Each year, Vacation Bible School is the largest prospect discovery project or method for many churches. In fact, about 25-30% of baptisms in Southern Baptist churches are a result of VBS. In addition to key prospect information about participants in VBS, additional information is discovered about their families: parents, siblings, and others residing with the attenders. On top of that, ministry needs are discovered.
Each of these facts are opportunities for Sunday School to step in to follow up. So many times, VBS has required so much time and energy that when it is over, church leaders walk away with relief at a good experience. They stack registration cards on a shelf and don’t think about them until next year. What a wasted opportunity!
Instead, there are so many ways that Sunday School can capitalize upon the great investment of time and energy during VBS. Consider some of the following:
- Enlist a VBS follow up director whose single job is to mobilize Sunday School teachers and workers to visit and contact all VBS prospects and their families.
- Ask adult and youth Sunday School classes to set aside a specific time to pray for VBS and for prospects to be enrolled and won to Christ.
- Set a goal for enrolling VBS prospects and family members in Sunday School.
- Enlist Sunday School leaders to help with advance and daily VBS registration.
- Make sure you get thorough records of every VBS participant and their families.
- Set up a special day immediately after VBS (within 72 hours) for Sunday School classes (and/or VBS workers) to visit all VBS prospects and families.
- Send information home with every prospect on the final day of VBS about Sunday School classes and other church activities appropriate for each age group.
- Have the pastor send a letter to every VBS prospect the week after VBS with information about the location of the age appropriate Sunday School class(es).
- Share reports about VBS with your congregation so they can share in the excitement, follow up, and prayer.
- Plan a VBS Day in Sunday School on the Sunday after VBS and don’t remove the decorations or allow children to take home their VBS materials until then. Invite parents and families. Celebrate VBS in worship. Sing VBS songs. Share testimonies. Show pictures from the week set to a VBS song. Recognize each age group. Give everyone present a handout with information about Sunday School classes.
- Ask Sunday School classes to sponsor a VBS Carnival on Sunday night after VBS with each class providing a game/booth and refreshments. Provide all attenders with a handout with Sunday School class information. Allow the children to earn 5 tickets per day during VBS to spend at the Carnival. Ask each set of VBS teachers to sponsor one of the games so they can meet some of the families.
Do everything you can to get to know and care for VBS participants and their families. Make VBS even better. Partner with Sunday School in following up VBS. Invite them to Sunday School. Invite them to Jesus!
For more ideas on following up VBS and contacting and caring for prospects, check out these blog posts:
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