Vacation Bible School – it’s not just for church kids! VBS can be a fantastic evangelism event. Catch a vision for how your VBS could impact eternity.
Here is a simple plan to involve every member of your church or small group to engage unchurched children in life-changing VBS. It’s called “I Invited 1.”
1. Issue a challenge. The goal is for every individual in your church to personally invite one unchurched boy or girl to VBS. Specifically call out every child, senior adult, youth, single adult, couple, and college student to take the challenge. Ask church members to bring the first name of that child next Sunday.
2. Make it easy. As you issue the challenge, give each person a VBS invitation for the child they’ll invite. It can be a business-card size invite or a card. Include the church website for details and online registration. Pray over the invitations, and ask God to direct each person to a child who needs him.
3. Make it visual. Create a huge “Jesus loves the little children” wall display in a visible area of the church. A couple of Sundays before VBS, give each church attender a colorful die-cut paper doll. Ask them to write the first name of the child they’re inviting and add it to the big wall display as a prayer reminder.
Print well-designed, round stickers with large letters that read “I invited 1” for every person to wear proudly. Purchase and print sheets of circle stickers, or order stickers from a print company. Picture this: grannies and 4-year-olds, teens and newcomers – all wearing “I Invited 1” stickers. Wouldn’t it be terrific if some needed a dozen stickers?
4. Create excitement. Strive for 100% involvement. Though many are already fully engaged in VBS planning, the majority of members probably can’t offer hands-on help because of work, schedule, or health conflicts. Every person of every age and circumstance can invite one child. So wear your “I Invited 1” sticker with pride and prayers.
And VBS staffers – hold onto your hats! God’s at work, his church is excited about inviting, and this may be the most thrilling VBS in history.
© Diana Davis’s new book, “Across the Street and Around the World,” will be released this fall.