{"id":185,"date":"2010-02-19T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2010-02-20T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sharefaithblog.wpengine.com\/?p=185"},"modified":"2017-10-09T10:47:07","modified_gmt":"2017-10-09T17:47:07","slug":"ten-questions-to-help-decide-on-a-vbs-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/2010\/02\/ten-questions-to-help-decide-on-a-vbs-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Ten Questions to Help Decide on a VBS Program"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/div>\n

We\u2019ve spent the last two weeks doing a comprehensive overview of some of the most popular VBS programs<\/a>. This summer, thousands of churches will launch programs ranging in variety from high seas adventures to forest treks. Will your church be hosting VBS this summer? In case you haven\u2019t quite decided which program is best for you, consider these ten questions that will help you narrow your focus and determine the right program.<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n1.\u00a0 What is your goal?<\/strong>
\nAt the very basic level, consider what you are trying to achieve through a VBS program? Evangelism? Encouragement? Community relationships? Determining your overall goal will help you decide the program that is best for your church.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0 Who is your audience?<\/strong>
\nWho will be coming to VBS? There is a difference between audience\u2014the kids who will most likely come\u2014and target audience\u2014the kids whom you want to come. If your target audience is widely unchurched kids who will be unfamiliar with biblical truths, this will steer your choice of a program towards something more basic and evangelistic.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0 What is your experience level? <\/strong>
\nNot only should you think about your audience, but you should think about yourself, too. Hosting VBS is a huge administrative role. If you\u2019ve never done it before, it may be smartest to pick a program that will be simpler to plan for.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0 How many kids do you anticipate?<\/strong>
\nSize ought always to be a consideration. In our survey of the most popular programs, we\u2019ve tried to point out which ones are more difficult to adapt for larger or smaller crowds.<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0 How many workers will you have available?<\/strong>
\nVBS isn\u2019t about just inviting a bunch of kids out. It also means recruiting a lot of volunteers. Depending on the number of volunteers, you may need to make strategic adjustments in your planning.<\/p>\n

6.\u00a0 What are your facilities like? <\/strong>
\nNearly any church can creatively plan a great VBS program, regardless of their facilities. However, this is a helpful factor to keep in mind. When planning rotation stations, game time, classroom accommodations, and snack area, realize that some types of programs won\u2019t mesh well with some types of facilities.<\/p>\n

7.\u00a0 What is your budget?<\/strong>
\nA good VBS program is money well spent, but it is still money spent. What is your budget like? Are you able to afford a program that requires ordering a lot of crafts, or will you be able to get away with just creativity and lessons plans?<\/p>\n

8.\u00a0 How much time do you have left for planning?<\/strong>
\nAs your projected VBS date looms nearer, take an honest look at the calendar to count down the days until VBS launches. Do you have time to do all the planning? What about recruiting staff? Ordering materials? Preparing decorations?<\/p>\n

9.\u00a0 What materials do you have from previous years?<\/strong>
\nChurches who have been hosting VBS programs for a long time probably have a great collection of past decorations. Trees from a past jungle theme may work well for this year\u2019s Egyptian theme<\/a>. This isn\u2019t about being lazy . It\u2019s about being smart and creatively using the resources you have.<\/p>\n

10.\u00a0 What sounds like the most fun? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Still having a tough time making a decision? Go for whatever sounds most fun. The kids will enjoy it if you enjoy it. Pick a theme that you think you\u2019ll love getting involved in. You\u2019ll be glad you did.<\/p>\n

For more VBS curriculum packages please visit: Christian Ed Warehouse<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve spent the last two weeks doing a comprehensive overview of some of the most popular VBS programs. This summer, thousands of churches will launch programs ranging in variety from high seas adventures to forest treks. Will your church be hosting VBS this summer? In case you haven\u2019t quite decided which program is best for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[4137,4143,4155],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-185","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-sunday-school-leadership","7":"category-sunday-school-ministry","8":"category-sunday-school-resources"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\nTen Questions to Help Decide on a VBS Program - Sharefaith Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sharefaithblog.wpengine.com\/2010\/02\/ten-questions-to-help-decide-on-a-vbs-program\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ten Questions to Help Decide on a VBS Program - Sharefaith Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"We\u2019ve spent the last two weeks doing a comprehensive overview of some of the most popular VBS programs. 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