50 tips on getting church members involved in VBS

1.  Teach the congregation the VBS cheer on Sunday mornings.
2.  Create non-teaching jobs to encourage the less outgoing members to participate. There is a job for everyone!
3.  Place door greeters at every door to smile.
4.  Have church members provide snacks.
5.  Have Sunday School classes take turns providing meals each night.
6.  Members choose donation cards for needed snacks and crafts supplies.
7.  Adult VBS got our members excited about helping the kids.
8.  Adult choir learns and sings a VBS song on Sunday morning.
9.  Get the pastor “on board” and excited early. Members will follow his lead.
10.  On Friday of VBS, decorate the teacher’s lounge for next year’s theme and offer a sign-up sheet for volunteers. This way you’ll already have a head start on next year’s VBS.
11.  For senior adult involvement, adopt a “grandparent” during VBS.
12.  Ask every Sunday School class to sponsor a VBS class, pray and be involved in the mission project.
13.  Ask the men’s ministry for prayer support, security help and safety patrols.
14.  Involve the senior adults in registration. They can also count the offering and add the totals each day. Also, they can update the attendance rosters.
15.  Ask the pastor to personally recruit men to greet and escort children to classes.
16.  Incorporate VBS songs and scriptures/stories into the regular church services early. Show slide show from previous VBS’s.
17.  For preparing and involving future leaders, provide a mentoring program for all leaders.
18.  Recruit volunteers face to face.
19.  Learn to delegate.
20.  Give free t-shirts with involvement.
21.  If a volunteer says “they can’t do anything” – ask them to pray for VBS.
22.  Have a list of “before VBS jobs” and “after VBS jobs” that other members can do.
23.  Ask the men’s ministry help move furniture on set-up day.
24.  Provide coordinators to oversee age divisions.
25.  Ask youth to write notes to Sunday School classes asking for specific items.
26.  Have a “cutting crew” to do nothing but cut VBS clipart decorations and craft items.
27.  Each adult and youth Sunday School class is given a list of teacher’s names to pray for during VBS.
28.  Provide an incentive gift (gift bag, gift card, movie ticket, etc.) for teachers who sign up before April 1.
29.  Ask individual members to sponsor a child for VBS.
30.  Assign the Sunday School room to pray for the VBS class that used their room.
31.  Have a surprise guest related to the VBS theme speak at the worship times to encourage involvement.
32.  Allow the senior ladies to come in and tell the Bible story without having to stay all day.
33.  Personally invite members to help, don’t just ask them.
34.  Have members help with neighborhood blitzes to give our personal invitations to VBS.
35.  Provide boxes in convenient locations for members to drop off supplies they are donating.
36.  Age-level coordinators enlist all teachers based on their gifts, talents and interests. During VBS, they are their “go to” people to help meet needs and distribute snacks.
37.  Have an evangelism team to visit each classroom the last 20 minutes of the evening.
38.  List skills sets on recruitment card as opposed to listing jobs. Match skills to opportunities.
39.  Have maps of town with sections of streets highlighted and door knockers available. Announce Sunday and Wednesday before VBS following church service that everyone is invited to take a map and door hanger to canvas the town and neighboring areas.
40.  Ask the WMU Director to help with missions.
41.  Ask the Faith Team to help with follow-up.
42.  During teacher training, the volunteers who can’t help during VBS can come and help fill teacher wish list sheets. They can prepare craft packs, cut patterns, paint, etc. This gives teachers more time to discuss and plan instruction of curriculum with teaching team.
43.  Collect donated gift cards and coupons. Have a drawing each night with all the workers names in it.
44.  Use members in church promotions of VBS skits.
45.  Get all church members involved in praying for VBS.
46.  Put two flyers in each worship bulletin two weeks and one week prior to VBS. Ask people to give out to someone not at our church.
47.  Have a prayer tree – this year use boomerangs with teacher’s names to pray for with their class age group.
48.  Have a canned drink donation box for member to help.
49.  Post a wish list board in the church lobby for members to pick up and support teachers by buying items he/she needs.
50.  Before VBS, have the entire church memorize a verse of the “ABC’s”. VBS Director reviews each verse for previous week and introduces new verse each week leading up to VBS.
Add your own tips and tricks to the comments of this post!!