Critical? Absolutely! Practiced a lot? Not exactly.
But, can that be changed? Yes, indeed.
Remember, twenty-four percent of all baptisms come directly through Vacation Bible School. That could be improved dramatically if our churches would just do effective follow-up.
What do we mean? Here are some practical guidelines to follow.
- Look through your VBS registration cards, beginning on your first day of VBS, pull out those cards of children not attending any church anywhere, but live in your area. Have a follow-up team contact their parents just to say ‘Thank you’ and invite them to your VBS Family night celebration.
- We must make certain that every child, and every family that attends our VBS is followed up with a ‘Thanks for coming’. This can be done by phone, personal visit, post card, email, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Take your choice, just make sure it gets done within the week after your VBS.
- During your VBS, look through your registration cards for those children not enrolled in Sunday School/Bible Study. Contact their parents/guardian and asked if they and their children would like to be enrolled in Sunday School/Bible Study.
- When you have children make a profession of faith in Christ during your VBS, make an appointment with their parents/guardian to clarify/celebrate their decision. If the parents/guardian are not attending church, this is a great time to share the Gospel with them.
VBS Follow-up should not be considered an option, but a strong necessity.
Let’s just do it.
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Kiely Young is the Director of the Sunday School Department for the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board. He is one of the authors of The Missional Sunday School blog.
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