As a VBS director, I’m probably like a lot a lot of you—getting started can be the hardest part! There’s a swirl of ideas in my head but no clear plan yet! However, because I’m also the Publishing Director here at Gospel Light, I DO know what to do next: I head straight for the Director’s Planning Guide!

We make this first step EASY. Grab your SonWest Director’s Planning Guide and a cup of coffee or tea. Get comfortable. In about a half an hour, you can get a grip on exactly what you need to do and when you need to do it!

1. Step-by-Step Planning Guide — This is where I begin. I look through to get a feel for what is required over the next 18 weeks or so. Take a few minutes yourself to understand the big picture so that you’re thinking about what you can do to plan, recruit, train, evangelize, and follow-up with your VBS!
2. Create a Milestone Calendar — I use the Planning Guide to help me to set up a calendar of key dates. Take time now to think through the factors that will make these key dates realistically achievable — because you want to be able to cross them off and see what you have accomplished! (I love that feeling of crossing something off my list!)
3. Director’s Overview — This article helps me to identify what products and components I need to make planning easier for our team. Use the list to help you see what timesavers are available: For instance, the pre-printed Wall Murals are great timesavers! Because if you are like me (I HATE to paint!), they are a HUGE blessing—and cheaper than what it would cost to buy the paint for the backdrops! There are lots of other little timesavers all over this guide, so look for them.

   Remember, you have CHOICES. We give you more than you need so that you can pick and choose with an eye to the things your team can do best—and what will help them to do their best!

4. Begin to look for an Assistant or Co-Director — For myself, I have to fight the urge to think I can do it all. The truth is, we’re better together! Don’t go it alone; ask God to nudge just the right person to agree to co-direct with you or assist you. The way we display unity and mutual trust is actually an important part of our witness as we reach kids for Jesus!

   More than that, my co-director is insurance that VBS will go on, even if I break my leg or have a sick child! When I have a Co-Director, the program runs more smoothly, volunteers accomplish more—and with two of us to talk to, there’s a definite reduction in “panic and mayhem”!

So, pray and plan (without panic or pressure)! It’s time to get started!

Click here to download a Director’s Master Checklist by Date from Gospel Light’s VBS Smart Pages.

Serving Christ through you,
Donna Lucas
Publishing Director
Gospel Light /Children’s Ministry Resources
donna.lucas@gospellight.com

I am always full of things to talk about! But as I’ve thought about these VBS countdown emails, I’ve found myself staring at the blank screen, stymied by all of the possibilities. Where do I start?

Do you ever feel that way—stopped cold by all of the choices? With dozens of available VBS programs, how do you choose the right one for YOUR kids?

One thing I CAN say is this: I encourage you to take time to weigh all your options! Now, while you have time, think things through. Use this outline to help you choose a VBS that fits the needs of your church.

Start with Prayer! Give every detail of the program to Jesus. Remember that God has great plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11), but we need to seek Him first with our whole hearts. Each year, I have to lay down my “wantas,” my agenda and even my good ideas. Only then can I invite Jesus to direct me. It’s too easy to think I can do this alone—but no matter how much experience I have, VBS is bigger than any one of us can handle. Only Jesus has the Ultimate Plan—and the Ultimate Power—to make this VBS life-changing! It’s well worth our time to focus on discovering God’s direction for our plans.

Look for Jesus! Who will kids say is the Hero of VBS? Is it Jesus? Don’t just look at the Bible storytelling ideas; read the life application connections. Look for ways the curriculum helps you move children into a closer relationship with Jesus. If it’s not spelled out, if the ideas and words don’t make it clear to YOU, then it certainly won’t become clearer to your kids! Look for Jesus in everything—and don’t settle for less!
What theme works for your church? Look at your space and your volunteers. What’s the theme to which you can all best relate? Is it a fun place? Can you visualize it? Have you been there? Your personal connection to the theme will help you to cast a vision for your volunteers, which means you will all have more fun developing the program. And when volunteers are engaged and excited, the kids will be, too!

Is the program relevant to kids? Simply put, does this program help your kids understand the truth about Jesus in ways that mean something to them, right now, in their everyday lives? Does it give them kid-friendly “handles” that help them in their lives now, not just in the future? Does it point kids to Jesus as their Ultimate Rescuer, in whom they can find the ultimate power, trust and love they need?

