School break arrives and the neighborhood fills with children who do not have much to do. The Vacation Bible School (VBS) is the Club's answer to that: a full week of stories, music, snacks, art and play, open to every child, whether Adventist or not.
The VBS is the Adventist version of Vacation Bible School. It is a project of the Children's Ministry of the Adventist Church and exists to evangelize and disciple in a playful, welcoming and pressure-free way. You do not need to invent anything from scratch: there is a ready-made official kit every year.
This guide shows the complete path. You will see how to choose the theme, build the days, organize the stations, open registration with parental authorization, protect every child and turn the week into a real bond with the families.
What the VBS is and why the Club should do it
The Vacation Bible School is a program that fills a few days of the school break, created by the Children's Ministry of the Adventist Church, to welcome children during the vacation. It combines Bible study, music, craft, recreation and a snack, all in child-friendly language. It is recognized as one of the simplest and most effective tools of children's evangelism.
For your Club, the VBS is a perfect combination. On one hand, it is service to the community: you open the doors to the neighborhood children during the break, for free, with care. On the other, it is sowing: many families get to know the Club for the first time through the VBS and end up enrolling their children in the Adventurers or Pathfinders afterward.
The tone is always one of invitation, never of imposition. Jesus said: 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these' (Matthew 19:14, NIV). The VBS is exactly that: removing the obstacles and letting the child come close, at their own pace and their family's.
If your church has never held a VBS, start small. A group of 20 to 30 children already fills a week with joy and trains the team for the following year.
Choose the theme and use the official kit
Every year the Children's Ministry launches a theme with a complete kit. In 2026, for example, the theme is 'Adventures in the Desert', which teaches about the Sanctuary in a playful way. You download the material on the church's official website and receive a day-by-day script, stories, song lyrics, craft ideas, decoration templates and snack suggestions.
Using the official kit saves weeks of work and guarantees reviewed biblical content. Do not reinvent the wheel. Download the material, read the entire script before deciding anything and adapt only what your space and your budget require.
The decoration is what makes the child feel they have entered another world. If the theme is the desert, transform the hallway into an oasis with fabric, straw and camel figures. It does not have to cost much: cardboard boxes, felt fabric, paint and the Unit's creativity solve almost everything.
Set the theme and the dates at least six to eight weeks in advance. That is the time the team needs to rehearse songs, test crafts and promote it properly in the neighborhood.
The classic structure of a week
The VBS usually takes place from Monday to Friday, in a single session, generally two to three hours per day. The official kit, however, is flexible: the 2026 edition, for example, was planned for up to six days and adapts from a weekend to a whole week of break. Morning or afternoon works; choose the coolest time that is easiest for parents to drop off and pick up.
Each day revolves around a biblical truth from the theme. The child arrives, is welcomed with music, hears the story of the day, goes through the stations and leaves with a keepsake they made themselves. The repetition of the routine gives security: by the third day, they already know the way and sing on their own.
Set up a fixed schedule and post it on the team's wall. A simple two-hour example:
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 0:00–0:15 | Welcome and name tag |
| 0:15–0:40 | Praise and opening |
| 0:40–1:05 | Bible story |
| 1:05–1:25 | Snack |
| 1:25–1:50 | Craft |
| 1:50–2:00 | Recreation and goodbye |
The last day deserves a special closing: a small presentation for the parents, handing out a participation certificate and a clear invitation to the next step. Save the final ten minutes of the last day for that.
Read alsoCommunity tutoring: the club that teaches the neighborhoodThe five stations, one by one
The soul of the VBS is the stations. Each one has a purpose and, preferably, a fixed pair of leaders. Rotating the groups among them keeps the pace and avoids children standing idle.
Bible story. It is the heart of the day. Tell the theme's passage with a puppet, dramatization, objects or a short video. Say little and show much. Always end with a simple question and a thirty-second prayer.
Praise. Songs with gestures are the magnet of the VBS. Use the kit's songs, repeat the same ones all week and let the older children help up front. This is where shyness melts away.
Snack. More than food, it is care. Offer something simple and healthy, always ask about allergies on the registration form and have plenty of water. A well-organized snack also gives the team the break it needs.
Craft. The child takes home something they made themselves, connected to the story of the day. Prepare the materials cut and sorted by group before starting, otherwise the station becomes chaos. What goes home becomes conversation in the family.
Recreation. Guided play burns energy and builds friendship. Cooperative games, a light gymkhana and circuits work well. Focus on including everyone, not on competing. When discipline gets tight, correct with firmness and affection, in the spirit of positive discipline.
Promotion, registration and the parents' form
Start promoting two to three weeks in advance. A poster at the church, a printed invitation for the children to hand to their neighbors, a neighborhood mothers' group and the Club's networks work better together than alone. Word of mouth from the children themselves is the strongest.
No child participates without a registration form filled out and signed by a guardian. This document is not bureaucracy: it is protection for the child and for the Club. Ask for it in a simple way, at the moment of registration or on the first day.
The form must contain, at a minimum: the child's name and age; the name and phone number of two responsible contacts; who is authorized to pick up the child; allergies, dietary restrictions and health conditions; and a signed authorization for participation and image use, the latter always optional and checked by the parents.
Make clear in the invitation what the VBS is: a Christian program of the Adventist Church, free, open to every child. Non-Adventist families should feel welcome and informed, never surprised. Transparency builds trust and opens doors.
Child protection: the rule that is not negotiable
Receiving other people's children is a huge responsibility. Child protection comes before any beautiful program. If safety is lacking, cancel the activity, not the safety.
Adopt the two-adult rule: never leave a volunteer alone with a child or group. Each room has at least two adults, and the bathroom is always accompanied by two people or with the door in view. This protects the child and also protects the volunteer from any accusation.
Control entry and exit. Only hand over the child to those authorized on the form. If someone else shows up, call the guardian first. Keep an attendance list for each day and check who arrived and who left.
Build a team of known and trusted volunteers, brief everyone before the week begins and have a first aid kit and your local emergency number on hand (in Brazil, SAMU 192). First aid here is awareness and prevention; in any real emergency, call your local emergency number (in Brazil, SAMU 192) and seek care. Do not improvise when it comes to health.
Also watch the atmosphere among the children. The VBS welcomes many who do not know each other, and play can turn into exclusion. Stay alert to nicknames and cliques, in the same spirit as those who know how to prevent bullying in the Club.
The follow-up: where the week becomes a bond
The VBS does not end on Friday. It actually ends when the family feels part of it. The most common mistake is to hold a beautiful week and then disappear. Do not let the bond cool off.
In the following days, visit or call the families. Thank them for the child's presence, hand over a photo or keepsake and tell them, without pressure, what the Club offers all year round. A short and sincere visit is worth more than ten messages.
Here is the natural bridge. Children aged 6 to 9 can move on to the Adventurers; those aged 10 to 15, to the Pathfinders. Invite them to the next meeting, to an open event or to the children's service. The VBS is the door; the Club is the home.
Gather the team once to evaluate: what worked, what was missing, how many new children showed up and how many families want to continue. Write everything down for next year. This constant care is what shapes people, according to the counsel: 'Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it' (Proverbs 22:6, NIV). The VBS plants; continuity makes it grow. See how it fits into the Club's community service.