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Posted: 15 October 2008 at 10:10am | IP Logged

Eric,

Thanks for doing this: Very cool!

Posted: 15 October 2008 at 1:49pm | IP Logged

Wow!  Thanks ERic, this is very, very cool and ever so handy!

I use Group because my volunteers are mainly youth, and with group you don't need a lot of adult volunteers to run the program.

I also like the creativity in the Bible story/point teaching time.

Posted: 15 October 2008 at 1:52pm | IP Logged

This August was the first time I did an actual "VBS" as CP.  I opted for the Veggie Tales (have to admit, mostly cuz I love pirates!) and since August had 5 Sundays, I chose to hold it on the Sundays rather than the typical 5 straight days. 

Anyway, being my first official VBS - I didn't see the wrong in paying the almost $200 for the starter kit.  I previewed it quickly and thought, yeah, I can do this.....but then when I cracked open the books and realized there were 10 books to read over - overwhelmingness engulfed me!  Then as I started making my shopping list of all the needs - cha-ching, cha-ching!! 

My question is why can't they post a list of all the materials needed or at least the approximate costs when they release other details?? 

Posted: 15 October 2008 at 2:21pm | IP Logged

We actually run our VBS as part of our summer day camp program.  It runs for ten weeks so we usually end up doing 5 2-week sessions with one VBS run in the morning, lunch, then afternoon activities.  If we ran it the way these VBS are planned we would be broke and in the same shape the banks are asking money from the government   As pastor4kids mentione it can be very expensive once you run through their complete list of supplies andmaterial.  So we have learned to modify everything and look for alternatives.  Oriental Trading and similar places are great for the crafts and materials.  The cost per activity per child is kept at .50 to $1.50.

Last year I did something new and did not run any VBS material at all.  Since they only have five days worth of material (with limited exception) and we always have to supplement material, I decided to do an ELEVATE THEME SUMMER.  I took the first year of Elevate material (which we ran during the school year on Sunday in Kids Church) and modified it for VBS.  With 8 lessons each session it worked out great, because it gave me 1 final review which I put together and 1 day for a field trip - so 10 days.  I had the big map of the areas and the kids loved all the different adventures.  Only bad point was we only have 5 sessions and there was 7 area.  we had to skip two and the kids kept asking about them.  I am working (when I have some free time) on putting what we used on this site for others to try.  If you are interested I can send you some of the material in its rough draft form and you can look over it.

We did this as a cost saving measure.  We actually spent less this year than any of our previous years because the curriculum, most of the scenery and supplies were purchased during the year for Kid's Church and we just reused it.

Since most of the kids in summer day Camp are different from our Kid's Church group we never had the "I did this before" thing.

Posted: 15 October 2008 at 3:40pm | IP Logged

Here is a question for all you VBS folks.  I am looking into alternatives for our Summer Day Camp next year.  A thought came to me to look into taking our group to other churches to share in their VBS.  So here is my question for you:

If you are planning a VBS at your church how do you feel about another church joining you for VBS, we have about 40-60 kids.  What do you think would be a fair rate or assistance to help you out with it?

Posted: 16 October 2008 at 7:28am | IP Logged

Scott, I live in a small village, which stradles the Indiana/Ohio border.  Our population is under 2000 and we boast 5 churches.  Seven years ago all of our churches came to a decision about VBS - 1 community - 1 vbs.  We have one person from each church on the vbs committee.  In our seven years of being united, we've added 3 (or 4) churches from the surrounding countryside.  Cost is divided by church size.  The success of our community vbs has been remarkable.  God has always provided & I could write a novel on His work throughout.  We don't hold vbs in a church; it's held at our village park.  Which church location was met with some trepidation - this is why we chose the park.  It was God's will that it be held there, as most of the children who attend vbs are the ones who do not attend church anywhere.  It's also given our vbs workers the opportunity to get to know those children's families better.  (I have tears as I'm typing this) I want to encourage you to explore the opportunity to bond vbs with another church, because great and beautiful things will happen. 

Posted: 16 October 2008 at 8:33am | IP Logged

Scott,

My email address is crossbr@muohio.edu.  Send as many emails as needed.

