Your Vacation Bible School touched a number of people, not just kids. How can you touch base with them? Here are ways to follow up with individuals in three categories: all who attended VBS, those who made decisions at VBS, and adults.
VBS attendees
Plan to follow up with postcards, thanking students for their attendance and inviting them to upcoming events. Schedule a home visit.- Give the names of and pertinent information about your students to those who would teach them in Sunday School or your church’s weekday club.
- Suggest that these leaders contact the attendees by sending VBS postcards or Strong Kids Welcome postcards.
- Take or send a care package to the student. The package could include a tract, leftover VBS novelties, and promotional materials about your church’s services and programs.
- You may want to suggest that a VBS worker accompany the Sunday School or weekday Bible club worker who visits a VBS attendee. Since seeing a familiar face will comfort children, this team approach will help children feel comfortable about returning to the church for a new program.
- Those who visit might want to ask the parents if they have any questions about what their children learned during VBS.
- You may also want to give the parents’ names to adult Sunday School or Bible study leaders. They can invite the adults to special events, recreational times, and the like, as well as to regular church services.
- Add the attendees’ names and addresses to your mailing list for weekday clubs, special events, and anything else that will attract and bless children.
- Divide the names of your attendees among your “prayer warriors” to pray for the children who attended VBS.
- Schedule follow-ups with the children, to touch base with them periodically.
Children and teens who made decisions at VBS
- If students made decisions during VBS, help them share this with their parents. Be sure to offer a way to disciple those students.
- Keeping in mind that a familiar face comforts a student, send one of the workers from a student’s class when you or another adult follows up on that student.
- Find out if the student understands the decision he or she made. Ask parents if they have questions about their children’s decisions.
- Decide whether you will leave a discipleship book, such as Welcome to the Family!, with the student, or will try to meet with the student for discipleship, or will hold a discipleship class for children, or will encourage the student to attend children’s classes at your church.
- Coordinate follow-up on teens with your church’s student ministries staff. Encourage them to regularly touch base with the teens and to not be discouraged if it seems the teens are not responding.
Adults
Did any parents visiting your VBS make decisions or indicate an interest in Christ or in your church? Give their information to the staff member or deacon who coordinates follow-up and discipleship.- Invite parents to adult functions at your church. Answer any questions they have. You might want to give their names to adult Bible study teachers or the pastoral staff for additional follow-up.
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The more you can do to follow up, disciple, and touch base with VBS attendees, the more likely you are to have a long-lasting effect on each child’s life.
This is part 1 in a four-part series, Conserve the Results of VBS.
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