Give yourself permission to change your mind! Set a deadline for yourself based on your goals. But until then, don’t stress over the selection. Let God guide you—and enjoy the process!

Whatever course you decide on, take a moment to sign up and allow us to pray for your VBS. Then download the overview charts for the programs we offer so that you can begin weighing your options! You can also visit our VBS party site (myvbsparty.com) to learn more about our programs and see all the training videos you can use to stage your very own VBS planning parties!

Serving Christ through you,
Donna Lucas
Publishing Director
Gospel Light /Children’s Ministry Resources
donna.lucas@gospellight.com

I’ve been traveling around the country, meeting many of you for the first time. I have also heard a lot of discussion about VBS. Some of the questions that have been tossed my way are, “Are you doing VBS?” “Does your church have Vacation Bible Camp?” “VBS is so much trouble. Should we or shouldn’t we?” Well, if you know me, you’ll know where I stand on this question—and here’s the reason I’m so passionate about VBS!

Kids live in a world where one hero quickly takes the place of another. Nothing feels secure. They wonder, Who’s really on my side? Who will take care of me? Can anybody help me solve my problem? Kids can feel powerless, unloved or hopeless about the future. And truthfully, we adults really can’t make any guarantees. Sometimes, we can’t even keep the promises we make ourselves! So how do we help kids grow in confidence that there are guarantees and promises that ARE kept?

SonWest Roundup VBS will help you teach your kids that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever! Through the stories of Moses, they’ll encounter the fulfillment of God’s promises—in Jesus! Even though these stories begin in Moses’ day, we discover that throughout the Bible, Jesus is the Unchanging Hero of the story! He is the One on which we can rest and build a genuine faith. And SonWest Roundup VBS allows you to lay that groundwork not only for your churched kids but also for the neighborhood kids you want to reach!

You see, when you choose a VBS program, you’re doing more than picking crafts and games: You are partnering with tens of thousands of churches nationwide to bring the gospel message to kids! Now, imagine what might happen if ALL those kids ended Summer 2013 knowing that they can be confident and secure because they understand that Jesus is the same forever, and that as members of God’s family, they can trust Jesus in every extreme challenge of life—WOW! What a powerful impact that could have on our country! And it can only happen one church at a time, one child at a time.

With so many options out there to choose from, be sure to pick the VBS program whose message will clearly present God’s good news. Gospel Light offers you choices in theme so that you can teach your kids about:

• Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever OR
• God’s extreme promises OR
• Five Bible Verses that will change their lives OR
• Big Answers to Big Questions about Jesus OR
• How to build their lives on the Rock: Jesus OR
• How to make the best choice—to choose Jesus!

ALL of our amazing courses will point your kids to Jesus. So join with tens of thousands of churches this summer share the good news of Jesus Everyday—one child at a time!

Serving Christ through you,
Donna Lucas
Publishing Director
Gospel Light /Children’s Ministry Resources
donna.lucas@gospellight.com

Today something very strange happened. For the first time ever, when I went to pick up my daughter from a church activity, she had nothing to bring home. No activity papers, no coloring page, no craft, no take-home papers . . . Nothing.

I picked up my daughter from a VBS program at a friend’s church. I should also mention this was a VBS program other than Gospel Light’s SonRise National Park. Now, this is not unusual. I enroll my daughter in a variety of programs at a number of different churches. Not only do I think VBS is a GREAT way for my daughter to spend a summer’s day (particularly in the oh-so-hot Arizona desert), but I like to observe different programs. I feel it helps me do my job of developing VBS curriculum better when I get out to see how different churches actually DO VBS.

The only thing unusual was that my daughter didn’t bring anything home with her. Nada. Zilch. Zero.

I believe in the importance of extending what is learned at church (or school) by reinforcing that knowledge at home. What presented me with particular difficulty today is that my daughter has a severe speech delay. Though she is six years old, both chronologically and academically, her expressive language is that of child perhaps two or three years old. So it’s not like I could ask her ˜What did you do today at VBS?” and get a coherent answer. She did say that they talked about Jesus, so I’m glad for that.

