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Missions Discipleship

VBS: Very Big Suggestion

May 4, 2022 /

Is your church hosting a Vacation Bible School (VBS) this summer? Whatever curriculum and theme you use, whether you do traditional VBS or a variation, you have a great opportunity to be on mission and jump-start missions discipleship.

VBS and Backyard Bible Club are great ways for churches to get people outside the doors of their church and into their community to share the gospel. However, don’t forget that as you are reaching the lost children in your own community, VBS can also be a great way to introduce or reinforce missions discipleship in your church.

Look Closely at VBS Curriculum

Some VBS curriculum includes a missions rotation in their materials. Make sure that this rotation is an important part of what you are doing this week! Even if your church is not using a curriculum with a missions rotation, you can still include a missions segment in your teaching time.

Some ideas:

  • Use a portion of Missions Journey: Kids material for a brief 20-minute rotation. Tell a mission story, play a game, or do an activity that emphasizes or highlights your missions focus area.
  • Use the VBS missions rotation material (you can use the activity and stories even if you do a different theme). Lifeway’s VBS material usually uses International Mission Board and North American Mission Board video segments with games and activities to highlight the emphasis each day.
  • Make a missions project your “competition,” along with penny-wars or other VBS offering plans. One suggestion is to put together hygiene bags for a local shelter by having children see who can bring the most items each night (soap on Monday night, deodorant on Tuesday night, etc.)
Don’t Forget! 

You can also think of VBS as a way to be on mission. For years, VBS has statistically been an effective tool in bringing children into a relationship with Christ. If you have always had a traditional-style VBS, consider hosting an additional Backyard Bible Club. This can provide a great open door to the neighborhoods surrounding your church for families who may never otherwise walk into your church building.

Jump-Start Missions Discipleship

Having the chance to share a mission story or a missionary testimony in this different environment may be a great way to jump-start missions discipleship in your church. Vacation Bible School could be a kickoff to reignite your Wednesday night programming in the fall.

Using VBS to share mission stories is an amazing way to reach your community for Christ. We are praying that the kids who come to your VBS this summer hear God’s love for the world and get excited about missions!