Prepping for Next Year's VBS Before This Year

The best piece of VBS advice you can get is to start preparing for next year now. This episode gives you 7 tips you can start doing today to prepare for next year's VBS. From decor to prepping for advertising and next year's recruitment, this episode will save you time and energy, setting up next year's VBS for success. 

#VBS #answersvbs #kidminhuddle #kingdomwork #vbsisdiscipleship

Transcript

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Welcome to the Kidman Huddle with Amber Pike, where children as ministry leaders get equipped, encouraged, and empowered to disciple with intentionality, growing God's kingdom one child at a time.

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Welcome back to the Kidman Huddle. It is summertime, which means it is time for my favorite time of the year, VBS time. I love VBS so much. I have so many memories of going to VBS as a kid. My mom was the director, and really, though I was just having fun at VBS, God was equipping me at a young age to be a children's minister, and I didn't know it. My mom was in charge, and she had the mentality that If I've signed up for it, you've signed up for it too. And so she would give me tasks and charge me to do stuff without micromanaging and just let me figure it out, which I complained about for sure. But God was equipping me to be a VBS leader. I don't even know what number of summer VBS I'm leading at this point. I was called into ministry at VBS. Man, I have such a passion for VBS. I am blessed. Little known fact about me, unless you really know me, you might not know that I'm actually a contract writer for Answers in Genesis VBS. I started back with Camp Kilimanjaro, which was about 12-ish years ago. So if you are an Answers in Genesis user, which I highly recommend you are, I think it is the best VBS I've the market. You might have read some stuff that I've done. If you go to their VBS training event at the ARC, I've been doing that. I think my first one was Operation Arctic in which I was very pregnant. I had big bellies with my babies and ocean commotion. Maybe I was at that one. Maybe I was at that one before. I do remember because I had a really big t-shirt for Operation Arctic because I was pregnant at that training meeting, but I love VBS and I hope you do too. So after years and years and years of leading VBS, of writing VBSs, I don't really know what the plural of VBS is. I think it's just VBSs. My best tip for you is to start preparing for next year's VBS well before this year's happens. I know that seems a little counterproductive. Like, how are we doing that? But that is my absolute best tip for you. And yes, that's not the end of the podcast. That would be a very disappointing episode if I just stopped there. I'm going to break down with seven points for you on how you can prepare for next year's VBS before this year's has even happened. Now, if you're one of those early birds, good for you. So these can still be used. But honestly, while you're planning the current year's VBS... So for right now, while I'm still in the planning stage of 2025's VBS, I'm already thinking ahead to 2026. And I encourage you to do the same. Six tips for you. One, plan your decoration for next year. Now I, unlike you guys, I get to know the theme in advance. So in January, I know the following year's theme. So when I'm picking my decorations, I'm thinking what can be multi-purposed. But you guys can still do the same even if you don't know the theme yet. Now, Answers in Genesis, every year we'll make a blog about here are some pieces from this year's VBS you should save or can repurpose for next year. How do I know this? I write that blog post. But there are some general things that you can just kind of follow from year to year. If you think about all the VBS themes that you've had over your lifetime, There's a lot of repetition, right? There are a lot of places, BBSs that are set in a jungle scene. So there are things like that that are kind of general decor pieces that you can and should be saving. When you're thinking of filling in maybe that missing spot on your stage or that like random corner that you have that always needs something in a hallway, think about, well, what can I get multi-use out of? What can I get double duty out of? And I'll give you a couple of like really practicals. I don't buy like the big scene setters that come with the VBS. I make my own backdrop as just a cost-saving thing. And I use blue photo backdrop fabric and I decorate it every year because most places are going to have a sky. So I've got blue sky and then I decorate with that. I have a lot of plants that I've made out of cardboard. I love doing cardboard. Check my YouTube. I think I have some on there. If not, message me. I'll give you some that I've done for Answers in Genesis, link you to theirs, about painting with cardboard and making an impact with it. I reuse my cardboard. I don't have it now. He got left at my last church, I believe, at a three-legged giraffe who made a lot of appearances, even with three legs. He lost one at some point. He'd been in so many VBSs. So think about the things that you can use over and over