With summer near, VBS recruitment is top of mind for kidmin leaders. Where can you find volunteers for this important ministry?
To recruit volunteers for VBS, the obvious place to start is with your regular weekly children’s ministry volunteers and teachers. But you might also find volunteers in some unexpected places.
Volunteering for vacation Bible school can take many shapes and forms. People can help prep and decorate, or they can serve more directly with kids during the week. Here are some great ideas we’ve heard over the years.
VBS Recruitment Tips for Your Program
Youth group/high school students
Lots of churches use their youth groups as crew leaders and station helpers. They usually keep it to 16 and older, but if seventh- through tenth-graders want to volunteer, they’re great as assistants. You can also offer volunteer hours to help students qualify for things like National Honor Society or to improve their college applications. Inviting young people to discover the joy of serving benefits God’s family beyond what you can imagine!
Retired community
One church has a couple of older gentlemen who serve as greeters at VBS. All the kids refer to them as the “high-five guys” because they give high-fives to every kid who arrives. That has created relationships that span decades.
The church quilters/crafters/bridge club
Need help creating decorations or putting together packets for kids? Check in with one of the clubs or groups in your church that meet regularly. See if they can donate some time to organize for VBS.
Calling all carpenters/set designers
Looking to build an amazing VBS environment? Put out a call for carpenters, designers, and artists in your church. Ask them to donate half a day to build the VBS set.
College kids home for the summer
Promise them free food, and they will come in droves.
Other church staff members
Tap into other church leaders, such as your youth pastor or women’s ministry leader, and use them as station leaders. They often serve the kids’ parents or older siblings, and it’s another way to foster relationships and help families connect.
