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Junior Member
 
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Last Login: 11/12/2009 9:34:47 PM
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| Our church has really been trying to reach out to the community closest to our property.I would like to have VBS on site somewhere else in the community, and go to them, instead of them coming to us. Does anyone have ideas on this or have you done this?
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Forum Expert
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Last Login: 3/4/2010 2:23:57 PM
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Many people has asked this question in the past. I would search the forums through the search feature and see what you can find. If you do something like a community VBS, you would have to tweak Group's VBS curriculum to fit what you have.
I've done a VBS in the park and it was really fun. I recommend it but it can be more work than a traditional church VBS.
God Bless,
Josh 
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| We work with the other church in our tiny town and hold VBS at our local community center. We have over 200 kids there every year and neither church could possibly handle that on their own! It's more work because we can't decorate until Sunday afternoon at the earliest AND we have to lug EVERYTHING to the center rather than being organized at the church. But it's worth it. Our community center is a former middle school so we have story time in the enormous former band room, opening in the former library, etc.
Pictures taken on vacation at Lake Junaluska, NC.
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Forum Newbie
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Last Login: 12/25/2009 9:56:22 AM
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Our church tries a number of ways to reach out to the community about VBS. Right now, many of the ways we do this is by advertising and providing free transportation. However, if you're looking to take VBS on the road, you might consider contacting local newspapers for leads on neighborhoods that would be willing to host your program. Additionally, you might consider asking local government offices for the locations of government subsidized housing--they are great places to start. God bless you for making an effort to "get the word out" to those who are in need!
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Junior Member
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Last Login: 12/15/2009 5:48:10 PM
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We hold our VBS at a local Christian campground. We started doing it there because we didn't have a church building. However, even after we had our own building, we decided to stay at the campground because it was such an amazing experience. We do all the VBS stations, then have an hour of beach/swim time at the end of the morning. Kids come from all over the community just for our VBS, so it definitely helps reach out to others beyond your church walls. We've never had a problem making Group's theme fit our outdoor/camping/beach environment, and it's like no other VBS around!
Candi
Wife to Ken
Mom to Jacob (8), Sarah (8), and Emma (6)
VBS/camp Director for Lapeer Community Church!!
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Forum Expert
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I've also visited churches who do VBS at a local school, renting it out for the week. As was mentioned before, it's more work hauling things back and forth, but is a cool way to reach out and be in an environment that kids are familiar with.
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Forum Newbie
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Last Login: 12/17/2009 1:13:10 PM
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| For several years I managed a low income property in Texas. I opened the office and common areas up to local churches every summer and allowed them to have VBS at our property. This gave all the children easy access to events, the parents did not have to manage transportation and I considered it a plus to have an on-site activity like this to offer the residents. If you can find a multifamily property with a clubhouse or something that will work with you, then this might be an option for you, too. Good luck!
Laura Lewis
"What would you attempt to do today if you knew you could not fail?"
Phil 4:13
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We are a portable church plant who meets in a school and so what you're talking about was really our only option...and I love it! We've put up great, big circus tents in one of the fields in our target community for the last 4 years. It's a bit messy and, as people mentioned, there are the challenges of lugging stuff around and not being able to set up until the Sunday prior, but I wouldn't trade it. It really does become and event...a team project. A lot of the people who can't come help for the week, will come for Sunday to set up and Friday night clean up.
As for outreach, the a lot of the kids can walk. They see the tents from their kitchen window. It's in the park they play in. It's truly their VBS. In addition, since we're there already, we do a big wrap up BBQ on the Friday for all of the kids' families.
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