again. Plants. There are plants at so many places. Rocks. Paper mache rocks. This year, my VBS is in the Old West. And next year, it's set in Farm, Ireland. There's going to be some rocks in both places. Those greenery filler plants. things, such multipurpose. You can use it for the cool plants living under the ocean or in the jungle or on your farm or wherever. You will usually be able to, at least every other year, there's going to be some plants that you can use. And then think about multipurposing what you do have, using the backs of it, how you can tweak it slightly. I'll give you my favorite example was the year that we did the Incredible Race and It was Tower of Babel themed. So I built a big ziggurat. I had some big cardboard, but I didn't have big enough cardboard. So I staged it and I had the top part of my ziggurat, two pieces, and it was sitting up on a level. And then I had the bottom piece down on the bottom. So that gave me an extra couple feet height. Well, I don't want to get rid of it. That's some good cardboard. And the following year was going to be Mystery Island where we had a volcano. So I turned around my ziggurat, painted the back of it and turned it into a volcano. So that big piece got multi-use. Now there are going to be things that you are going to get one year out of and that's it. I built one year the face from Easter Island. I called him Stoney because I name all my cardboard people. I think he got one year. Maybe I was able to like work him into a second year. There are sometimes things are just going to be very unique. Now, another year, I built a six-foot-tall dragon head. Oh, go check out my stuff. It's really cool. I know I've got a picture of it somewhere. His name was Daryl, Daryl the Dragon, and he overlooked the keep of VBS, and he was so cool. I couldn't take him with me when I left because where do you store a six-foot-tall dragon head? It was just his head in my basement. But you better believe I would have found a way to put him in other VBSs because he was so cool. But think about what can you repurpose? How can you paint on the backs of stuff? I had a lot of just kind of... forms. So they had been Arctic ice caps or desert dunes or sandy hills. Those location pieces, those accessories, those greenery, those setting, can you paint on the back of them? You will get multi-purpose and this is saving you time, money, being a good steward of your resources, helping to make a bang because I have just found the more layers that I have in my stage decoration and my hallway setup. It just draws kids in more. So I like to have a lot of scenes and depth to my scenes instead of just one thing and a little thing. I want to have depth. So I layer it. I fill in with a lot of greenery, a lot of plants, a lot of rocks, hills, that sort of stuff. So that's one. Plan your decor for double duty. Tip number two. As you're ordering and you've got how much you order, keep a record. Keep a record of what you order supply-wise versus how many are used. We want to be good stewards of the resources we have, and we also don't want to run out. There is no way that you can perfectly know how many kids are attending your vacation Bible school. But keeping a count and a record from year to year of what was ordered and what was used is going to help you get those numbers better. So if you're ordering the VBS stuff, right? So like the bookmarks that have the Bible verse on it. All right, well, last year I had... 72 kids. So I needed, I don't know, eight packs of bookmarks. Well, I'm going to plan for growth for next year because we use all those up. So I'm going to order 10 packs this year and let's see if I have any left. If I overordered, underordered, this is going to help you in all areas with the stuff that you're ordering in, the extras, seats, enough food. Man, we really overordered on day four because there was always a local whatever and the kids aren't there. We don't wanna have too much, we don't wanna have not enough. So keeping an accurate count and record is going to be super handy, but you gotta also remember where you put it. So I would have a special VBS binder and that had my counts. Okay, I ordered this many, I used this many, this many's leftover, or we were this many short. And then, you know, there are lots of Facebook groups for the different themes. If you're using a publisher's theme where you can bless another church with it, Sometimes you can return it back to the publishing company if it's unopened instead of just sitting in your office or getting thrown away. But we want to try to hit that sweet zone of just right when it comes to the stuff that we're using. Use that record when you're ordering and when you're planning. Number three, this should go without saying, but I'm going to say it again just in case. Make sure you're doing a good job capturing all that registration info, that contact info, and then you're going to use it. So here's what I would do. They fill out the registration form. I would have paper for you come day of. And I had digital using the digital check-in thing. I then would take at the end of EBS and I input it into a database. Just use a Microsoft Excel. Put the info in there. Try to have a