Coming to church for an extra hour of education and discipleship is not a priority for as many people as it used to be.

The following blog post is adapted from Faithful and Flourishing: Strategies for Leading Your Christian School with Excellence by Dr. Bernard Bull, a thought leader in the landscape of Christian education and author of multiple must-read books for Christian educators.

Invite your VBS participants to be part of an epic initiative with Mission: Adventure Outreach! In partnership with Concordia Gospel Outreach (CGO), set up a goal to help distribute Christian books across the globe. This mission is all about reaching out to children and families who haven’t yet discovered the Gospel or lack access to books about Jesus.

God made everything we see. He made the land and the oceans and the stars in the sky. He made you. The Bible tells us that God made everything in the whole universe for the good of humanity—His special and beloved creation. One of the things God made is time. Time helps us make sense of, or order, God’s creation. Minutes and hours order our days. The days help us order our weeks and months. And the months give order to our years.

The church is the Body of Christ, and each member has its function. As Paul writes in Ephesians 4:11–13, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God.” One of the ways God provides for His church is through the work of so many valuable volunteers. 

Classroom Bible learning is more than just memorizing facts—it is helping students connect with God’s Word in a way that strengthens their faith and deepens their understanding. Beyond the core aspects of lesson plans, teachers can incorporate interactive activities to reinforce biblical learning and help students apply their faith in everyday life. Enduring Faith Religion Curriculum was developed with this goal in mind, providing an aligned, Christ-centered approach that engages students at every level. Here are five adaptable activities that bring lessons to life and boost biblical knowledge in class!

During Holy Week, we experience two contrasting feelings: guilt for our sins and joy because of the gifts of forgiveness and eternal life we receive with Christ’s death and resurrection. This season, consider these four accounts for teaching the Easter story to the kids in your Sunday School, at home, or in the classroom.

You’ve been asked to volunteer for VBS—and at the time it seemed relatively simple. But perhaps you’re starting to wonder if you took on more than you were ready for. Don’t stress! VBS is not only a super fun way to share about Jesus, but it can also be a great faith-building experience for you. As you prepare for this task, check out this Site Leader Checklist and make sure you have what you need for your site.

Parenting isn’t easy work—we all know that. But what a lot of parents think is even harder is parenting discipleship. God has entrusted parents to be the main faith shapers in their children’s lives, and that vocation can often seem to be a daunting task. In Proverbs,  God commands parents to “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). While it is clear that the job of discipleship and faith leadership is a vocation given to parents, how can the church help parents in this way?  

Hosting VBS comes with many steps: budgeting, planning, strategizing, promoting. But all of it is worth it when we think about why we do it and the impact it has on our community, bringing more people to learn about Jesus and grow in their faith! As you jump into the details of your VBS, here are some helpful tips and tricks to consider.