Reaching-Teaching Team. Some items have been added by Saundra Murphy and Richard Smith, Dan Valley Baptist Association Sunday School/VBS Ministry Team. Contact, Saundra, Richard, or Janice to receive a copy of this manual.

A. Item 1: No Later than January.
B. Items 2-7: January through March. Item 2 conducted for pastors and general officers generally by associational worker, familiarizing church leaders with this year's curriculum, ansering questions, and giving suggestions on getting started.
C. Items 8-9: March through April.
D. Item 10: Four to Six Weeks before Conducting VBS.
E. Items 11-15: March through May.
F. Item 16: One to Two Weeks before Conducting VBS. Get permission from Sunday School department directors and plan with them a time to pre-register members of Sunday School classes. Pre-register non-churched members during visits, during "on the street" contacts. Plan and promote a time 1-2 weeks before conducting VBS to pre-register pupils.
G. Item 17: As Planned in Item Three.
H. Item 18: Immediately upon Completion of VBS. Identify the person that will be sending reports prior to completion of VBS and make records available to him. The person responsible will vary from church to church. Item 18a is the person in your association that has coordinated VBS promotion in your association.
I. Item 19: Within One Week after Completion of VBS. Evaluate this year's VBS and make notes on activities that were successful as well as those that need improvement. Have "sharing time" and give support and encouragement to those that had "negative" experiences.
J. Item 20: As Soon as Evaluation for this Year is Completed.
K. Item 21: As Soon as Possible after Items 1-20 have been Completed.

9. Resources

A. Last Year's Records. This is a valuable tool when carrying out early stages of planning. It helps in determining budget needs, assists in setting enrollment and attendance goals, and assists in determining number of workers needed.
B. Worship Rally Audio Cassette and Audio CD. These tools provide music for worship rallies.
C. Worship Rally Guide. This contains decorating ideas-page 3, flag and Bible processional, positioning and pledge instructions-page 5, order of worship outline-page 4, worship rally songs-pages 6-10, 12-13, and 15-25, pledges-page 11, daily welcomes-page 14, daily prayer topic suggestions-page 17, daily VBS scripture reading-pages 28-29, offering emphasis-page 29 (These offerings are usually given to whatever mission that is decided on during planning.), worship rally dramas-pages 30-37, and mission stories-pages 38-41.
D. Lifeway VBS Resource Catalog. Some Key Truths Your Expedition will Discover-page 5 (One Amazing Creator, One Miraculous Provider, One Powerful Healer, One Living Savior, One Lord of All). Resource Listings-pages 8-29, Planning Checklist-page 30, Suggested "Sermon Outline"-page 31, Website Resources-pages 32-33, Follow-up Resource List-page 34, Five Easy Steps to Grow your Vacation Bible School and Enlarge the Impact of your Ministry-page 3 (Pray for God's guidance to be evident and His will to be done. Set goals for enrollment, attendance, decisions, prospects discovered, and prospects enrolled in Sunday School after VBS. Reach out to your community. Get complete information on everyone who attends. Follow up after VBS.)
E. Director's Planning Guide (Published by Lifeway). The Purpose of VBS-page 8, The Principles of VBS-page 9, Preschool Traits-page 11, Children Traits-page 12, Pupils with Special Needs-page 13, Evangelism-page15, Schedules-pages 17-13, Planning-pages 24-25, VBS Standard Checklist-pages 26-27, List of Resources-pages 28-29, Enlistment Planning-pages 31-41, Worker Training and Planning-pages 42-47, Ideas-pages 49-51, Promotion-pages 52-63, Budget Records-pages 64-67, Enrollment Form-page 69, Daily Records-pages 70-74, Decision Log-page 75, Prospect Log-page 76, Report Form-pages 77-78, State Office Addresses-page 79, Events-pages 80-83, Space and Equipment Planning-pages 84-85, Event Planning-pages 86-94, Follow-up Planning and Event Evaluation-pages 95-100, Pastors Guide-pages 101-104, Youth Planning-pages 105-106, Adult Planning-pages 107-109, Special Education-pages110-111, Fun Facts about the Amazon Rain Forest-page 112, and Overhead Cel Pages (grass huts, forest, huts, welcome, pledge to US flag, pledge to Christian flag, pledge to Bible, words to "Amazing Creator", VBS motto, words to "Great and Mighty is the Lord Our God", VBS scripture in NIV, VBS scripture in KJV, words to "The Healing One", words to "One True God", and how to become a Christian "ABC").
F. Websites. www.bssb.com/yourvbs and www.lifeway.com/yourvbs

STEPS IN CONDUCTING VBS

01. Enlist VBS director.

02. Attend VBS Early Bird Clinic in February.

03. Set dates and schedule for school.

04. Set goals.

05. Decide on an organizational structure.

06. Enlist department directors.

07. Enlist Teachers.

08. Conduct director's meeting. Do a "space walk" (assign classroom for each VBS class).

09. Attend the associational VBS clinic. Bring all age-group workers and your pastor.

10. Develop a promotion and publicity strategy (telephone, newspaper, church paper, Sunday School departments, posters in the church and store windows, radio/tv, and the internet).

11. Conduct general worker training.

12. Conduct evangelism training (Church Training is a good time for this).

13. Conduct department planning meetings.

14. Plan family night and other features of the school.

15. Plan follow-up program on prospects.

16. Pre-register pupils.

17. Conduct VBS. The pastor should be involved to help reach children and parents through evangelism, to participate in joint services, to visit all departments during the school, and to make personal visits with new converts and the unchurched.

18. Send Reports and Early-Bird Order. Send a copy of the report to the association c/o Saundra Murphy, 225 Timberwood Trace, Reidsville, NC 27320; a copy to the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, PO Box 1107, Cary NC 27512-1107; a copy to the SBC c/o VBS Report Desk (MSN 177), 127 Ninth Avenue, North, Nashville, TN 37234-0177; and keep a copy for your church file.

19. Conduct critique session with workers.

20. File this year's notes and plan book.

21. Take a well deserved vacation!!!!!!!

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