by Ben Bradley, BCI Communications Director

One of the many rhythms that has been disrupted this year is summer programming for kids and families. For decades, VBS has been a summer mainstay for many churches. Even though churches are in various stages of reopening, no children’s ministry has yet “returned to normal” and they are unlikely to do so in the near future.

Even given the challenges inherent in children’s ministry, VBS (or whichever term your church has chosen for an intentional week of summer kids ministry) can still play an important role in your church’s discipleship process.

I asked Mandy Stenberg some pressing questions about this summer to get her perspective and advice. Mandy is the BCI Administrator and also happens to be passionate about kids ministry and a “Certified VBS Guru.” Here’s what I learned.

Is VBS still possible?

LIFEWAY VBS WEBPAGE

So, what are Iowa churches doing for VBS this summer?

The first thing to note is that no two churches are alike in how they are approaching this summer. Even among the churches who have decided to do a summer event for kids, no two of them are doing the same thing. No two churches are alike and we see this exemplified in this season, especially in the area of children’s ministry.

LINK: “4 approaches to VBS in light of COVID-19” – North Carolina Baptists

There have been many articles written detailing some of the various possible approaches to VBS, such as this article from North Carolina Baptists. While many churches are still waiting to decide, here are just a few of the different approaches Iowa churches are taking.

Cancel VBS and shift emphasis to a summer weekend family camp
Cancel VBS and send virtual parent equipping media to homes
Hold virtual in-home VBS and drop off activity boxes to families
Hold backyard kids clubs and practice social distancing
Hold live in-person VBS at the church building and practice social distancing

What opportunities will we miss if we don’t do anything for kids and families this summer?

Churches will miss an opportunity to step into families’ lives in a unique way during this unique time. Families have been cooped up at home for months and it seems like they’re going to continue to be spending lots of time at home for many more months. If you can figure out a way to disrupt that time with some way to focus on God, it will have been worth the time and effort.

There is a great opportunity for families to develop healthy patterns and habits at home. There is an opportunity to provide practical tools to guide parents to lead their kids to know and love God. If you don’t do anything, you miss that opportunity.

Is it too late to do something now?

It is definitely NOT too late to do something now. Normally your summer plans would be locked-in around February. With many summer activities cancelled, families are going to be desperate to break the monotony of hot summer days at home. Parents are looking for something constructive to do with their kids and kids are looking for something to keep them interested and engaged.

That being said, it may be difficult to do something brand new in a short period of time. One creative idea that would provide more planning time is to hold your kids event at the beginning of the fall to “celebrate” coming back together. The beginning of the fall semester is typically an extremely busy time but it seems likely that family schedules are going to be much lighter than usual. Even though VBS has traditionally been a summer-only event, who says you can’t do it in September, October, or even November?

Every area of life has been disrupted. Now is the time to try something new. And there are so many resources out there to try, there’s sure to be something that will be a perfect fit for your church. As always, Lifeway has a great VBS resource, but with all the free or cheap resources and technology available today, you’re only limited by your imagination.

LINK: Concrete and Cranes” VBS by Lifeway

What if we don’t have the time to pull something off this summer?

Many churches are still struggling to devise and implement something new for kids ministry for their regular weekend services. This doesn’t leave a lot of time or energy to think about an innovative summer ministry for kids. At the same time, don’t feel you have to reinvent the wheel.

There are a number of simple and quick ways to do something special for kids. There are lots of resources online but here are three quick ideas to help you get started.

Post a kids Bible story every night.
Choose a week and tell your families that you will be posting a video of a kids Bible story on Facebook every night.
Distribute VBS materials digitally to families.
Check your VBS packet to see if you have permissions to distribute materials. Many VBS providers are making special permission this year to support digital distribution.
Move your event to the fall.
Give yourself more time to plan and prepare by switching up your schedule.

With all the additional effort required, is it worth it?

Given all the challenges that it presents, it begs the question, is it really worth it to do something for kids this summer? Yes! The effectiveness of evangelism with kids in their preteen years makes it more than worth the effort and energy. The Barna Group has a very popular report on the statistics about the effectiveness of evangelism among children. If that’s not enough, you can always read the book answering that very question. Bringing the gospel to children in an effective way should remain a priority for churches.

Summer kids ministry events allow kids to experience the gospel in fun and memorable ways. It’s not the snacks. It’s not the games. It’s thinking about God. VBS is simply one tool that churches can use to pull kids out of the normal routine of life for a few days or a week to think about the things of God. It’s too easy and too timely to do nothing!