VBS publishers employ more digital content to reach the younger set

Vacation Bible School (VBS) is a product that connects stores with local churches, and churches to the families in their communities. As VBS comes into the digital age, suppliers are utilizing technology to connect retail, church leaders and consumers, and keep the VBS dialogue going all year long.

Christian Retailing talked with three publisher representatives about the ways that VBS products are evolving and expanding.

Taking part in the conversation were:

• ROBB FAUST, assistant brand manager, Standard Publishing
• ROBERTA LEHMAN, marketing specialist, Lifeway Kids
• CRYSTAL MCDOWELL, VBS editor, Urban Ministries Inc. (UMI)
• KAREN MCGRAW, associate managing editor, VBS for Gospel Light
• SHANNON VELASQUEZ, public relations/special events manager, VBS/women’s ministry, Group Publishing

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: What makes VBS continue to be a viable product for churches and Christian stores?

ROBERTA LEHMAN: VBS is the most effective outreach event of the year for many churches. VBS gives churches opportunities to cultivate and establish ongoing relationships with all who attend. On average, 10% of kids who attend VBS are unchurched. For the average VBS, 10% equals 10 people. Discovering new 10 people plus their family members is a big deal!

CRYSTAL MCDOWELL: I think VBS remains popular because you still have children who are available over the summer, and parents are always looking for something different and fun to make Jesus exciting.

KAREN MCGRAW: VBS is a prime opportunity for churches to reach out to unchurched kids and their families—and it’s a great program for kids who go to church on a regular basis. Any time God’s people can get together and lavish love on God’s children—that’s a great place to be.

SHANNON VELASQUEZ: I think there is that one point in a life where someone can be reached with the gospel message, and we know that often the easiest time to receive it is as a child, so to get children to have one entire week of VBS, where the gospel is the focus, is just huge.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: How much is VBS still about evangelizing unchurched kids?

FAUST: The great thing about this year’s VBS for us is that kids are 

learning how to practically serve every day. The first day they are learning to serve their families. The second day they are serving their friends, then their neighbors, then their community, then Jesus. Every day they have a lesson on the topic of serving, then a service challenge to go home and do, so it doesn’t matter if the kids are in church, they can serve others and learn to serve Jesus. We are also introducing a missions component this year with Back2Back Ministries (back2backministries.org). They help orphan kids in Mexico, and the VBS offerings will go to Mexico to help these kids. All week long at VBS, kids will see the missions DVD in the opener. It is the story of Joel, and they will follow his story all week long.

• Prev
• Next