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| |  Posted 2/19/2008 8:32:37 AM | |
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| | I agree on Group making it elaborate and expensive. The suggestions I have seen so far for decorating is far above our capacity. But we have learned to work with what we have....you will also. Somehow, get as many people involved as possible. They will have connections to stuff you are not aware of. We have done the Holy Land the last 2 years and will again this year. We do it outside, put up canaopies and make a "little village." The kids love it. I am spending about a $1 per day per studenton crafts. (one week = $5 per student) I think I mentioned in another post somewhere here, that the kids loved the t shirts last year. They were donated last year. Michaels had nice shirts for $2 ea on special. This year I think we will have each student bring their shirt when they hand in twhen they register. We will makr their name on it. We had a problem with sizes last year. Didn't have enough of the right size etc. I really like this forum! I didn't find it until this year and I have been looking at it every day. We can get ideas from other people's suggestions. I am so thankful for that! Keep on Keeping on! God Bless all you hard workers. It is worth every minute we put in it when it starts taking place.  CJ in KC
I'm walkin' that line, to the promised land! God Bless |
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| | | Posted 2/19/2008 9:14:45 PM | |
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| | As another one new to VBS this year with not much of a budget, I can understand your frustration. It is overwhelming when you begin to plan for the first time. I am experiencing that myself right now. I think what we must remember is that Satan will do everything he can to get us to stop doing outreach programs like VBS for our communities. He doesn't want our children to learn of the love of the Lord. We can't let him win. That's why I agree that prayer is the most important tool that we can use. Get some real prayer warriors to help you out while going through the planning, set up and actual VBS days/evenings. They will be such a blessing to you! I know that I plan to have a dedicated team of people to pray for our VBS this year. Just keep plugging away and you'll be blessed by the whole experience!
Coreen in Iowa |
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| | | Posted 2/25/2008 5:34:04 AM | |
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| | Thanks for the pep talk PJ ,joy and all the others who bring me up when the devil gets me down. We will have a fine bible school, and will plant seeds. I can't help but be discouraged by the lack of "help" from adults that we need, but somehow God always sends me the people I need last minute, which stresses me out, but then I am reminded of that old joke of the man who sat on his roof in a flood and drown even though heprayed to God to save him and god said I sent you a man, a boat and a helicopter and you didn't take them and the man says but I was waiting for you..Sometimes we don't see God in the people and things he sends us.We get so busy looking for the big light show we miss the small shooting start and fail to grab on. I will just have to re-hang the poster my friend sent me when I started teaching 38 years ago; "I have done so much, with so little,for so long, I find I can do anything, with next to nothing and make it look good in the process"! I'm finding lots of good stuff at my small independent dollar store here in Novi, MI. I told the owner, a lovely christian Chineese lady I needed hula hoops for VBS, so she left me this message. "The hoops you want for hula will be in next week", and because you Christian I give you discount", and wanted to know the date so her grand daughter could come. See here's that boat from God already! Craft Bonnie |
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| | | Posted 2/25/2008 7:38:13 AM | |
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| | YES! I love those stories, Crafty! One of my all-time favorite decorations for VBS was for Fiesta. I bought one pack of $.99 construction paper in a brick red and TORE the paper into "bricks". The church has white plaster walls so we taped them alongside the windows in a way so that they gave the church a sort of Spanish/stucco coming off look! It cost next to nothing (I still have most of the pack of paper! LOL) and it was extremely easy to do. 
Don't worry, we'll have more ideas that are even simpler and cheaper as the time draws near! I'm just beginning to work on my decorating ideas and I usually have $0 budget other than what I spend out of my own pocket! The cactus below was made from a science fair board I saved from the trash and some fabric. The "buildings" were made from free cardboard and some $1/yd fabric from Walmart! 
So don't despair! Lots of us are in the same boat with little or no money and not much help. If you are going to purchase one thing for decorations, though, let me HIGHLY recommend the giant challenge beaker from Group. It's a LOT of punch for the money because it's big and very cool and could be shared from VBS to VBS (or maybe resold here!).
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| | | Posted 2/25/2008 7:45:43 AM | |
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| Ditto on the Giant Flask. Although I got mine as a gift I was seriously saving to get one. It is something that if you choose to keep you can use for many other activities. 
Partnering with parents to "TRAIN" up our children in the way they should go! |
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| | | Posted 4/30/2008 11:39:53 PM | |
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| | OK - so the question is.... which is more beneficial, the decorating DVD or the clip art, decorating and publicity CD??? Neither is in the starter kit. Do we need both? |
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| | | Posted 5/1/2008 8:08:30 PM | |
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| | My vote is for the Decorating, Clipart, & Publicity CD!! Most people agree on the boards that if you don't have a large budget then the Decorating DVD is pretty unhelpful. The Decorating & Clipart CD gives you so much stuff to use in all aspects of your VBS from fliers to decorations. This CD is much, much more helpful than the Decorating DVD if you're on a tight budget!! God Bless, Matt
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| | | Posted 5/1/2008 8:42:43 PM | |
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| I agree with Matt - the clipart and such are way too valuable not to get. I didn't get a chance to watch the decorating DVD, so I can't comment on it. But we use the clipart & publicity cd A LOT.
God Bless!
~Cassie
"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." ~John 8:12 (NIV) |
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| | | Posted 5/1/2008 9:01:53 PM | |
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| | Here in Indy there's several mega churches they even have police directing traffic for VBS. Our church on a good day we have 50 to 60 and myself at 55yrs, I'm one of the kids. Our VBS can be 100 to 50 kids. Everyone is always looking for something to help w/ VBS. I have done decorations for the past 6 or 7 years, about 3 years ago we tried a different program that Group... It was just ok not the WOW factor. I'm sold on Groups and this board makes a major difference. Budget ...o yea that's a car rental place. I have posted this before, but I love having the Lord's blessing in finding the material, ideas and ability. I'm taking a couple of vacation days just to get started next week. The year we built the landrover (jeep) I needed 16" tires... off to P&P golf cart sales. I told them i was looking for USED tires and what I was doing... they gave me 4 of them. Driving home I stop at a garage sale and bought two fog lights (headlights) for a dollar. Still driving home I was thinking w/ a 2x6 and two 2x4's I could start building the frame. About that time here's a another garage sale, he had glass jars of screws for 50 cents...I was paying and looked down and there was a 2x6 and two 2x4"s for $2...Thank you Lord. You can read many listings where the big box stores gives cardboard or discount damage goods. HomeDepot sells "oops" paint at $1 a quart you might need a couple to mix for the color you want. Just today Charles Stanley said "Pray often eliminates complaining".
JoeCoolIndianapolis, IN http://hometown.aol.com/joecanasta/index.html |
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| | | Posted 5/2/2008 5:24:55 AM | |
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| | One thing I forgot we share our props w/ other churches in the area. My wife keeps a record of who,where and when. The one thing that I ask that they pick-up and return to us. Some churches gives us a love offering which helps too. The year of LavaLava Island we had several trash bags of greenery, someone returned an extra bag when they returned the props... it was a bag of trash....oops.
JoeCoolIndianapolis, IN http://hometown.aol.com/joecanasta/index.html |
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