Annual Question: Charging for VBS?

[Mike Schutz]

We are in VBS this week - we run ours in the evenings: Sunday - Thursday.

Each year we receive calls from parents wanting to know the charge. Several churches in our community charge a fee for VBS, we do not. I speaking to other pastors, they do so in order to help with the costs (our VBS typically costs us $10-12 per child), but also to discourage what they perceive to be the problem of children attending several VBS programs over the summer as a kind of day care. We don't consider that a problem.

Does your church charge for VBS? Do other churches in your community charge?

[Craig Laughlin]

Yes and yes. It is nice to help offset the coast but in our case the more important issue is that not charging leaves the perception that what is being done is not very good. The culture of affluence.

[G R 'Scott' Cundiff]

None that I know of. We never have.

[Jon Bemis]

We don't charge, and haven't heard of any church in our area that does.

[Jim Chabot]

We don't charge, I can't ever remember attending a church that does. Never heard of this before.

The camps charge for their programs, but they include room and board. Although even at camp there is a vbs style children's program, I've never seen a charge for this.

I like the idea of parents sending their kids to every vbs in town! Who cares if they get free day care?

[Marsha Lynn]

I speaking to other pastors, they do so in order to help with the costs (our VBS typically costs us $10-12 per child), but also to discourage what they perceive to be the problem of children attending several VBS programs over the summer as a kind of day care. We don't consider that a problem.

Does your church charge for VBS? Do other churches in your community charge?

No and no. Even the Mennonite church that attracts 250 kids to their superbly conducted daytime program doesn't charge a fee.

I speaking to other pastors, they do so in order to help with the costs (our VBS typically costs us $10-12 per child), but also to discourage what they perceive to be the problem of children attending several VBS programs over the summer as a kind of day care. We don't consider that a problem.

Well, maybe you should. Have you seen this report? http://www.larknews.com/archives/338

Seriously (in contrast to Lark News), I've never understood the prejudice against "professional VBSers," as I call them.

1. Isn't the intent of Vacation Bible School to teach the Bible to children during their summer vacation? Do we need to set a quota on how much exposure to the Bible a child gets in one summer?

2. My observation is that the pro VBSers add both enthusiasm and depth to our program. They not only already know the songs, they know cool motions. They already have Bible knowledge and are enthused about sharing it and learning more. I think they are great.

Of course, if the object of VBS is only to reach unchurched kids rather than supplementing the Bible knowledge of all children in the community then these VBS pros are taking up valuable space and resources. I wonder, however, if the churches charging in order to eliminate (the less affluent) professional VBSers have done a thorough analysis of why they have VBS and what their goals are for the week.

By the way, I think we found an alternative way to eliminate the professional VBSers this year. We accidentally hit the same week as the Methodists and American Baptists for our VBS. We also set the maximum age low in order to eliminate trouble-making preteens. Between those two factors, it made the whole week far more manageable. We had more helpers than children several nights -- around 30 of each. And we managed to expose and ban the juvenile delinquent 12-year-old who was lying about his age in order to attend VBS!

Marsha

[Sarah Smith]

We don't charge.

And we are pro vbs's on both sides of the aisle.

By that I mean the grands go to every vbs in town they can, and we help out at/work at/financially support every vbs in town that we can.

The goal is building the kingdom, which doesn't reside just inside our four walls.

We do the same re church camps. Our church usually pays for any kids willing and wanting to attend. We help pony up for the bills.

We live in a poverty town full of minorities. Amazes me how some folks get all excited and will pay anything to go on a short term vacation--er, mission trip--but won't lift a finger or spend a dime on the mission field right outside the door.

Culture of affluence? Bah, why toady to a mindset the scripture forbids?

[Lorie Hatcliff]

Does your church charge for VBS? Do other churches in your community charge?

I have never heard of charging for VBS. Any $$ that gets brought goes to whatever mission project the VBS is sponsoring this year. The amount that we raised for that has been phenomenal considering the size of our church.

We welcome professional VBS'ers too. The more the merrier.

[Greg Gates]

our church has a history of charging. this year we charged $25 each or $60 per family. I do hear stories that there are kids who would have attended if there had not been a charge. But the consensus here is to still charge but give vouchers to anyone who can't afford it. But it's not easy to publicize the voucher benefit effectively.

[Susan Unger]

I have never heard of charging for VBS. Any $$ that gets brought goes to whatever mission project the VBS is sponsoring this year. The amount that we raised for that has been phenomenal considering the size of our church.

We welcome professional VBS'ers too. The more the merrier.

Same here. Never heard of such a thing as charging for VBS. That goes against the grain for me. And who cares if the kids go to several in a year? That's great in my opinion.

