A New Challenge

I’ve got a challenge for you. Let’s make this summer’s Vacation Bible School (VBS) the best and biggest ever! VBS is going to be a virtual, at-home experience complete with all the worship, skits, games, and fun. Yes, it’s going to be different, but different is not always bad. In fact, different is oftentimes a launching pad to new and better.

Let me share an example from our history. Back in the early 2000s, we canceled VBS one year. We discovered that VBS was far from the vision we had of it being a community outreach event. We had very few children attending and hardly any visitors showing up. And we struggled to find volunteers to serve. So we canceled it. As expected, there was some grumbling and complaining. The following year we re-launched VBS with a fresh vision and the rest is history. Each summer we now have over 500 kiddos and over 200 adult volunteers having a blast together for 3 evenings during the summer.

This summer we are going to bring the same quality VBS to you but in a virtual format. And we have a new opportunity to reach even more kids and have even more volunteers. Here’s the challenge: Let’s reach more than 500 kiddos and have more than 200 volunteers as part of this summer’s VBS.

Here’s how we get there:

1. Mark your calendars for July 13-15.
2. RSVP for your VBS kit.
3. Subscribe to Aldersgate’s YouTube page (if you have not already done so).
4. Invite your friends and neighbors to join you.
5. Tune in each night at 6:00 for all the worship, Bible stories, and activities.

In order to meet this challenge we are going to have to cut through some of the excuses:

1. I don’t have children so this doesn’t apply to me. Well, would you be willing to open your home or backyard to your neighborhood, or your grandchildren and their friends, or those kids who belong to the people you work with?
2. My kids are older than VBS age. That’s great! What’s a better time than now to model serving to them. Let them use our virtual VBS to host a group of children in your home.
3. I’m not good at entertaining children. You don’t have to! All the hard work is done for you! I have seen a sneak peek of the stage design and it is awesome! Everything you need is assembled in a kit you can pick up from the church. And, we have some trusted volunteers who would be willing to come to your house to help you out!
4. I don’t really have the space to invite the neighborhood into my home. Let us help you find a park or another host home.
5. I really don’t want to bother with VBS if I can’t drop my kids off at the church. Uh…I’m not really going to respond to this one.

So, what do you say? Can we meet this challenge? I believe in you. Let’s make this the best and biggest VBS ever!

Ryan