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 Posted 6/8/2009 6:52:46 PM |
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Forum Member
 
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 8/9/2009 7:10:47 PM
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| Ok, I am not sure if this has been done before, but I would sure like to see everyone that is on the forum. I can start. My name is Jason Allen, been VBS Directing for about 8 years now with my wife Melissa. She's more of the "behind the scenes" gal, while I am the "KING DORK" that loves to have FUN at VBS. We come from a fairly small church, about 120 members, but come VBS time we have around 60-65 kids each night. We have a great volunteer team and support team from the church. There's a song "GOD is GOOD, ALL THE TIME" he's just a little better come VBS time. Here are a couple pictures from past VBS's. I always do the closing each night and have a blast with all the kids.  
Were else can a 35 year old act like a 8 year old......VBS of course
Jason Allen
Lydia United Methodist Church
Jordan, Minnesota 55352www.LydiaZionChurch.com
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| Posted 6/9/2009 12:06:59 AM |
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Forum Expert
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 11/10/2009 9:40:35 PM
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Hi, Jason  I'll join in your "Who's Who" 
My name is Cassie Jeremias and I've been involved in Crosspoint Community Church's KidsCamp since 2006 for Fiesta. I am mostly the Craft person, but since I get obsessed with next year's theme immediately after we end this year's KidsCamp, I've become a sort of co-director for the last few years. I usually set up the schedule, order all the supplies (not just crafts), and am the go-to person onsite during the afternoons. I also get involved in the decorating. Our KidsCamp is an all day VBS/day camp, for 2 full weeks, so it takes the whole community of church members, plus 40+ youth volunteers to love on the 240+ kids we see each year.
I was so obsessed last year, I came up with the "Periodic Table of the Bible" for PowerLab -- it was totally a God thing [see attached images, I don't have them hosted anywhere]
God Bless everyone!
~Cassie
"Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." ~Matthew 28:19-20
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| Posted 6/9/2009 8:50:09 AM |
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Forum Expert
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Last Login: 9/6/2009 9:32:42 AM
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I might as well get in on the fun as well, and join both of you.
My name is Paul Silvestri and I have been involved with St. Ronald Catholic Church's Vacation Bible School since Fiesta in 2006. When I first started at St. Ronald, I was just the Photography guy who walked around every day trying to take as many pictures as I possibly could. Over the years, however, my role evolved into more than just pictures. I'm now involved in 95% of the Decorating, I have a team of 2-3 teens who work with me taking pictures and video (we took over 1,300 pictures last year), and I also do some miscellaneous "behind-the-scenes" work, like setting up the online registration in the WebToyBox.
However, I've been involved in VBS longer than my years at St. Ronald. I started way back in 1999 working in the Sing & Play/Finale area, leading the kids in song and dance at St. Anne Catholic Church in Warren, Michigan. Crocodile Dock this year will be my 10th Vacation Bible School program that I have been involved in, and I'm trying to make it the best year out of all of them.
God Bless!
Paul Silvestri
Photography/Decorating Coordinator
St. Ronald Catholic Church
Clinton Township, MI
http://www.stronaldre.com
paul[at]stronaldre[dot]com
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| Posted 6/10/2009 10:13:40 AM |
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Last Login: 10/28/2009 2:43:23 PM
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| My name is Lisa Bain and I have been involved in VBS for the past 14 years through 4 different churches. I have directed approximately 7 times and done administrative stuff since I started. Sometimes it has been groups of 100, others 150 and the most was 180. I don't sing well (my kids cover my ears), don't have creative ideas or like games. I do like to keep everything organized, participate in being crazy characters in the drama's, finding/accumulating ideas from the forums and trying to implement them. I believe firmly that VBS is just not an outreach to the kids, but to their parents and the volunteers also. It is my goal to always make the total VBS package just as exciting and fun to the adults as it is to the kids. This year is exciting for me because I bought a craft knife and am going to make some things out of foam. It is so exciting to try something new. This is my second year doing Group's curriculum and I love it. This forum is such a blessing to me and to others because of the shared ideas and helpful information we can receive from each other. The body building the body up, serving God through serving each other! Woo Hoo! I love VBS -- it is a passion with me. My first exposure to God was through VBS when I was in 1st grade. That next Christmas my best friend, neighbor and VBS inviter was killed in a freak accident. When my mom told me that Mike was is heaven with God, I believed he was. I talked with God and Mike at night as a child for years. I did not really know the Lord, I just believed what I had been told. I grew up never going to church except for the occasional times with friends. God wooed me for years before I met my future husband who loved me no matter what I had done. He loved me unconditionally and was ready to accept me for who I was then. I realized then that if he could love me unconditionally, then their really was a God who could forgive me, did forgive me and sent His son to die on the cross for me. God changed me from an angry, self-serving individual into a loving and other serving individual. I share this with you because sometimes we only see those who visibly accept the Lord during VBS. It can be discouraging when all you are hearing from the volunteers, is I need this, I don't like this, it is too loud; yet, we know that our God, Lord and Savior, can and will bring to completion His plan. He did in my life and He will in those children's lives also. Lisa Bain, Co-Director Clarkston Free Methodist Church Clarkston, Michigan
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| Posted 6/17/2009 3:11:55 PM |
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Junior Member
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Last Login: 7/21/2009 1:07:30 PM
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| Thanks Lisa! I needed your story today! I'm in tears, but that is a good thing! Sometimes I get so caught up in what I need to do for VBS and that everything is just right, that I for get that God will reach people whther or not everything is "perfect" and that just because I don't always see the results doesn't mean there aren't any. Now I' in tears more- anyway thanks and love ya!