chart to where... a system where you can take kids off who have aged out of the program. Because if you're mailing like a 22 year old, a VBS postcard, you're wasting resources again. So make sure you're taking kids off as they age out of your program. But then I would go and they would get the follow up from VBS postcard. Thank you so much for coming. We hope you had a great week. Hey, by the way, don't you know that we have services at this time, this time, or maybe I'm inviting them back to a key event. Hey, in August, we're having a back to school bash. We would love for you to join us. You can totally use this database of contact info throughout the year when you have special events going on, but you definitely want to use it for VBS. If they went to your VBS and they liked your VBS, chances are they want to come again. So I would start in January doing a save the date postcard with the group picture that I took at VBS or some sort of a collage of pictures because kids really like it when they get mail and they're on the mail. So I would always make my January save the date postcard sometimes February if I was running behind and it would have pictures from the previous year's VBS. So homemade in Canva, print it, mail it out, use that database to print my labels. So I'm not hand addressing all of that. I literally have like typed instructions on how to do it because I'd always forget and then send it out. And then I would do a couple months before do another. Hey, have you registered yet? Postcard. But if we're not intentional getting that mailing address, you can't use postcards. Emails, you can do those too. You know, use your email system and put them in there. I never use emails because my parents just didn't respond to them. They wouldn't read them. So I was queen of the snail mail. But make sure you're capturing that contact info in advance so that you can then take it and use it for promotion invitation purposes. Number four, I have a hot pink card. This is not the tip. This is the story leading up to the tip. I have a hot pink clipboard that goes around with me during VBS. Why? Because I take a note. This is the tip. Take notes of what works and what doesn't while they are happening. We have the best intentions of sitting down and debriefing after VBS. Okay, team, what was great? you're likely going to forget stuff because you are running in 7,000 different directions. So I keep a notebook with me so I don't lose the paper. Maybe you are taking notes in your phone as you're going around taking pictures. What is working? What's not working? So you're looking and you're going around and making sure, you know, everything's going good and you see that preschool classroom is way full. It is so full, it is uncomfortable. So next year we need to relocate them and they need a bigger room. Or, oh my gosh, these kids loved this song. We need to make sure we do that. This snack. They love this snack. Okay, we got to have this. Or, ooh, this snack was a fail. Let's make sure we never replicate this. We way overordered in this. This craft wasn't working. We need to work a little more here. This is just going to be an invaluable resource. You're going to think of things like, I better make sure I triple order the amount of tape that I think I need because we ran out and we are using tape that now doesn't stick the posters on the wall. Make your list while you're going through. It doesn't have to be organized. It can be messy. It can be chicken scratch. That's my handwriting if you're watching this. Can you even read my writing? It's messy. That's fine. After VBS then, you take that list and you organize it. Put it in categories. So recreation, crafts, games, prep, decor, promotion. whatever, get the input from your key leaders, make your list, which is then your stepping stones, your starting point for planning next year. All right, what do we need to change? What went so great? Trust me, next year's you will thank last year's you for having this list. Tip number five, your volunteer recruitment starts then during VBS as you are sharing the wins while they're happening. PBS is wonderful and you can likely always, always, always use more hands. So instead of waiting until next year to start your recruiting when it's time to start recruiting, start now by sharing the wins. Maybe this is your church's social media page and you're sharing not just look how fun the kids are having, but you're sharing, man, look at God's truths being poured into these kids. This is maybe a personal pet peeve of mine. When leaders go up there and they share either VBS or camp or events, whatever, about how fun it was. We had so much fun. The kids loved it. That should go without saying. When you are getting a chance to share about something amazing like VBS, don't just say we had fun. It was a good week. Share about the spiritual wins that were happening. Because that is what is going to move someone to want to volunteer. They can have fun anywhere. They can go to McDonald's and have fun. Although near us, there's no play places. So maybe not McDonald's anymore. But you get what I'm saying. We want to share about the spiritual wins. Hey, this week, our boys and girls hid five