I went to the website for the VBS provider and looked up the information for their Bible content. I found out what I needed to know in order to extend my daughter’s learning past the threshold of the church building. But I couldn’t help feeling that perhaps I was the only parent of the couple hundred VBS-enrolled children, who would know or think to do that.

My daughter may be unique, but the situation I’m in isn’t. How many preschool children are able to articulate to their parents what they did during a VBS session? How many older children respond to the query, “What did you do today?” with the single word, “Nothing”?

I am so glad to work for a company that understands the importance of connecting parents to what’s happening in the programs their children are attending. In our SonRise National Park VBS, we have Parent Newsletters in our Director’s Planning Guide. There is a different newsletter for each day of VBS. Each newsletter tells parents the elementary and preschool versions of the Bible verse and Jesus Connection, the Bible story reference, a parent’s devotional, as well as discussion questions to review the Bible story and Bible verse. And best of all, a “Live It!” section that helps parents understand how to apply the Daily Promises (True Peace, True Riches, True Power, True Love, True Hope) to their everyday lives. Live It! also includes a fun family activity. These newsletters are available as modifiable PDFs in Folder C of the Planning Guide CD-ROM.

What’s got me even MORE excited is that for VBS 2013, SonWest Roundup, we’ve created even MORE ways to help you connect parents to what’s happening at your church during VBS! When you think of the number of kids who may be coming to church for the very first time during VBS, isn’t getting their parents to be feel like a part of your church that much more important? Be looking for more information about how Gospel Light can help you make these all-important family connections.

Karen McGraw
Associate Managing Editor—VBS
Gospel Light Publishing Resources

We’re getting GREAT reports from all over! Some of you held VBS last week, and we’re hearing about the kids who met Jesus and the dollars given to missions organizations and the crazy fun you all had! For others, your VBS week is now about to start! You’ve got our sympathy, because we’re about to start our 2013 test VBS! Everyone is running around, trying to get everything done and ALSO trying not to forget anything that NEEDS to be done!

In the middle of it all, let’s ask God to keep our hearts focused on the reasons we do this—to introduce kids (and adults and families) to Jesus and to build up the ones who already are following Him! With so much to do, it’s easy to think that our “to do” lists take priority over time with the Lord, but time with Him is the fuel for our fire. Remember, He is more interested in this VBS than any of us! And He is faithful. Let me tell a story from my own church’s VBS:

Friday evening, we were setting up for decorating when a stream of neighborhood families stopped by to see if it was too late to sign up for VBS. The stream kept coming through on Saturday morning—and now we were up to 126 kids. My first and fourth grade classes had exploded! I needed more help with only one day to go!

So on my knees I went. Sunday my pastor put out the most heartfelt plea for volunteers. And after church—NO ONE volunteered. Not a soul. NOBODY stopped by our table. Really, God? No one? What is up?

So I tossed and turned and tried to figure out what I was going to do on Monday morning! And, as registration began the next day, MORE unregistered kids showed up! My “true peace” level was about zero …when one mom said, “Can you use some extra help? I am just going home. And this looks like FUN!” Then another mom volunteered, and another—until EVERY extra spot I needed was filled. So now I had new moms who would hear the gospel along with their kids—and the helpers I needed! I could almost hear God’s chuckle as He said, “Oh, you of little faith!”

God IS faithful. He WILL always provide, in His time, in His way—and often, with a sense of humor! I never thought of myself as someone who needed more faith. But VBS teaches me every year that a LITTLE more faith means a LOT less stress!

I pray that you have a great week at VBS! If you loved your Gospel Light VBS program, check out our new elementary curriculum for first through fourth grades. It is groundbreaking! It will give you the chance to teach your kids how to find Jesus in every story and on every page of the Bible! This new curriculum will introduce Jesus to the next generation in a compelling and personal way. I would love to tell you more about it!

Serving Christ through you,
Donna Lucas
Publishing Director
Gospel Light /Children’s Ministry Resources
donna.lucas@gospellight.com

For some of you, VBS week is HERE!! The kids are showing up from all over. We had more registrations than we anticipated at our church—Thank You, GOD! It’s exciting and sometimes a little terrifying!

