Vacation Bible School is a tried-and-true method to reach restless children – and parents – with the gospel through engaging and fun summer activities. There are options for churches looking for additional outreach ideas or those looking to try something new this summer.
Churches might consider using sports teams led by student summer missionaries to establish relationships and share the gospel with children in their communities.“VBS is effective in outreach and evangelism, and we encourage every church to hold VBS,” said Sue Harmon, associate director of the children’s ministry group at the South Carolina Baptist Convention.
“We realize, however, that some churches and new church plants don’t want to do a traditional VBS,” Harmon continued, “so we’re encouraging them to look at VBS-like alternatives – special summer events that will reach families and children in the community who aren’t connected to a church.”
Target groups
Pastor Ruben de Jesus describes the community surrounding Crosspoint Church in Bluffton as “diverse and transient.” The bilingual church holds worship services in a school building and is surrounded by multiple apartment complexes.
For the last three years, the church has led an active apartment ministry and welcomes mission teams throughout the year to help them reach new families through VBS, Upward sports, seasonal camps, and block parties.
This summer, Crosspoint Church will partner with other churches and mission teams to host sports camps in the apartment complexes and nearby subdivisions. De Jesus said the goal is to build momentum with a series of camps and activities to become more consistent within the community throughout the year.
“We encourage church members to make a friend, build relationships, and then invite the person to a small group and worship,” de Jesus said. “There are people in our congregation who first came to church because of friendships, and then they came to Christ. We must be genuinely interested in being a friend first, then who knows what can happen.”
Target activities
Northside Church in Lexington has held traditional VBS for years and continues to do so, but decided to add another type of summer outreach four years ago.
Northside became a host church for Winshape Camps for Communities, a weeklong day camp for children grades 1-6 that is run by Connect Ministries, Inc., which is affiliated with Chick-Fil-A. As a host church, it provides the facilities and some volunteers to build relationships with campers, while the Winshape team of enthusiastic college-aged leaders, a camp pastor, and a band lead the activities and provide feedback on decisions made during the camp so that the church can follow up with children and families.
“Winshape is like VBS on steroids,” said Northside’s minister to children, David Ford. “It encompasses the best things of children’s ministry in a one-week intensive camp. It has changed the dynamic of our children’s ministry and raised the standard for the types of children’s programs we can provide.”
Northside has determined that 70 percent of its community is unchurched. It partners with other local churches to host Winshape as an outreach intended to reach campers without a church home.
“It’s hard for a summer camp to be a true outreach when it is filled with church kids,” Ford said. “This year we are focusing on Luke 14, which talks about hosting a banquet for those who can’t pay you back. We want to make sure this camp gets certain people to the table, that it is open to everyone.”
Winshape campers and their families are invited to a Chick-Fil-A lunch on the last day of camp, where they hear the plan of salvation and are invited to worship with churches in the community. Last year, Northside’s Winshape camp saw 11 decisions made for Christ.
“There are a lot of camp alternatives to get the gospel out to kids in the community, and Winshape works for us. The camp is available to churches in communities close to Chick-Fil-A restaurants, and smaller churches can partner together to host their own Winshape,” Ford said.
Target teamwork
Partnership is another aspect to consider when planning new summer outreach. The SCBC collegiate ministry group is recruiting college students to serve as summer missionaries on sports teams. Student sports teams have served in other places across the country and around the world, but this is the first time a team like this has been assembled to serve in South Carolina.
The students will partner with churches and associations to share the gospel with community children and their families.
Ken Owens, director of the SCBC collegiate ministry group, said he looks forward to seeing what God will do through these students and their partnerships. “We have a number of students who have sports experience in their backgrounds, and this avenue allows them to use their gifts and experience as a means to share the good news of Christ,” Owens said.
Harmon said every church can do something to establish relationships and share the gospel with people in the community during the summer months. “For most churches, VBS is the preferred way to do that, but for others, it may be another way,” Harmon said. – SCBC