Community Canvas works!
Use direct mailers to target specific neighborhoods, especially those close to our church with lots of families. By targeting specific rural routes you can avoid the high costs of sending to an entire zip code. Be sure to offer an online registration method so they can register as soon as the family receives the card.
Advertise clearly.
Don’t automatically use the banner offered by your VBS publisher, they can be too hard to read from the road. Consider printing your own on a solid background with large block text. Sometimes simplicity is better than flash! Yard signs are also a great option for spreading the message.
Utilize social media.
Run ads using Facebook or other social media sites. Create a graphic or video that’s easy for parents to share on their news feed. Build word of mouth. It’s still one of the most effective tools. Encourage parents to post once they’ve registered. You can even offer a freebie like a t-shirt to the first ten kids who register and post about it online.
Create tons of volunteer jobs.
Not everyone wants to lead a group. That’s great! Put them in registration, snacks, greeters, or errand-runners. Give multiple opportunities for people to serve. Build a team bigger than what you think you need. Encourage volunteers to recruit their friends to serve. People like to serve with people they know and that’s totally cool. Let them serve together and watch your volunteer numbers increase.
Create a service for the entire family.
Don’t invite them back to see a service for adults. Gear the service towards kids. Keep the decorations up, use music from the VBS during worship, and teach a lesson related to what you learned during the week. It’s the perfect opportunity to give parents a glimpse of their child’s week, and to partner with parents, inspiring them to take the lead in the spiritual development of their kids.
To help you create the best experience for your VBS attendees, we’ve created some special bundles to help you rock your VBS!