Your Role
What is your highest and best use in directing this VBS?? Are you the “fixer” or the “director”?

The “fixer” kind of director runs around providing supplies or substituting at the last minute. If that’s you, it’s likely that you’re used to doing it all—and maybe you didn’t recruit an assistant! But when you are the “fixer,” you can miss out on an important part of the job—being the “face” of VBS!

It’s powerful for new kids and new families to have some “face time” with one person who has the time to talk with them, answer their questions and make them feel at home. As you meet new families, take time to get to know them. Find out their kids’ names and ages. Welcome them! Tell them about the VBS closing program. Give them information about the church.

This side of the director’s job is often overlooked—but it is important! So, delegate a little more. Give out a few more tasks to one or two people who you know could do those “runaround” jobs well. Then you are freed up to make it a priority to “be the face.”

This year I have delegated more than ever! Now I am free not only to be the “face” of VBS, but also these other important roles:

• Head Cheerleader! Be available to pray with and for volunteers; be the keeper of the flame of enthusiasm. (Make up a goofy cheer for your team and say it softly as you walk by—guaranteed to bring a smile!)
• Flow Analyst. If your assistant is the one to make sure teachers are present and on schedule and to assign substitutes, you are free to roam and look at the overall flow. Where is a kid standing on the sidelines? Who is not being welcomed? Who is the “runner” that needs to be chased down every five minutes? What needs to change to help the volunteers in the snack center stay on schedule? Take notes, make suggestions for ways to solve “flow” problems—because you’re the one who has the time and ability to see them.
• Daily Visitor. Visit each learning area at least once a day. Sit in for a few minutes. Stop to pray silently for the kids and the situations you see!
• Evangelism Encourager! Remind the kids to bring new friends throughout the week—you never know whose life will be changed! Keep evangelism at the front of your volunteers’ minds. Continually offer strategies and words to help volunteers talk about Jesus to the kids.
• The Closer! Stay around for a while after VBS each day. Chat with volunteers. Listen to any problems or concerns—and give them your full attention. Let it be known that you’ll stay until everyone has finished. Follow through on their concerns—and pray with them!

Pray, pray, pray for each volunteer, every child—and let us know how we can pray for you!

Serving Christ through you,
Donna Lucas
Publishing Director
Gospel Light /Children’s Ministry Resources
donna.lucas@gospellight.com

At VBS, we register kids, count them, keep track of them, and keep the momentum of VBS going for the week! It’s great—kids come to Christ, learn Bible verses, have fun! When VBS is over, we tally and tell how many kids came. We rejoice, clean up and then we take vacations—or at least a nap!

For many churches, following up with kids who came to VBS is casual (or maybe it just falls between the cracks and we’re too ashamed to admit it). Of course, GOD is still paying attention—He’s not ever going to forget these kids! He will still work! But sometimes we forget that we could JOIN in that work and share in that blessing!

How much more effective would this year’s VBS be to see it as a launch, a BEGINNING, as the most effective outreach and growth tool our churches hold? One friend, part of a 200-member church, told me that because they hold a VBS-themed Summer Sunday program which begins the Sunday right after VBS, 5 or 6 new families usually come to join in. For a church of that size, that’s significant outreach and growth!

So, think NOW—especially if you have not thought it before—about following up with the family of every kid who is not already part of your church! Each of those kids is not only precious to Jesus but also represents an entire household, full of parents to foster siblings to live-in friends or elderly relatives—all ready to hear the good news!

Do you have a follow-up coordinator? If not, pray! Ask God to bring that person to your mind and to give him or her a vision for the importance of this job. Then be sure your coordinator has all the resources you can provide.

(Download “Understanding Religious Backgrounds” article from Director’s Planning Pack)
(Download “Suggestions for Follow-Up” article from VBS Smart Pages)
(Download “Preparing for Follow-up” article from VBS Smart Pages)

TIPS:

• For some registration coordinators, follow-up is considered to be the other half of their jobs: they already have all the contact information at hand. It’s just a matter of parceling it out! He or she can get that information to the person who had the most contact with each child—a teacher or helper: the person with whom the child had the most contact should do most of the follow up.
• If you haven’t already had training, add a letter like the “Suggestions for Follow-Up” Letter to your training packet. If your teachers and helpers understand the power of following up ahead of time, they’ll see the bigger picture all during VBS week—and will be more effective in following up.
• Schedule at least one summer family event. Include that invitation along with whatever information you send home about the church’s programs.
• Your curriculum provides daily newsletters and invitations to a closing program. Use them! Getting a daily newsletter prepares parents to expect and look for communication from you!
• Be sure that the children’s ministry coordinator and the Sunday School teachers who would likely have contact with VBS visitors also have appropriate contact information.