key verses of God's word in their heart. Man, when four-year-olds are leading prayer before snack time, you have never heard a sweeter sound. What are those really great wins? Those kingdom wins that you can share about? Share them on social media with pictures. Man, we do like to see kids having fun, but let's talk about what they were learning that week while they were having fun. And then if you do like a VBS Sunday, maybe that's just a Baptist thing. I don't know. But the Sunday following VBS, if you get a chance to do a recap, share those wins. We raised this much money for XYZ mission, which goes to do blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. We had this many kids who had an amazing week at VBS as they learned dot, dot, dot, dot, dot. Have kids come and share the Bible verse, sing the songs, do the things to show what a kingdom impacting week that VBS was. Because then when you get to recruiting time next year, hey, we had blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, who learned blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Use that as your recruitment piece, not the desperation right before we need help. You want to be part of a winning team, right? So me as a church member, I want to be part of a kingdom growing, eternity shaping, wonderful event. I remember hearing about that one last year and it was awesome. I want to be part of that. Recruitment starts now, people. All right, two more. Number six. Form connections with parents. Now, you should be doing this with your regular church parents. So this one, I'm specifically talking about the visiting parents. That's right. More things in your to-do list on VBS week. But when they are dropping off, take some time and talk with them. When they're picking up, schedule it to where you or maybe a couple of leaders on your team are there at the door at drop-off, pick-off, making connections. Now, obviously, since I'm small church, I have been able to do this myself. At the previous church I was at, I did 10 VBSs there. So I had a lot of time to build relationships with these parents who would come just for VBS, but every year. So they would come back in and I would be like, Hey, Angela. Hey, Jackson. Hey, Cooper. And they would be so excited, man. If you remember their kids' names, moms are like, But if you remember their names, if you talk with them, I remember there was one mom who they had come for years. The older two had aged out. I still had the littles come into VBS and the, one of the big sisters came to drop off. And I just, I used her name. I'm like, Hey Maddie, it's good to see you. I hate that you're too old for VBS. Something like that. And mom sent me a message on Facebook because I will totally go and friend these moms on Facebook. And she's like, you have no idea how much that meant. You remembered her name. You talked to her. That was huge. She's going through some stuff. Form some connections with these parents. They might not become new members of your church. It might just be that they are a VBS family, but you were able to pour into them during VBS. That's huge. You're able to disciple their kids, and that comes with relationship. So why does that matter? Well, let's put it this way. Maybe there are two VBSs happening at the same time. I know that never happens, right? Coordinate with your town, by the way. Maybe you don't have them all the same week. That parent is likely going to choose the VBS that they have connections with. It is important. Relationships matter. Maybe that parent who just knows you from VBS, when they're dealing with something, maybe they're going to reach out to you. Hey, do you have any suggestions for this? So-and-so just really loves you. Do you blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Take time to form those connections. That little simple step of talking to them. They're not just a check-in person. They're not just a kid dropper offer. They are a parent who is worthy of a few seconds of your time. Drop off, pick up. Maybe that's a job that someone has. Maybe this is a job of a senior church member who's maybe a little less mobile. Can you park them at the door and they're a greeter? I've told this story. If you've attended my BBS workshop at Answers in Genesis, that is your first line of welcome is your parking lot attendant or your street crossing guard. The first person that your kids see. They need to be friendly. They need to be welcoming. In my last church, we had a man who was late 70s, maybe 80s. He's a super tall guy. And he was there every single year. Like that was his job. He was like road safety. We had a... our parking lot, and then it was a road to cross to us. So he wanted to make sure that no kids were going to be harmed. So he would make sure it was safe for kids to cross. Not that this was, you know, huge and heavy crossing with lots of traffic, but we took the steps. So he was the first welcomer that our kids saw. And that wasn't what he thought the job was, but it was. He was the first greeter that they saw. And he was a warm, smiling face. And he was so good about remembering their names or remembering them from last year and greeting the parents. They loved Mr. Rowland. So