Creative Ministry with Kids

My friends and family know all too well that my absolute favorite event of the year is Vacation Bible School. It requires many months of preparation, boatloads of work, countless volunteers, significant church funds, and when we finally launch, we barely blink and 5 days later we are already tearing down all that decor that took so long to make.

So what’s the big deal? Is it really worth it?

100% YES!!!

Vacation Bible School is one week where everyone—every family in our church, every child who attends at any point, every person in the community who drives by and sees our sign or looks at our social media—sees and hears an important message. Kids, you’re worth it! You are worth it to us and, more importantly, you’re worth it to Jesus.

I love the oohs and aahs when preschoolers walk into a room full of lighted jellyfish hanging from the ceiling, when 2nd graders climb on a wooden submarine, when 5th graders notice the silhouettes of sharks above the “water” hanging overhead. These expressions of surprise and awe say way more than “cool decor!” These wow moments are indicators that these kids have received an important message—a loud and clear message that they are welcome in this place…that we value their very presence here. Sound familiar?

Yep! It’s the same message Jesus taught to his disciples in that familiar scene we often relay when talking about children’s ministry. “Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them” (Matthew 19:13). “People” brought little children to Jesus. What “people”? Was it just anyone? There’s really only one logical answer. We have to assume that parents brought their children. Parents wanted their children in the presence of Jesus…Parents wanted Jesus to bless their kids. And the heart of Jesus was to do exactly that. Jesus welcomed those kids. Mark 10:16 says, “And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.“

What does Vacation Bible School say to parents? Every piece of decor, every volunteer, every thematically crafted snack and game screams to those parents, “Let the little children come to me.” We are here for your children! Your kids are welcome here and worth every bit of this effort.

And the kids? They are wowed the moment they scurry into the building during VBS week, but they get to experience firsthand the value we place on them with every interaction they have with station leaders, crew leaders, check-in volunteers, etc. Every smile that they see, every conversation that they have, every lesson they are taught says, “To [YOU] belongs the kingdom of God.”

We give these kids an amazing, fun week, but not a shallow week. Not a week just of play. Not a week just of silly activities. We give the children a week where everything we do, every song we sing, every game we play, points them straight to Jesus. Some of those kids will come back to us for more after VBS is over. Others will go back to their home churches. And yet others will not darken the door of a church until next year’s VBS. In every one of those scenarios, the message is still loud and clear.

“You’re worth it.”

“God loves you.”

“You are invited and welcome in the presence of Jesus.”

“Let the little children come to me.”

This is the heart of Children’s Ministry. This is the message we strive to send to parents and children every week throughout the year. But Vacation Bible School in a special way embodies that message for a full week like no other activity that we do.

So I unapologetically work on VBS year-round. Every moment that I spend creating and planning is a moment well spent. And it’s my hope and prayer that after all the thematic fun and games, churched and unchurched children alike will hear the message of VBS echo in their hearts throughout the year, “Jesus invites you in his presence. You matter to him. You’re worth it.”