This year, go beyond sending home information: Invite God to help you gain a vision for what VBS follow-up can do. Ask Him to help you inspire your forces—your coordinators and your teachers—so that children and the families who have been touched by VBS keep on coming back for more of Jesus!

“I am a life that was changed!”
Donna Lucas
Publishing Director
Gospel Light /Children’s Ministry Resources
donna.lucas@gospellight.com

Do you feel like the “VBS pressure” is increasing?

For me, VBS is coming up FAST—less than a month to go. Yikes! Whether you’re scrambling with last-minute details, a sudden lack of volunteers or a surge of kids who’ve registered from out of the blue, it’s time to get refreshed.

REFRESHED? In all of THIS? Yes! Then we’ll be ready to hustle for the finish line!

When the pressure is on, it may seem counterproductive to make extra time with your VBS prayer journal and God’s Word. But as Luther often said, “I have so much work to do today that I cannot get through it with less than three hours of prayer”!

So however much time you take, do take time to go back to the first entry in your VBS prayer journal. Remember how God answered that prayer. Then, keep looking through—and thanking Him for the way He has answered even the requests you haven’t seen the answers to yet!

There is great power in reflecting on God’s word. It shifts our focus and opens us up to letting Him restore our souls! Today, reflect on our Bible verse from Philippians 4:19 “My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” WOW! Not some of our needs—ALL of them! Take a minute to list your needs. Then think of that. It sure takes my frame of mind from panic to power!

So take a refreshment break today! Breathe deeply, look back at the answers to prayer you’ve had already and take a little time to rest. Remember that God is far more interested in the success of this VBS than even you are! Jesus is able to cover every detail as we ASK Him! He wants us to make this summer’s program His effective way to reach children in our towns!

As we all come “down to the wire” and the enemy seems to be sending little darts of difficulty, doubt and harassment, we can respond in one of two ways: We can choose to feel like things are starting to fall apart—or we can choose to remember who is guarding us, and praise Him for His power in the situation. Expect Him to work—and be looking for His answers!

Even while we’re working on last-minute details, we can choose to rest on the inside. For those of you who told us the dates of your VBS, we are praying for your programs—and for your stamina in these last few weeks, too!

Be refreshed, be at rest in your heart even as you “gear up” on the outside!
Jesus is able!

Serving Christ through you,
Donna Lucas
Publishing Director
Gospel Light /Children’s Ministry Resources
donna.lucas@gospellight.com

Many people are kind of addicted to the TV show, “The Biggest Loser.” The premise of the show, of course, is to see which overweight participant can shed the most pounds. With lots of “reality” footage, the audience gets to participate in this very personal process. But for us VBS directors, there is another process that may not be as much fun as the TV show, although it can feel just as personal—losing volunteers! Losing volunteers won’t win you any prizes, unless you’re going for the title of “Stress Meister!” And because these ˜lost volunteers” are likely folks you see every weekend, it can be hard to handle your own reactions when you see them on the patio after church!

So even if you are not currently experiencing the VBS version of “Biggest Loser,” it’s good to think about these realities before you DO feel like a loser when a key VBS volunteer texts you with this message: “Going to Costa Rica @ week of VBS—so sorry, big change of plans…”

The FIRST thing—before you return the text or anything else, is to take your feelings (and your possible desire to yell at this person) right to Jesus! Never forget that it is completely SAFE to tell God JUST how you feel! He is willing to listen to your feelings and big enough to take your frustration and sense of betrayal. Take some time to pray—seriously—before you do anything else!

