Matt Galvan Evangelist

As seen previously, having the most profitable VBS that you can have starts with having the right mentality about the whole program. Church members must see their church’s VBS as Gospel work, not the church’s alternative summer program, and they must see VBS as their church’s team effort to reach the lost. If the church members’ mentality is in the right place, your church’s VBS will be on the right track. Here are a few other quick tips for making your VBS the most profitable that it can be:

1. Have an after-action plan following the Friday night program. I know one church in Michigan where the pastor taught his people that their VBS was three weeks long.

• Week 1: Door knocking and flyer distribution
• Week 2: The actual week of VBS activities
• Week 3: Follow-up, visitation, invitation to church, and signup for the bus

VBS must be seen as the launching pad for the real work of…

• Discipling the kids who made salvation decisions
• Evangelizing the kids who came but did not trust Christ
• Reaching the homes with the Gospel

If your church doesn’t have an after-action plan for the weeks following VBS, I encourage you to make one. Help church members stop asking, “What must go into this?” and start asking, “What will grow out of this?”

2. Include everyone in the VBS work. If you can’t teach, can you assist? If you can’t assist, can you clean? If you can’t clean, can you place door-hangers? If you can’t canvass, can you drive for pickups/drop-offs? If you can’t drive, can you make snacks? If you can’t bake, can you do phone calls? If you can’t do phone calls, can you give money? If you can’t give money, can you pray through the list of workers and attendees?

3. Bring in the right speaker. My dad, who pastored for over 35 years, said, “Just because someone is a missionary doesn’t mean that they are the best speaker for a VBS.” If you bring in a main speaker, be sure he is skilled at preaching/teaching children as well as skilled at Gospel invitations for children.

4. Have everyone pursue one. Once the VBS is over, a church body can be overwhelmed seeing all the attendance and decision cards and think, “We’ll never get all of these kids to come back.” They’re probably right. But every family unit can seek to bring one. Have every family unit choose one child and pursue him/her and his/her family. Pray for them. Invite them to church. Ask them to sit with you. Visit their home. Ask them to dinner at your house or a restaurant. Give them gifts. Be their ride to church. The numbers are much less intimidating when everyone pursues one.

More could be said, but start with these principles included in your church’s summer youth outreach. We’re all included in the local church’s Great Commission, so let’s pull together to make this summer’s VBS as profitable as can be!

mattdgalvan@gmail.com