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Church Ministry & Leadership | Videos

Is VBS Still Worth It?

by Jana Magruder | March 19, 2019

Putting on a Vacation Bible School in your church each summer can be hard work and you may even be wondering, is all of this effort worth it? In this video, Jana Magruder, Director of Lifeway Kids, gives two reasons why VBS is still worthwhile and a valuable investment for your church and your community.

The entire video is above, and the complete transcript is below.


I get asked a lot if Vacation Bible School is still worth the time, energy, resources, that it takes to pull off each summer. And the answer to that question is, “Absolutely yes!” And here’s why.

Our team just completed a huge research study that came back with a lot of research that actually proves what we already know. That VBS is worth it. And here are a couple of nuggets that we’ve gleaned from that study.

Number 1. VBS is something that even a family or parents that are not in the church or that maybe don’t know the Lord, they will still send their children to VBS if they’re asked by a friend. That information right there is enough for us to say, “Okay, this is still working.” That age-old model of invite a friend to VBS is still working.

That’s a huge engine if you think about it. If you can deploy your church to ask just even one friend to come to VBS, then you’re going to reach a whole community.

The other reason why it’s still worth it is that it is the church family working at its best. Because it’s an all-hands-on-deck kind of effort. It takes everybody in every age demographic, multi-generational, to reach and to pull off, honestly, a quality VBS program.

So is it worth it? Absolutely.


Lifeway Research partnered with Lifeway Kids to discover how VBS is the one week that mobilizes the entire church to reach the community with the gospel, while simultaneously providing a unique discipleship experience for the individual child and volunteer. It’s Worth It: Uncovering How One Week Can Transform Your Church presents the findings of that research in a compelling way, making the case for the importance and worth of Vacation Bible School in the life of today’s church.

Find more from Jana Magruder at Lifeway.com
Kids Ministry that Nourishes

Kids Ministry That Nourishes

Does your Kids Ministry provide the nourishment needed for children and families to thrive in the gospel? Much like healthy food is necessary for growth and sustenance, so is the biblical nutrition we serve to our young ones.

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About Jana Magruder

Jana Magruder is the Director of Lifeway Kids. Jana brings a wealth of experience and passion for kids ministry, education, and curriculum writing. She and her husband, Michael, along with their three children reside in Nashville, TN.

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