Director Planning
- Check with your parish priest and set date, times and location for your VBS.
- Set a registration deadline.
- Determine your budget in advance using our VBS budget calculator. Ask how the parish wants to handle purchases for VBS supplies. (crafts, snacks, etc.) Set up a system for submitting invoices and receipts.
- Determine the cost you will charge per child. Things to consider: Will volunteers have to pay for their kids? Do you want to offer a discount to larger families?
- Promote your VBS in the parish bulletin, social media, school newsletters, parish website, etc. Send out personal invitations to families in your community.
- Handout the registration forms. Consider setting up online registration.
- Make announcements at church to recruit adult and youth leaders and post a volunteer sign-up sheet.
- Create a database of all the children who are registering.
- Schedule a meeting with your station leaders to review the program and plan your VBS. Download a sample agenda for Meeting 1 and Meeting 2.
- Confirm all leader positions: Go to Team Roles.
- Schedule a couple training and planning sessions with all volunteers. Go through their roles and responsibilities.
- Determine the area for the main assembly,as well as the games, music, crafts, snacks, and faith stations. Confirm with your parish priest that you have permission to use specific areas in the church for your VBS. Have a back up plan for last minute events (ie. funerals) that may take up your space.
- Request any necessary sound and video equipment.
- Order VBS saint cards, posters, stickers, music CD (or digital music). Please allow 4-7 business days for shipping. For an additional fee, you can request Express Post Shipping. Digital Music available.
- Schedule volunteers to help set up and decorate a couple days before the start of VBS.
- (Opt.) Edit Take Home Sheet templates to hand out or email to parents each day.
- After VBS, send thank you notes or gifts to volunteers. You could even plan a wrap-up party. (BBQ, ice cream sundaes, etc.)
Print Director Planning Checklist