Evangelistic VBS in a smaller membership church

I just posted a new article in the Pastor's area of LifeWay.com on Tuesday. It was written by our new director of Pastoral Ministries and Church Consulting at LifeWay, Dan Garland. I wanted to make sure you saw it.

Dan Garland believes that Vacation Bible School (VBS) is one of the most effective ways* to fulfill Jesus’ call to, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14). Dan says that the most important part of VBS is not cookies and crafts, but rather the built-in evangelistic opportunities to do the following:
  • Build relationships with children who need Christ.
  • Present the gospel in terms and ways children will understand.
  • Provide a fun time where children will feel good about God and the church.
As many as one fourth of all baptisms in Southern Baptist churches can be tied directly to VBS conversion experiences. In a 2003 study by the Barna Group, data from churches showed the probability of someone accepting Christ after age 12 dramatically drops. (George Barna, Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions, 34)

We must reach children with the Good News and VBS is one effective way.

Here are 5 keys to an evangelistic VBS in a smaller membership church.

*Almost 1-in-16 children ages 5-12 in America was enrolled in a Southern Baptist VBS, according to figures from 2006 (see article - Two million 5-12 year olds enroll in VBS)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Should We Anoint the Sick with Oil Today?

Image
I'm not sure where you stand on this issue. Anointing with oil is not part of my normal practice. Bruce Grubbs, the senior pastor at the church where I serve part-time on staff ( Gladeville Baptist ) does this on a regular basis and I think it's very cool. I posted a new article on this subject by Pastor Harold Dinsmore in the Pastors Area of LifeWay.com. Pastor Dinsmore believes we are missing a great opportunity if we don't choose to offer the anointing of oil when we pray for the sick. He offers his reasoning as well as five things to consider should you choose to do this. Read Should We Anoint the Sick with Oil Today?
Read more

How to do a group brainstorming session

Pastor, when we are trying to plan a new sermon series, promote an event, or solve a problem, here's the group brainstorming process we follow (Michael Eubanks, our Pastor for New Generations brought this process back from a conference). We pull together a team of five to eight creative types with different perspectives and give them an overview of what we're trying to get to. We then distribute a stack of 3x5 cards to each person and give them about ten minutes to write as many creative ideas as they can (one simple phrase on each card). We then gather the cards and begin reading them and taping them to a wall in categories. Be sure to capture this treasure of ideas on paper to help you in further planning. Also, give options to your team for participating in the implementation of the ideas. It's a great opportunity to train and equip other leaders. You'll love the results. When you're going through the process, be sure to keep in mind Osborn'
Read more

Preaching through the Bible in a Year - 2 Plans!

Image
I'm reading through the Bible again this year using George Guthrie's Reading God's Story: A Chronological Daily Bible plan. In 2011, our entire church used the reading plan in response to the Radical sermon and small group series we did at the end of 2010. I'm was delighted to see Aaron Linne's Blog post about a new online resource with lists of sermons inspired by the Read the Bible for Life initiative. These lists from B&H Publishing are designed so that you can take a church through the Bible in a year. They currently have a plan prepared by David Platt (52 sermons) and Chuck Maxwell (50 sermons). Check the tabs at the top to switch between the two lists. Access the complimentary lists of sermons here ... Learn how to use this resource on your iPhone, Android, or tablet here ...
Read more