The Role of the Pastor in VBS

The pastor plays a vital role in the success of Vacation Bible School. Here are suggestions for ways you can support VBS in your church:

Prepare the VBS Director

• Share with the VBS Director your vision of what VBS can do for your church and community.
• Offer information about previous years and ideas for this year.
• Go over together last year’s faculty, budget, records, and evaluations.

Lead in Evangelism

• Equip VBS workers to share the gospel.
• Plan evangelistic approaches for VBS.
• Participate in the Worship Rally.
• Talk personally with VBS participants.
• Listen as participants share what they are learning.

Be Actively Involved in Planning & Promotion

• Work with the Director on a calendar, enlistment, training, promotion, and follow-up.
• Be available for brainstorming & trouble-shooting.
• Share with the church members and the community the importance of VBS.
• Designate funds for promotion of VBS.
• Promote VBS in the church newsletter, through your active involvement in the planning and preparation, and with announcements.

Challenge the Church to Support VBS through Prayer

• Work with the Sunday School Director to have every adult class adopt one VBS department or team to pray for.
• Lead the church to participate in the national Day of Prayer for VBS – May 17, 2009.
• Guide the church to use the VBS Prayer Calendar and Prayerwalk brochure found in the Administrative materials.

Participate in the Enlistment and Training of VBS Leaders

• Intentionally use VBS to find, enlist, and train new Sunday School workers.
• Enlist leaders with the expectation that they will participate in associational VBS clinics, department training, and in follow-up visits to VBS participants.
• Attend the associational VBS Clinic with the leaders.
• In a VBS faculty meeting, explain and demonstrate how to share the gospel.

Support VBS Through Your Prayers, Preaching, and Presence

• Pray for all VBS workers by name.
• Plan a VBS worker commissioning service for a Sunday morning prior to VBS.
• Preach a sermon based on the VBS scripture prior to the event.
• Visit in classrooms during VBS to build relationships with the participants.
• Greet VBS workers as they enter the Worship Rally.
• Greet parents as they pick up their children each day.
• Be involved in Family Night or “commencement” activities.

Lead in VBS Follow-up and Outreach

• Equip your Sunday School organization to cultivate new members who have been enrolled through VBS.
• Contact the families of prospects with a phone call, personal letter, or visit.
• Contact the families of VBS participants who made a decision for salvation during VBS, to explain the decision and arrange for baptism if appropriate.
• Respond to ministry needs discovered during VBS.

Adapted from LifeWay’s VBS 2008 Administrative Guide for Directors

Used by permission of LifeWay Christian Resources. For

information on LifeWay and a catalog of resources,

visit www.lifeway.com.