Lead Well

Thinking outside the box.  Just because of who I am, I frequently don't think outside the box, and when new things are mentioned I have to make them fit into my box.  If you are like me thinking creatively does not come naturally.  It is a daily practice.  One thing I have learned through this process is to bring people into your organization and life that can think outside the box for you.  Someone with fresh eyes and fresh ideas.  They may be able to suggest things that you never considered.  This VBS go around try to do something outside of the norm.  Something that will wow your participants and your volunteers.  It is sure to go a long way towards bringing them back.

I know it has been a long time since my last post, but I was planning and executing the topic of this post.  A new addition to my VBS planning is a seemingly unrelated preliminary event.  This year I held an Easter Egg Hunt on the front lawn of my church the day before Easter.  I used this event to not only invite people to our church, but also to advertise for VBS.  In addition, every child who came to the event had to fill out a registration form with current address, phone number, and email address.  This provides me with a list to outside of my regular attenders to communicate with about upcoming events, specifically VBS!  I have not seen the effects of this event on my VBS, but I will keep blog about them as I start to see the results. My suggestion is to use any and every event leading up to your VBS to advertise.  This is a captive audience and if they like what they see at the event, they are in they are much more likely to check out the VB...

Why do you want to do a VBS?  Is it because it is what the children's ministry has always done?  or you really like having the VBS? or it makes you feel important? or maybe it is just one more thing the pastor has asked you to do?  There are many reasons to put on a VBS, but the most important reason must be to minister and plant the seeds in the hearts of children in your church and community. Studies show that if a child does not have a Biblical worldview by the age of 8 then the odds of them living a life for Christ gets dismally smaller every year after that.  It is a burden placed upon us as each kid walks through our doors.  It is not our job specifically to disciple or even see the children saved, but God has seen fit to give us the opportunity to plant the seed, water it, or even harvest it.  It is all in His hands.  If your focus is off, I implore you to spend some time in prayer and ask yourself this one question and answer truthfully....

Many ask when do I need to start publicizing my VBS.  High Seas Expedition says to start publicizing 8 weeks prior to your VBS, but I start much earlier.  How early?  My VBS is in July and I introduced it my kids last Sunday.  Nothing major, just a little teaser in the form of the theme song.  I do this for two reasons.  (1) To get the kids excited about the biggest event I do all year, and (2) to start teaching the songs so that when VBS comes the kids can really worship instead of learning 10 new songs in a week. In addition to this teaser, I list a graphic in our newsletter for the months coming and begin talking to station leaders.  This gets the ball rolling and starts to create buzz.  The key is to get not only the kids excited about VBS, but also the parents, teenagers, and other volunteers.  The final step to beginning to publicize is to talk it up.  Word of mouth is your best advertiser.  Mention it in conversations, me...

A couple of weeks ago I spoke about building a team to be successful in your VBS.  I am going to expound on that concept a little today.  It is an awful but very true reality that you cannot do everything and you are not good everything either.  There are just too many jobs out there and too many skills required to accomplish everything that must be done.  This may seem quite obvious, especially if you are doing Group's VBS, which calls for a different leader at each station.  However we still try to do everything that we can and give as little responsibilities to others.  After all VBS is your job.  If I could I would probably try to do it all, but I know that I am not good at everything, so I try to find people who are.  For instance, I have little to no musical ability, which works fine week to week because I have time to improve, but for VBS there is no way.  Therefore, I intentionally recruit people who have strengths in this area an...

If you have looked into running a VBS at all you will soon realize that it is not cheap.  Sure the craft looks cheap at 1.50 per unit, but multiply that by 150 and it is all of a sudden not so cheap.  An additional expense to VBS not including supplies for each class is decorating the main room and each classroom. Last year I made a list of everything I will need for VBS and sent some volunteers on a scavenger hunt.  Keep in mind that this was done 4 months in advance.  I had them go around and label paint, find decorations, and locate supplies.  Just by them looking for what we needed and using what was already available, I was able to save hundreds of dollars. In addition to looking for what your church already owns, make a booth where members can see what you need and provide for you.  Group suggested this to me for Power Lab by making a molecule wall.  Members who helped me during the actual week of VBS or not were able to participate simply by...

A very important part of VBS is the team you're working with.  It is impossible to have a successful VBS without an incredible group of people working around you.  These people bring creativity, ideas, skills, and resources that you could never have imagined.  Sometimes getting people on the team is all about putting them in the right place.  Jim Collins talks about this concept in Good to Great.  He says that building a team is like getting people on a bus.  You may have the right people, but you must get them in the right seat as well. I am reminded of how this concept worked for me.  I had one volunteer who is an incredible organizer, but is also good at crafts.  I originally wanted her to work in crafts, but because of outside circumstances became a regular crew leader.  The next year she said that she would not like to be a crew leader again.  I was worried that I might lose an incredible volunteer so I asked her what she would ...