This is my second year as VBS Director. I love doing it and have been very excited about this year's theme. My problem is that our church calendar really filled up this year and we haven't had much time devoted to publicizing VBS.

I put someone in charge of publicity but she hasn't done anything. We've only got 2 weeks before VBS starts and I'm beginning to feel overwhelmed. I do work well under pressure, but I just hate having this kind of pressure on me. I just need to hear from a few of you who've gone through this and come out okay on the other side.

Thanks in Advance for you help so far and your encouragement!

I have a couple of suggestions. If you can get a poster printed, you can usually get permission to hang one in local stores and businesses -- especially if they already have a tie to your church. Give a stack to each of your workers and ask them to take them wherever they go for the next two weeks. That will cover a lot of businesses and get your information out in the community.
Something else we've done effectively is to print up invitations (1/2 sheets of paper) and have our young people hand them out. This could be an organized event, but it works just as effectively if a couple of families are willing to get together for a few hours. Just going door to door (in a community with houses close together preferably) usually brings in a number of students.
I would also be sure all the kids in your church get a take-home invitation the next time they're in the building. (You could also have a coloring sheet or a poster contest for them to get them involved.)
Our VBS is in 2 weeks as well, so I'm starting to feel that pressure, too.

I don't know if you do a mailing list for your VBS, but it works for our church. I use the Awana, Youth Group, Church, Christian School and last years VBS list as a mailing list and send out a letters to all. We also hang posters around town on poles. Also, I know the kids tell all their neigborhood friends and family.

VBS CAME QUITE QUICKLY THIS YEAR AND I DID NOT GET IT POSTED ON THE CABLE TILL THE WEEK BEFORE VBS AND WE GOT OUR POSTERS OUT THE WEEK BEFORE ALSO--THE LADY THAT USUALLY DOES IT WAS LAID UP IN THE BED TILL THEN--SHE IS A QUADRAPLEGIC!

I NEVER WAS ABLE TO PURCHASE AN OUTDOOR POSTER THIS YEAR AND SO WE HAD NO ADVERTISING JUST WORD OF MOUTH AND A FEW PHONE CALLS AND GOD BLESSED US AS USUAL WITH AS MANY CHILDREN AS WE USUALLY HAVE--PERHAPS A COUPLE MORE AND MORE WORKERS THAN NORMAL.

I HAD A WONDERFUL ASSISTANT THIS YEAR THAT KEPT THE CHURCH ON THEIR TOES AS HEAD CHEERLEADER DURING WORSHIP SERVICES--SHE WORKS FULL TIME AND I WORK 70+ HOURS A WEEK, BUT IT WAS WONDERFUL AND WE ARE ALREADY WORKING ON NEXT YEAR.

IF I CAN BE OF ANY HELP PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I CAN BE REACHED AT MY E-MAIL AS FOLLOWS: NANAMAY49@YAHOO.COM AND I ALWAYS READ MY MAIL WHEN I GET HOME AT NIGHT AND SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE DAY.

GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR STAFF THIS YEAR AND THINGS WILL WORK OUT JUST AS HE HAS PLANNED FOR YOU.

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Originally posted by mich-in-braz:
This is my second year as VBS Director. I love doing it and have been very excited about this year's theme. My problem is that our church calendar really filled up this year and we haven't had much time devoted to publicizing VBS.

I put someone in charge of publicity but she hasn't done anything. We've only got 2 weeks before VBS starts and I'm beginning to feel overwhelmed. I do work well under pressure, but I just hate having this kind of pressure on me. I just need to hear from a few of you who've gone through this and come out okay on the other side.

Thanks in Advance for you help so far and your encouragement!

Thank you to everyone for your ideas and encouragement. We finished up our VBS this past week and it was GREAT!

I think I really came to understand how little VBS relies upon the people involved and how much it depends on God to do the work. Everything just fell into place with little to no help on our end of things. God really recieved all of the glory for this one!!