[Marissa Lynn Coblentz]

We are in VBS this week - we run ours in the evenings: Sunday - Thursday.

Each year we receive calls from parents wanting to know the charge. Several churches in our community charge a fee for VBS, we do not. I speaking to other pastors, they do so in order to help with the costs (our VBS typically costs us $10-12 per child), but also to discourage what they perceive to be the problem of children attending several VBS programs over the summer as a kind of day care. We don't consider that a problem.

Does your church charge for VBS? Do other churches in your community charge?

My church has begun running a day camp for two weeks that goes from 10am to 5pm, Monday-Friday. They charge $40/week which includes lunch and snacks for the kids (in addition to other supplies). They have decided to embrace the kids whose parents are looking for cheap daycare. Next year, they plan on increasing from two weeks to six weeks in order to make it more of a feasible daycare option.

One of the volunteers was asked by a brother and sister if it was a problem that they were pagans. She was very moved by their concern and said that of course it wasn't a problem. She said a huge look of relief came over their faces. Apparently they had received the message somewhere that they were pagan and that pagans weren't welcome in the church. She was thrilled to dispel that notion.

At the end of the week, 71 kids raised their hands to accept Christ. Putting aside all theological concerns about that sort of presentation of the Gospel, it is definitely fun to be a part of a church that has seen the potential for outreach that VBS provides and is going full-speed in that direction. In a community where daycare costs can be staggering, it is also a huge service to parents for the church to provide a low-cost childcare option.

I think it is also a great ministry to create an environment where Christian values exist alongside fun activities and projects, and leaders and children alike are taught to treat each other with respect and compassion. At the leader meeting every morning, someone would speak on a particular issue. One leader spoke on how to appropriately correct kids. Another leader spoke on the unique issues that special needs kids face and how leaders can accommodate them. In addition to ministering to kids, approximately 30 of our volunteers were teenagers. What a great opportunity for teenagers to be mentored by adult leaders who have lots of experience working with kids. Discipleship of not only the kids, but the leaders as well is another often overlooked potential benefit of VBS.

[Susan Unger]

Love it!

My church has begun running a day camp for two weeks that goes from 10am to 5pm, Monday-Friday. They charge $40/week which includes lunch and snacks for the kids (in addition to other supplies). They have decided to embrace the kids whose parents are looking for cheap daycare. Next year, they plan on increasing from two weeks to six weeks in order to make it more of a feasible daycare option.

One of the volunteers was asked by a brother and sister if it was a problem that they were pagans. She was very moved by their concern and said that of course it wasn't a problem. She said a huge look of relief came over their faces. Apparently they had received the message somewhere that they were pagan and that pagans weren't welcome in the church. She was thrilled to dispel that notion.

At the end of the week, 71 kids raised their hands to accept Christ. Putting aside all theological concerns about that sort of presentation of the Gospel, it is definitely fun to be a part of a church that has seen the potential for outreach that VBS provides and is going full-speed in that direction. In a community where daycare costs can be staggering, it is also a huge service to parents for the church to provide a low-cost childcare option.

I think it is also a great ministry to create an environment where Christian values exist alongside fun activities and projects, and leaders and children alike are taught to treat each other with respect and compassion. At the leader meeting every morning, someone would speak on a particular issue. One leader spoke on how to appropriately correct kids. Another leader spoke on the unique issues that special needs kids face and how leaders can accommodate them. In addition to ministering to kids, approximately 30 of our volunteers were teenagers. What a great opportunity for teenagers to be mentored by adult leaders who have lots of experience working with kids. Discipleship of not only the kids, but the leaders as well is another often overlooked potential benefit of VBS.

[John Kennedy]

And we managed to expose and ban the juvenile delinquent 12-year-old who was lying about his age in order to attend VBS!

Marsha

You start dealin' with these 'lifers' - tha's a whole nother ballgame......

[Billy Cox]

Each year we receive calls from parents wanting to know the charge. Several churches in our community charge a fee for VBS, we do not. I speaking to other pastors, they do so in order to help with the costs (our VBS typically costs us $10-12 per child), but also to discourage what they perceive to be the problem of children attending several VBS programs over the summer as a kind of day care. We don't consider that a problem.

Depending on the area, it might make sense to charge to offset VBS program costs; maybe communicated as a 'suggested donation' so as to not exclude those who don't have $10/per child discretionary income.

As for deterring serial-VBSers, I think that is a terrible reason to charge.

It does raise an interesting question of whether VBS is a ministry to the community at large or whether it is intended only for the unchurched in the community.

I think that VBS is one of the more reliable marketing programs available to local congregations.

[Marsha Lynn]

I think that VBS is one of the more reliable marketing programs available to local congregations.

