VBS: Different Models for Ministry

CANADA – Vacation Bible School (VBS) provides an opportunity for congregations to support and equip the faith of their own member families, as well as provide an opportunity to reach out to their neighbours and invite them into the church. According to the most recent statistics available, 61 congregations across synod host a VBS. On Saturday, January 31, VBS leaders representing more than 20 congregations from across the country met together online to learn and network.

The webinar began with four VBS leaders sharing about their experiences and the various styles that they run. Dcn. Miriam Winstanley, Director of Parish Services at Foothills Lutheran Church in Calgary, spoke about creating their own curriculum and using a blended schedule mixing the classroom and rotation models. Roxanne Theroux, Family Ministry Coordinator at Bethel Lutheran Church in Sherwood Park, spoke on responding to a need in their community for a full day camp with VBS in the morning and an afternoon sports or creative camp. Dcn. Amanda Hastings, Director of Parish Services at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Regina, spoke about moving from a daytime to evening VBS with supper. Dcn. Kathy Cornish, Director of Education and Youth at Riverbend Lutheran Church in Edmonton, spoke about adding an afternoon option for youth and youth helpers. After the four panelists shared, the virtual floor was opened for questions.

There were questions around the best ways to advertise (word of mouth still seems best), costs (materials and charging participants), hiring summer students, volunteers, music (hymns, a favourite CREW ministries CD, Little Ones Sing Praise from CPH), and sharing resources.

Every congregation is different and every VBS is different. The hope for this webinar was that it would give participants an opportunity to see different models for VBS but also allow a space for networking and questions. When looking at different models, it is not to say that you need to try something different, but if that isn’t working or possible, there are opportunities to be creative. Whether it is an all day, one day, weekend, morning, evening, or multi-week model, it’s an opportunity to spread the gospel with those in your community. Two other models that were mentioned in the Seniors & Intergenerational Webinar were a seniors VBS and a morning VBS with an intergenerational component at the local seniors residence.

What came next?

Following this discussion of VBS, a group was created on the Servant Leader Network to continue the conversation. The Servant Leader Network (SLN) is essentially an “intranet” (an internal website) for the people of LCC. It is intended to build a “digital bridge” over the vast geography of our Synod and enable people to grow closer together as we serve alongside one another within LCC.

A database is being created and shared with those who are hosting a VBS this summer, so that further sharing, collaboration and connection can continue. Thanks to the collection of information, when one VBS leader found a Canadian distributor of CPH VBS materials, it was shared so that congregations could save money.

Ten VBS outlines from Foothills Lutheran Church are now available on the LCC website on the Family Resources page, with thanks to Dcn. Miriam Winstanley and Rev. Eric Moffett for sharing.

If you’d like to connect about VBS, or want a copy of this webinar recording and the resources shared, please reach out sneeb@lutheranchurch.ca.

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