Some things we forgot at Thursday’s Meeting!

  • Sunday morning will be our VBS Kick-Off! Dawn & Jennifer will share the opening lesson for K3-5th graders! Any volunteer who is interested in joining in the fun is welcome to dismiss following the music. We’ll be in the Fellowship Center! There is zero obligation to do this, but we wanted to open the opportunity to you!
  • T-shirt Update
    • If you did not receive your shirt last night, Terra Jones will have them at dinner on Sunday evening
    • Please plan to wear your VBS shirt on Sunday evening (and morning, if you’d like!), so parents can easily recognize volunteers!
    • If you ordered a windsuit, we plan to wear it on Monday!
    • The other nights, feel free to wear the VBS shirt, your group color, or whatever you’d like!
  • We will do “Lesson 2” on Sunday Night!

Prayer Prompts

  • Praise God for all children and volunteers who will be a part of VBS!
  • Pray for bold and meaningful conversations!
  • Pray for the VBS Leadership Team. Ask that every volunteer reflects Christ’s light through patience, joy, energy, excitement, and encouragement!
  • Pray for homes and families. Ask God’s light to shine beyond the church building into homes and neighborhoods!
  • Pray for growing relationships & opportunities to point others toward Jesus long after VBS ends!
  • Pray for salvation decisions & hearts ready to follow Jesus!

We will have a table in the Welcome Center and the Crosswalk this Sunday with every pre-registered child’s name on a bracelet! We will encourage the congregation to grab a bracelet and pray specifically for that child throughout the week!

Reminder

Never be alone with children, never take a child to the bathroom alone (It’s okay to talk to a child one-on-one as long as it’s in an open, visible area. This protects you!

As far as hugs, children sitting in laps – use common sense!

Elementary Notes – Crosswalk

  • Children will be divided into color-coded groups and will receive a color-coordinated wristband to wear throughout the week
  • Doors will open at 5:35 for check-in
  • Parents will receive a Parent Tag with a unique code. They must show this to enter the building and pick up their children.
    • If there are issues, please find Dawn or Terra

Preschool Notes – Welcome Center & Dock

  • Check-in will begin at 5:35pm at the side doors of the Welcome Center
  • Various toy stations will be set up so children can play while waiting for everyone to arrive
  • The preschoolers will take the BFBC buses to the Dock
    • “Tour guides” will help introduce the theme for the night, and children will get to find a ‘hidden’ object along the way
  • Mel will send along any specific information to those who missed the meeting on Thursday!

Photos

We have designated photographers for both preschool and elementary, but feel free to take your own photos. However, we ask that you only submit through QR code (will be handed out). We will post pictures on social media, and you can take pictures we post to use or share our posts, but please do not post pics yourself because we have several children who have a **no photo** request.

VBS Theme & Scripture

John 8:12 – “ I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

Children will be challenged to answer Jesus’ question, like the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” and will learn it’s not a matter of opinion but that Scripture tells us who Jesus is.

He is the light of the world.

He is the Messiah and Savior.

Sin has darkened the world, but Jesus came as the light to shine in this dark world. His birth, life, death, and resurrection show us who He really is – the perfect, proven, and powerful Son of God who came to be our Savior.

Reminder: We may have children attend who have never been to a church or don’t attend often, are not familiar with the Bible, etc…. Please watch out for those children & give them extra explanations of things as needed. Also, please be sure all children feel included, safe, and welcome! 

 

Schedules

Dinner will open for volunteers at 5:00pm each night in the Fellowship Center!
Elementary VBS (for children who just completed K5–5th Grade)

5:35-5:55 Children will Check-in at the Crosswalk front desk

  • Check in at the main desk (volunteers will be available to assist)
  • Head downstairs to find their group & receive a wristband in their group color to wear through the week
  • Exit through the far stairwell to avoid a traffic jam

6:00-6:35 Opening Celebration + Bible Story
6:35-7:50 Station Rotations (Small Groups, Games, Missions)
7:50-8:10 Closing Session
8:15 Pick-Up in Crosswalk – Parents must show their Parent Tag (received at check-in each night)

  • Children will be picked up from their Small Group classes (volunteers will be available to assist)
  • Pre-Teen Girls/Silver Group (will dismiss from the main auditorium)
Preschool VBS (2 years old – just completed K5)

5:35-5:50 Children will Check-in at the Welcome Center SIDE DOORS
5:50 PreK will take the BFBC bus to the Dock
5:55-8:00 Opening Celebration and Rotations
8:10 Head back to Welcome Center for Dismissal
8:15 Children will be Checked-out at the Welcome Center side doors – Parents must show their Parent Tag (received at check-in each night)

 

Volunteer Roles & Responsibilities

Greeters/Front Porch of Crosswalk – first faces – remind parents to bring their tags back for pick up

Floaters – crowd control, management of children, help hang God sightings, move around to check on all areas during rotations, runners

Group Leaders – Bible lesson is being taught in Opening Session this year by Dawn & Jennifer, so your responsibility is to enhance that with discussion questions, a game, and/or a craft of your choosing

Group Assistants – whatever your leaders need (management of children, helping with crafts/games)

Leaders and assistants move with your groups to all rotations and help as needed – participate with them, not sideline

Everyone: Be ready to have gospel conversations – can direct/send children to Dawn as needed

Missions Assistants – assist Belly Gil (management, helping children listen)

Game Time Assistants – assist Brooke Krulic (management, participating with children/not just observing, setting up/resetting between groups)

Discipline

  • It is okay to be firm, but kind – not yelling.
  • Redirect – remind them to listen, pay attention, etc. – sometimes just a tap on the shoulder and a point to the speaker is all it takes.
  • Move/sit between children as needed.
  • Remind them that everything we think, say, and do should honor and glorify God. Ask them – if it’s not, it’s time to stop – not just saying no, but explaining why.
  • Love first, discipline second.
  • Extreme, continued disruptions or safety issues can be brought to Dawn or Jennifer.
  • Children with special needs – Dawn will reach out directly to Group Leaders with more info!

Small Group Activities

Sunday morning: Day 1 condensed, led by leadership team

Every Day – use Review & Discussion Questions on the back of the daily story poster/pictures. Our kids are pretty mature – feel free to relate the lessons and questions to times in your own life or add to/create some of your own questions too. **Ask Dawn if you’re unsure.

**Our children did great at camp during Church Group Time, which was all discussion-based & a large group of 28 kids.

  • Every Day – complete designated pages in Activity Books
  • Additional chosen activities from the leader guide – be sure you have given Terra the needed list of supplies or are gathering the supplies yourselves for your activities. Some of the supplies needed are included in your poster pack.
  • Ignore anything that says to use the “Memory Makers.” We are not using those.
  • Only 20 minutes, so you may only have time to do the discussion & activity books, and that is okay! It’s fine if you don’t use the other activities, but always want you to have more than enough to do so you’re not scrambling for time killers – that’s when disruptive behaviors are more likely to occur. Can also do the God Sighting light bulbs for that day if there is extra time and during transitions.
  • Response Cards – will be available for you (in your clipboards) all week, and I will point them out to the children. As the week goes on, I will emphasize those more, and you can offer children time to respond during your Bible study small group time each day.
  • Two sides to posters – we are NOT using the King James Version side.

 

Thank you so much for giving of your time for VBS! It’s going to be an incredible week, and we’re excited to serve with you and see how God moves this week!

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Terra Jones, NextGen Ministry Assistant 
terra@bereafbc.org
919-605-8358

Dawn Maness, BFBC Children’s Ministry Director
Dawn@bereafbc.org
864-483-7732