It's absolutely the best outreach program we have. Not only does it bring us kids, it also provides opportunities to get involved for teens and adults who haven't found a place of service in the regular routine of the church.

For the last several years, we have provided a worker/parent "break" room with snacks and couches. It's a wonderful place to engage people in conversation who don't usually stick around for "fellowship".

Marsha

[Craig Laughlin]

Depending on the area, it might make sense to charge to offset VBS program costs; maybe communicated as a 'suggested donation' so as to not exclude those who don't have $10/per child discretionary income.

As for deterring serial-VBSers, I think that is a terrible reason to charge.

It does raise an interesting question of whether VBS is a ministry to the community at large or whether it is intended only for the unchurched in the community.

I think that VBS is one of the more reliable marketing programs available to local congregations.

Our charge is $10 per kid with a max of $20. (I think)

I killed a VBS once because it was just church kids. I wouldn't wouldn't have minded the VBS if we had been willing to say... okay we are going to commit this money and volunteer resource to the spiritual care of the children of the Mega Church down the street. Great lets talk about that as a part of our mission and maybe we decide to do it. What I really objected to was that VBS was far and away the major portion of our Outreach/Evangelism budget both in terms of dollars and volunteer energy.

My thing is, tell the truth even if it is painful. I ended up saying to the board "are we comfortable with the fact that we give large amounts of resource to the spiritual formation of First Baptist children and none to reaching the children that don't attend church at all?" - That changed the nature of the conversation. The other option would be to affirm VBS as a discipleship program and not invite outsiders.

My challenge is - how much of the budget and volunteer hours go to Real outreach not programs primarily for insiders that we hope someone who doesn't go to church will come to. In my current church we now have a lot of unchurched kids coming to VBS and this year a bunch came to Sunday as well, but that only happened after we started up more secular outreaches that they came to first. (Giant Easter Egg Hunt and Trunk or Treat)

[Marsha Lynn]

You start dealin' with these 'lifers' - tha's a whole nother ballgame......

(Yep, gotta love 'em.)

It's interesting. At the library people often ask me how old participants in the summer programming for children can be. I tell them there is no maximum age. It's advertised as a children's program. Anyone who wants to participate is welcome. We basically never have anyone over 10 or 11 and few over 9, even though we're in the middle of town and have preteens traipsing in and out all summer. But the church, not easily reached on foot, has to set a max age limit and then tell a 12-year-old to leave? It's not as though the church is running such a high-quality program that adolescents flock to it.

I wish I could get to know that 12-year-old better. I know some of his history and see him at the library from time to time but he shows no interest in forming relationships with adults, closing up and going into full defensive mode, including lying if at all feasible, when forced to interact with us. Some of last year's preteens who prompted the lowered upper age limit are also library users.

In a different time and place I would love to volunteer to take on any interested preteens for VBS, but in this time and place it doesn't happen and I just observe and wonder. I am particularly puzzled as one who hated VBS and was horrified to discover that the summer I was finally going to escape into the ranks of the workers was the year we did a joint VBS with the church just down the road and someone came up with the bright idea of having a Jr. High class!



Marsha

[Mike Schutz]

VBS is not usually an "entry" point for us. Of the kids who will come to VBS this week, it is likely that we already had some kind of connection (other than them being neighbors or friends of other families connected to our church) with 80% of them.
However, it is a "bridge" event. This is the event that connects kids that attend our Academy (summer day camp program, school year after- school program, preschool) to an explicitly church program - as we say, it is a safe way for them to "cross the parking lot" from our school to the church. It allows our parents to build relationships. Often, the new kids that will begin attending Caravan, or Kids' Choir, or 456ers, or youth group, connected through VBS.

[Billy Cox]

My challenge is - how much of the budget and volunteer hours go to Real outreach not programs primarily for insiders that we hope someone who doesn't go to church will come to. In my current church we now have a lot of unchurched kids coming to VBS and this year a bunch came to Sunday as well, but that only happened after we started up more secular outreaches that they came to first. (Giant Easter Egg Hunt and Trunk or Treat)

In the corporate world we call it 'lead qualification'. The dark side of the attractional marketing is that programs appealing to the unchurched will likely appeal to nominal church people as well; 'nominal' meaning that their relationship with a local congregation is more 'renter' than 'owner.'

[Ryan Scott]

So, the kids who hop from one VBS to another are church kids where you are? The last two years in Jersey all the church kids went exclusively to their own VBS and the kids who went to all of them were the ones whose parents wanted free day care.

Thankfully every VBS program I've seen are all equally devoid of sound theology, so there are no contradictions for these kids to navigate.

[Billy Cox]

So, the kids who hop from one VBS to another are church kids where you are? The last two years in Jersey all the church kids went exclusively to their own VBS and the kids who went to all of them were the ones whose parents wanted free day care.

