We are thrilled to roll out our VBS program for 2024: Celebrate the Savior! Our theme, Jesus Gives Us Joy, will teach children that Jesus gives us so many things worth celebrating—most importantly, His love and forgiveness. Just as King David celebrated God’s excellence in Psalm 95:1 (“let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation”), children will celebrate their Savior at VBS. Keep reading to learn more about the curriculum at Celebrate the Savior.

Vacation Bible School is a blast! The week is filled with fun activities, catchy songs, delicious snacks, and time with friends. For some, VBS can be the turning point in their faith. The volunteer who has been doing this for years walks away with a deeper knowledge of how to share the Good News of Jesus with others; the new volunteer experiences what it’s like to encourage a young one in his or her faith; the older VBS participant looking at his or her last VBS before becoming a volunteer has memories of how impactful this event can be. All these things and more are jam-packed into a five-day VBS. With all those possibilities, the best thing we can do is pray for everyone who gets to be a part of VBS!

The summer ushers in nice weather, fun activities, and the arrival of VBS! One of the best things about VBS is the fact that children of all ages are welcomed to learn more about Jesus. Keeping kids engaged takes a lot of work, so using God's Living Water as an example, we'll dive into all the ways you can engage kids at VBS.

Vacation Bible School is a great tool for engagement, learning about Jesus, and sharing the Gospel. It is a big undertaking to plan and put together a successful VBS.

This summer at Vacation Bible School, we’re covered in Jesus’ grace! Our theme for this year, God’s Living Water: Covered in Jesus’ Grace, is inspired by 1 Timothy 1:14, which says, “The grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” Each of the lessons focuses on biblical accounts that emphasize the Living Water, Jesus Christ. In this post, we’ll break down how to use the curriculum for Vacation Bible School.

Are you ready for VBS this summer at your church? We know that this year will bring unique joys and challenges as churches come together again, so here are some answers to your frequently asked questions about The Tree of Life. These helpful tips can help guide your planning this summer.

This year is proving to be unlike any other we have seen in our lifetimes. There are challenges personally, physically, mentally, and even spiritually. One challenge many of us are facing is making decisions about hosting in-person events at church, such as Vacation Bible School. Do we host our VBS in person later in the summer? Do we switch to an all-digital platform? Or is there another answer? No matter how we decide to continue our children’s ministry through VBS another question arises: how do we stay connected and communicate our plans for VBS? The solution: come up with a simple four-step plan of who, what, how, and when!

As a child, the sounds of bells and Christmas carols, the smells of pine and cookies, and the love of Christ in the air are all things I loved about the holidays. My top three memories of growing up at church were the Christmas service, the Easter service, and Vacation Bible School. Why were these events more impactful to me than any other church service or lesson? It could be that they were all held are during a school vacation, during which I had extra time to spend with family and friends. It could be that these are all times when families in the church come together to celebrate our Savior. Or it could be because all of these events are filled with stories and lessons of who Jesus is and what He did for us. So what does Christmas and the nativity have to do with Vacation Bible School? EVERYTHING! The lessons and stories that are taught during VBS, Easter, Advent, and Christmas will follow children throughout their lives.

When I was growing up, my family did not attend church regularly, so going to church events was never “automatic.” For me, going to a church event—summer picnics, wintertime sledding, VBS—meant getting an invitation. I didn't know it then, but those invitations were more than just invitations to have some fun; they were invitations to learn about Jesus and other important Bible stories. They were my look into the church. Events like these are perfect opportunities for you to encourage your youth to invite others because those invitations could very well be life-changing for someone (like me).

As spring begins to thaw much of our great nation, church leaders and volunteers everywhere are turning their attention to the most wonderful time of the year: VBS! Vacation Bible School is a hugely energetic, impactful, and FUN week when our churches shine brightly with the Gospel directly and on purpose to kids and their parents. Is this week the same as our weekly ministry? Yes, but on a giant scale. In order to reach intentionally into the communities in which we find ourselves, we need partners who will help with this wonderful week.