think about that. Who's welcoming? Who's greeting? This is a connection point. Even if it's just someone making sure nobody gets hit by a car as they cross across the road. That's a connection opportunity that makes a difference. All right, my last tip for you. Before you're finished with this year, we're not even close to next year's VBS yet. As you wrap up, as you are finishing up with stuff, make sure you sort, label, and store. I get very tired of VBS. It's a lot, right? And then there's all this stuff, decorations that have to be torn down and things that need to be put back away. And I'm absolutely guilty of leaving it all in a big pile to deal with later. And I just assume I prefer to deal with it myself because I have a system and I want to sort and label and store it my way to where I know where it is, what it is. Sometimes it takes me a little bit longer. That's okay. So as I'm going through this stuff, I separate all of my kit specific things. If I'm not keeping it, If it's the VBS theme for this year for as it's Wonder Junction. So all my Wonder Junction stuff is going to go back in that box. If I can find a church to bless with it, I will. It's getting harder to find churches that want to do the previous year's theme. But if that's you, there are so many churches who have tons of stuff that are just waiting for a church near them to want to take it. So I sort all that together. Then I'm pulling out my things that I'm going to save. So last year we did... I don't even remember the name of the theme last year. It was good. Whatever that theme was. It was jungly. So I have one box of just jungle vines. I've got a box of brown jungle vines because we spend some time twisting those vines. And I've got the tablecloth ones. I've got it there. I've got a shelving unit with extra craft things. We had the science experiment stuff. So it's labeled. It's stored. I've got a box of felt pieces. You know, whatever. Label and store them. That way, when next year comes, because you don't, you've not seen the kits yet for next year, you don't know exactly what you're going to need, you can go and be like, here's my box of science decorations. Got it. Oh, it's this theme. Yes, I've got this here. So get you some shelves from Costco or Sam's. Those big industrial shelves. Get the tubs with the lids. I like the clear ones so I can see what's inside. And I put a label on it and I write, these are lab coats. These are Hawaiian leis. Grass skirts. butterflies, whatever it is, store it. Now, if you were to look in my last church, I'm currently building one at my new church, but my last church, I had 10 years of stuff. I had a huge room full of stuff and I was about ready to need to make a second row of shelves because I don't like to get rid of stuff because I know I'm going to reuse it. I am a reuser. I have some of the same decoration pieces that have been in so many VBSs. I wear the same costume pieces and VBSs and we play games and we use the things. Trust me, the things that are good in quality that you want to reuse, keep them, label them, store them away in a way that you can find them. Maybe if you have a really big church, maybe you need to make a list. Maybe there's a team of people planning things. Here's a list of all the decoration pieces that we have. However, you need to keep yourself organized. This is going to set you up for success next year because man, doesn't it stink when you're like, I know I have this. Like I remember buying blue translucent fabric. I know this is somewhere, but I can't find it. So I guess maybe I'm just crazy and you order it and then you find it. If you've kept yourself organized, you're going to save your church money. You're going to save time, resources, all of that. And that's what we want to do. We do. We like this stuff, right? VBS, we like this stuff. I have so much stuff for VBS. It makes it more fun. It draws kids in. It makes it this exciting week that they're immersed in God's word. But we want to be good stewards. We want to be good stewards of our time, our money, our resources, not overbuying. So there you go. Seven ways to that you can start preparing for next year's VBS before you're even done for this year's. I hope you are having a wonderful VBS season. I hope next year you're already thinking and those wheels are turning. I'm a month and a half away from VBS and I've already started thinking about next year, even though I'm not done with this year. That's okay. I hope you are too. Hey, if you have VBS questions, hit me up. I love to talk VBS. I love VBS. My goal is to be a professional VBSer. VBS, I think, is a wonderful, wonderful event. But remember, the purpose of VBS? It's discipleship. Maybe you live in a place where you gain a lot of church members to your church from VBS. Awesome. But I think across the board, we can all agree it is not just a week of fun. It's not just a week of silliness. It is definitely not a week full of babysitting. VBS is a week of discipleship opportunities. So we need to do our best to make it as awesome as it can be as we pour into those kids with the love of Jesus and we help give them a foundation built on his word. And remember, Kidman leaders, what you do matters.