Posted: 16 October 2008 at 3:50pm | IP Logged

Scott

You might be interested in the way South Pasadena, CA does their VBS. It is a "whole city" vbs with churches all participating in it.  I don't remember the name of the church but if you googled "south pasadena, ca" and "congregational church" you'll find the main church where it was always located.  The set up looked pretty straight forward

Dinner time (a church sponsored the meal each night M-f)

Kids went to their classes or events

Parents went to a simultaneous class/event of their own

The year I was there the kids/families did a habitat for humanity type program and built an actual play house which was auctioned off and money went to habitat.  Nice concept.  Our church had no participants but we did take dinner over the night we were scheduled.  Our church at the time (I don't know if it is that way now) was not very into VBS or anything outreach oriented.  I think it's changed now that the SP/Rector has really whipped things into shape...

Just a thought.

Jeanette

Posted: 17 October 2008 at 8:05am | IP Logged

Scott - Breaking down the cost of a multi-church vbs is actually quite easy.  Our community vbs reps begin meeting six months prior to the event.  Our first meeting is usually picking curriculum and distributing information to leaders (Bible story, crafts, games, snacks, etc.) & setting each area's budget.  By the time the third year rolls around, your meetings will be about 15 minutes long.  It will be a fine art.

At the next meeting our snack leader brings in a list of the daily snacks & those supplies needed.  Each church is given a snack to provide (smaller churches provide the more cost friendly snack, etc.).  That church brings the prepared snack that day of vbs.

Crafts is another story.  Our craft leader submits an estimate of the total cost.  The cost is divided by church size and a check is issued to the craft leader.  It's easier for the craft leader to purchase everything in bulk and get exactly the items needed. 

Games - we've had the same great game leader every year.  He stores the items he uses in his garage.  So, if he needs something new (pool noodles, balls, whatever), he gives the list at a vbs committee meeting and those items are distributed between the churches to purchase. 

Bible story / Curriculum - we've found that being an outdoor vbs lends itself to different circumstances than an indoor one.  We haven't purchased the student take home pages (fliers / books / pamphlets) in years.  The kids haven't missed them.  We've made it a point to reiterate the daily VBS point in the different stations.  The kids get it and do retain it.  The money we save on curriculum is used to purchase t-shirts for the kids.  We buy the transfers and then a bulk amount of t's and have a local provider apply the transfers to the shirts (cheaper than purchasing the already made ones).

Our outdoor community vbs has given us one very unexpected, yet delightful dilemma - youth volunteers.  Each year our youth volunteers have doubled.  95% of these youth are unchurched.  But, you can literally see the gears in their hearts and minds searching / crying for what God has happening here.   They are so eager and pleased to serve the Lord.  Next year we're going to have a day for just the youth workers with a gospel "rock" band and carnival games and eats. 

Posted: 20 October 2008 at 12:10pm | IP Logged

We will use Lifeway's Boomerang Express this year.  We use Lifeway for VBS only.  They can be a little too "SBC" for us but they put together a great VBS.  Last year was my first VBS and it was a great experience for me and our leaders.  I'm definitely looking forward to it again, we will start recruiting our workers in January.

I also like Lifeway because they offer the online VBS tools, which allows you to do online registration even if you're not too computer-savvy.

Posted: 20 October 2008 at 9:19pm | IP Logged

Hi,

  I'm having trouble viewing the list..it's soooooo small.  But, what I'd like to see on the list is what version of the Bible that each VBS is compatible with. (You guys will probably get sick of me harping on this subject).  Our church uses KJV and it's hard to find KJV compatible materials.

Heidi Williams

Hope Baptist Church

Posted: 21 October 2008 at 4:01pm | IP Logged

Pastor Eric,

   I hadn't thought of not purchasing the books..that's one idea.  But if any song lyrics are bible verses and not King James or if the material in the teaching kit is not King James I'm not supposed to use it.   However, if the statement of faith of any given company matches up with ours, my pastor has allowed me to purchase the curriculum and then go through it with a black marker and mark out the non-KJV verses.  But...I'm gonna keep that 'not buy the books' thing in mind.  Might solve a lot of problems.  Thanks for the insight.

Heidi