Director Planning
- Check with your parish priest and set the date, times and location for your VBS.
- Set a registration deadline.
- Determine your budget in advance and 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. You can approach the parish council to see if they will supplement the additional costs. Things to consider: Will volunteers have to pay for their kids? Do you want to give a discount to larger families?
- Advertise with posters/flyers on parish, school and community bulletin boards. Flyers can be handed out after Mass, during children’s liturgy, etc.
- Promote your VBS in the parish bulletin, school newsletters, local businesses, parish website, etc. Send out personal invitations to families in your community. (download)
- Hand out the registration forms. (download)
- Make announcements at church to recruit adult and youth leaders and print volunteer registration form.
- Create a database of all the children who are registering. (download the Excel spreadsheet)
- Schedule a meeting with your station leaders to review the program and plan your VBS.
- Make sure the music leader has access to the VBS Music and Action Song Videos as they will need them for their daily lessons.
- Confirm all leader positions:
Assistant Program Director
Treasurer
Faith Leader
Music Leader
Craft Leader
Games Leader
Snack Leader
Decoration Team
Registration/Welcome Committee
Group Leaders
Skit Team
Photographer/Video/Computer Support
Runner/Floater
(opt.) Childcare Team
- Schedule a training session 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 areas in the church for the entire week of your VBS.
- Request any necessary sound and video equipment.
- Order VBS Music CDs, saint cards and posters. Please allow up to 7 business days for shipping. For an additional fee, you can call and request Express Post Shipping.
- Schedule volunteers to help set up and decorate a couple days before the start of VBS.
- On the last day of VBS, give thank you notes or gifts to volunteers.