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| Posted 7/11/2009 7:36:59 PM |
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Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 8/8/2009 6:16:03 AM
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| I'll join the fun! I am Leigh Pack from Charlotte NC. I was saved at a "day camp" at Apache Campground in Myrtle Beach. The church I sporadically attended at home didn't talk much about the saving grace of Jesus, so it was news to me at age 12 that Jesus died for my sins. As life happened, I drifted away from the Lord, but He called His daughter back to Him. At age 25, my husband and I found a wonderful church....and we're still there, 14 years and 2 kids later. He has taken an angry, scared, hurting, shy young woman and turned her into a (not so young!) woman who loves Him and has a passion for VBS! I give Him all the glory for all He's wrought in my life! As a side note, my part-time job is as a professional clown. 
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| Posted 7/11/2009 9:51:14 PM |
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Hi! I am Shawn Parker with Vision Ministries in Eddy, Texas, which is about 20 miles from Waco... that still doesn't tell you where I am, I bet. This is fun. Working in kids ministry over the years seemed dry and hard to relay anything valuable other than church history the way I was doing it before I became a Groupie at Treasure Hunt in 1999, when I learned that it was God intention that church be fun! Since then, I've implemented Group's rotation style cl allowing many to be involved, without having any one person have to prepare too much to enjoy it. I had been involved in a local church for many years and never had any trouble getting volunteers to join in the fun for VBS, because of Group's great teaching style. About a year and a half ago, our local church took a turn away from evangelism or supporting kids ministry, so many Christians in our community formed a new community ministry to reach the people in our town. The churches and leadership locally just don't seem to be on board with reaching anybody that isn't already attending their churches. Anyway, Vision Ministries was formed by about 12 Christians who all came from different church backgrounds, and who participated in churches further away from home, but we all wanted to serve locally, so we banned together to reach our community. We agreed to provide kids ministry on a regular basis, so we teach on Wednesday nights through the school year, VBS style. We brought Power Lab last summer at a local park, but this year, when we did Crocodile Dock, we had a beautiful mission church that allowed us to use their facilities. We were very thankful for the support and the Air Conditioning! Our ministry puts out a newsletter periodically with good-living articles, practical tidbits and always an evangelistic article from our editor. We also put together the after-homegame-football-game gatherings for teenagers. Those weren't hugely attended, but the ones who attended enjoyed the opportunity to do something other than "go to the party". We also have a ladies group that meets for Bible Study and fellowship. Wow! I'm rambling. Sorry folks. Mostly, I love kids ministry, and I wish VBS was four times a year... okay, that's extreme... three times a year I enjoyed Crocodile Dock so much I joined a group doing it for a mission church about 15 miles away. Ours was June 15-19, and our mission trip is July 27-31. How fun is that! This time around, I will just be in a helping role, no directing, no being in charge of preschool AND treats. No, I'll be a crew leader or something equally as low-key for preparation and high-key for fun, fun, fun! I have gained so much from ideas and encouragement on the forum. I know there are so many evils on the Internet, but this one is the good God intended. I'm so thankful for this networking.
Well Guys, this got long... sorry. I'm just glad we have each other, any time, all the time.
Blessings, Y'all!
Shawn Parker
Eddy, Texas
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| Posted 9/5/2009 7:46:21 PM |
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Forum Newbie
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 9/22/2009 10:06:41 AM
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| Hello I am Kerry and I am the VBS director at a rural Lutheran church in Michigan. I have just finished my 2 year as director. I was asked to help in Preschool 4 years ago then the next year I sort of help organize and now it is my PASSION!! I have a VBS council (of 6 - and that includes our Pastor) that works with me . We have increased our numbers by just over 10% each year - this year was our best ever with 170 kids registered and a daily average of 150. We have over 100 volunteers everyday and our budget is $1200 - I then had to raise the additional $2000 to cover the cost - this year with a business plan in place we grossed over $5000. I don't tell you this to say it's a money maker but to show - using Group's program and an intentionally thought out business plan --- We had a fantastic year and broke every record and that also included over 50% of our children going forward during the Thurs service (not something that has ever happened at our church before!!!) We run a separate age appropriate Preschool program - we had to due to we have a very small facility and they only way to grow was to sperate them and use different areas of our building- I ran 20 crews of gators and we had 50 kids in preschool. We had God Sighting EVERYWHERE this year!!!!!!- Next year we are looking to run a family VBS --- and I am despite to hear if anyone out there is doing this? We are also wanting to flip from a morning VBS to evening - and I need some feed back on this as well please!!!!! I live for VBS K
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