3 Motivations from VBS
As this is being published, we are nearing the end of VBS 2023. Months of preparation pays off in a week that always seems to fly by. The amount of prayer, planning, and work that it takes to make a Vacation Bible School a success is tremendous.
For many churches, though, VBS is just a “thing” they do because they have always done it. While it takes a lot of effort, it just kind of happens and then is forgotten until a few weeks or so before that usual time slot on the calendar starts drawing near the next year. But even then, there can be excitement that comes when a Vacation Bible School is successful.
Knowing that, I want to share three things that VBS should help motivate us to do more than just that one week each year. These are things that we put so much effort into for that one brief event, but that we should put more effort into on a more regular basis.
Decorating Education Spaces. It has amazed me for years how congregations will decorate classrooms, hallways, and even stairwells in their education area for VBS, but will hardly change a poster on the wall for the “regular” Bible school program. Certainly, VBS is a time to decorate in a way that is special, but should we not also try to make our classrooms look special for each unit of study? How could a room or a hallway be decorated for a quarter’s study on the life of Moses or on the book of Acts? Make it happen!
Inviting Guests. This may be the most obvious. We put all this effort into VBS, so we will go all out to be sure we fill our classrooms and seats with visitors. People will pass out flyers, go door-knocking, and share things on social media. Young people will invite friends and neighbors. While “special events” help with that, should we not be inviting people all the time? Don’t let it stop just because the event is over.
Volunteerism. Maybe because they grew up going to VBS, adults will volunteer to help with Vacation Bible School almost like they will volunteer for nothing else. If that describes you, thank you for your help, but why not volunteer for something else during the other 51 weeks of the year! Take that motivation and use it to help a teacher or a deacon get work done for the Lord.
There is still a place for VBS in our church calendars, but we never need to do something just to do it. When done well, it is exciting, but that excitement should also lead to motivation to do our best at all times. What kind of motivation will you take from your VBS this year?
AUTHOR: Adam Faughn