Thankfully every VBS program I've seen are all equally devoid of sound theology, so there are no contradictions for these kids to navigate.

So you're saying that Jesus never interacted with time-traveling robots??

[Marsha Lynn]

So, the kids who hop from one VBS to another are church kids where you are? The last two years in Jersey all the church kids went exclusively to their own VBS and the kids who went to all of them were the ones whose parents wanted free day care.

Thankfully every VBS program I've seen are all equally devoid of sound theology, so there are no contradictions for these kids to navigate.

So you're saying that Jesus never interacted with time-traveling robots??

And our goal in life is not to win the race?

[Nate Pruitt]

And our goal in life is not to win the race?

That raises a good point. Perhaps Craig should have been working to "steal the sheep" from First Baptist down the street. That'll learn 'em!

Unfortunately my church can't man a VBS right now. Perhaps some day I'll start a separate topic about what children's ministry looks like for our congregation.

[Jim Franklin]

Never heard of such a thing.

[Peggy Gray]

You mean...it's okay to have theology and fun at the same time????

[Jim Chabot]

You mean...it's okay to have theology and fun at the same time????

Exactly!

We heard a wonderful VBS type of story last night from Gary Bond. He was telling of a first grader in his wife's public school classroom, the young fellow had ADD, and ADHD and LMNOP. On one Monday morning Gary's wife could tell that this boy was bursting at the seams, so she asked him if he had anything to share with the class. He proudly marched to the front of the class and announced, "Yesterday at church I GOT SAVED!!" she had to turn away briefly to wipe the tears that came so suddenly. This brought anger from the class because this boy had caused the teacher to cry, when she turned back she said "I am so, so proud of you, this is the best decision you will ever make in your entire life.

At recess, the classmates wanted to know "saved from what?" The little boy answered quickly, saying, "you know that every one of us is born with a nature that caused us to sin and do bad things, and because of this we deserve to go to hell. But God doesn't want us to go to hell, He wants us to be with Him in heaven forever, so He sent His son to die in our place in order to save us from hell. And all you have to do is to be sorry for the way we are, and ask Jesus to save us and guide us and He will! And now, I'm saved and I'm going to go to heaven!"

Gary said that he wished he could preach as quickly as this little boy!

[Alisa Stoll]

The only time we've charged was when we did VBS for an inner city church as a mission and charged the workers to participate.

Alisa

[Sarah Smith]

Let me add that while the church kids enjoy vbs, in our particular town the mindset is evangelistic.

So we get Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodist, Baptist, and Nazarenes frequently helping each other out both in terms of workers and $$. Good Catholics frequently donate food.

We deliberately schedule so as not to have two at once in town.

Gospel ABC's are used by all.

[Ed DiSante]

some do but we don't

[Craig Laughlin]

Let me add that while the church kids enjoy vbs, in our particular town the mindset is evangelistic.

So we get Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodist, Baptist, and Nazarenes frequently helping each other out both in terms of workers and $$. Good Catholics frequently donate food.

We deliberately schedule so as not to have two at once in town.

Gospel ABC's are used by all.

This is a great point. We give all our decorations, sets and left over materials to a smaller church on the other side of town. (We do a fair amount of "custom" stuff) This allows them to put on a much better VBS than they could normally afford. We are all on the same team. We have also "gone together" and done a "joint" VBS with a couple of smaller churches in the area. Mostly this means they bring their kids and volunteers to our church. Then do their own Sunday Celebration.

[Billy Cox]

So we get Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodist, Baptist, and Nazarenes frequently helping each other out both in terms of workers and $$. Good Catholics frequently donate food.

Maybe the other groups are so confident of their catechism that they have no fear that their kids will be led astray by those Nazarenes with their Arminian heresy.

[Nate Pruitt]

Good Catholics frequently donate food.

What do the bad Catholics donate?

[Billy Cox]

What do the bad Catholics donate?

recalled toys?

[Ryan Scott]

At recess, the classmates wanted to know "saved from what?" The little boy answered quickly, saying, "you know that every one of us is born with a nature that caused us to sin and do bad things, and because of this we deserve to go to hell. But God doesn't want us to go to hell, He wants us to be with Him in heaven forever, so He sent His son to die in our place in order to save us from hell. And all you have to do is to be sorry for the way we are, and ask Jesus to save us and guide us and He will! And now, I'm saved and I'm going to go to heaven!"!

Yes, that's exactly the kind of bad theology I'm talking about.

(And by that I don't mean the kid shouldn't be excited to explain the gospel to his friends, but simply that it shouldn't be that difficult to explain proper wesleyan theology to a child.)