The second thing is to remember that God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus! (Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to put that VBS song on “repeat” in your iPod for a while!) He is completely able to take care of this situation. Some volunteers will discover conflicts along the way—and you need to remember that God knew they were going to “flake” long before they did. He is always up to something for your good and His glory—so don’t take it personally. And remember, this is also an opportunity! Invite God to show you who He wants to replace the person who has dropped out. God has been preparing someone for this position and it may be an adventure of faith that not only changes that person’s life, but also has a positive impact on others. Let Him prove to you that He can do extraordinary things!

The third thing to do is to stay in touch with your team leaders as often as possible. Just check in with them to be sure you are aware of how things are going with the folks on their teams. And then encourage each of them to cultivate some folks for backup. After all, people do get sick, have family crises, accidents and surprising developments (like going to Costa Rica)! It’s best if you and your team leaders are aware and keeping the lines of communication open. After all, these sorts of things also give you the chance to model that calm trust in Jesus we all need whenever when volunteers drop out or crises arise!

Ask God for a right focus and right heart attitude. Rest in Jesus’ great promises! Instead of letting a situation make you feel like a heavy contestant at the beginning of the Biggest Loser (“This is too hard, I can’t do it, there is way more work here than I think I can do!”)—resist those lies of the enemy! Invite God to transform the situation into another “glory story” of how He provided.

Believe for yourself every promise you’ll be teaching to kids at VBS! God is able!

Serving Christ through you,
Donna Lucas
Publishing Director
Gospel Light /Children’s Ministry Resources
donna.lucas@gospellight.com

VBS starts at my church in just seven weeks! My heart’s beating a little faster with anticipation—but these last few weeks get so crowded with a millions details! Sometimes I have to stop and remind myself, Wait. Part of VBS is about connecting in a real way with parents of new VBS kids. How am I going to DO that?

Let’s face it—with most parents at work all day, we rely more and more on our middle school and high school youth to help us lead Vacation Bible School. As the mother of middle and high schoolers, my girls couldn’t wait for 6th grade so they could be helpers at VBS. But we all know there are some pitfalls to getting teens to really be helpers. But they have marvelous energy—and goofiness, and the ability to connect with younger kids! SO, regardless of your previous experience, let me encourage you with some thoughts and tips!

Five Great Reasons for Teen Helpers:

1. Younger kids love teen helpers! They readily admire and eagerly follow teen helpers’ guidance.
2. Teen helpers model to younger kids that the natural progression of following Jesus is to grow up in Him and become helpers themselves!
3. Teen helpers’ energy and enthusiasm encourage adults—and they are willing to run after those little Straying Sammies again and again!
4. Teens gain valuable ministry experience, gain new skills and opportunities for great spiritual growth.
5. VBS becomes an intergenerational experience—adults, youth and kids are all involved in learning together.

Five Great Tips to Get Great Teen Helpers!

1. Choose a Youth Coordinator. (See Job Descriptions in the Director’s Planning Guide.) This person should know your church’s teens and will help you choose the best teens for each job.
2. Define the requirements. Within your church’s youth programs and child-safety policies, set standards to follow for each youth position.
3. Create a contract. Outline time commitments, spiritual and attitudinal requirements and job responsibilities. Have teens and their parents sign it.
4. Train adequately. Remember that teens’ veneer of sophistication is just that. They don’t know what they don’t know! Describe the details of what you expect them to do. Provide each one with a Volunteer Pocket Guide and help them become familiar with it.
5. Give teens a vision for ministry! Challenge them to go beyond playing with kids or preparing snacks. Show them how to talk with and pray with younger kids; give them words (and redirect them to the Volunteer Pocket Guide as a reference!).

Summer Teen Bonus!

If you see that your teens have caught the vision, have gained skills and have risen to a ministry level during VBS, keep it going!

Pack up your decorations and leftover materials and send the teens on the road! Teams of teens can bring VBS to backyards or community centers in areas where kids wouldn’t normally get a chance to attend VBS. Your teens will gain valuable ministry experience, more kids will join God’s family—and boom! You have an instant short-term “staycation” missions trip and teens get to see God at work!

So unless 50 of your dads turn out for VBS, know that with a little forethought, you can use the youth of your church in BIG ways for GOD!

Serving Christ through you,
Donna Lucas
Publishing Director
Gospel Light /Children’s Ministry Resources
donna.lucas@gospellight.com