By Concordia Supply
I already see theme & schedule info for many of our churches. 
Here are some tips that might be helpful! 

Western Hills VBS 2015

3 to 6 Months Before VBS:  

Begin praying for your church's VBS. Ask God to prepare the hearts of church members, workers, and children who will attend VBS.

Choose a Director: If you're reading this, that's probably you! The Director is responsible for planning, recruiting staff, and overseeing all details to ensure that VBS flows smoothly. For an even easier adventure, consider recruiting a Crew Leader director who will train, encourage, and check in on other Leaders throughout VBS . (Remember, your new favorite word is delegate!)

Set a budget: Look through the entire VBS catalog to get an idea of what you'll need for your program. Write down the cost of each item you'll need, and then tally the total cost to set your budget. Your church may already include VBS in its budget. If so, find out what funds are available. If your church doesn't have a VBS budget in place, don't worry! Money for a quality VBS program needn't be a stumbling block.There are countless ways that you can easily (and painlessly) raise the funds you need.

     But, while much of this work is important and keeps me abreast of what is going on in the church and the greater church, the reason I like going to Annual Conference is because of the connected-ness of the annual conference as a body. This includes breaking bread together, having fun together and celebrating the work we've done since we last met. I like the idea of gathering with others who share my call to service and leadership in the church and the world. These connections build relationships; these connections serve to build leaders and renew our work; these connections are at the heart of our business. They are the motivating factor for the expense, time and energy needed to attend a multiple day event.

     When I volunteered to serve on this committee at last Annual Conference, one of the things I had heard from both laity and clergy, is what they hoped for at annual conference was to be able to learn something that they could take back to their local church to make what they do even better. This is the reason I am excited about the workshops that are being offered this year. The people of this conference have so many gifts, talents and experiences to share. These workshops were designed to offer an array of learning opportunities for different interests and needs in a small group environment. I know that the timing may be inconvenient for some, but if we want to see these workshops continued, expanded and sustained in future years it is critically important for people to take advantage of these early bird workshops. It is by sharing in these opportunities that we can be greater than the sum of our parts and allow us to grow in the fullness of Christ.

     A natural closing to what has to happen is, the fourth question, how do we know if Annual Conference has succeeded? I believe the most powerful indicator is how we feel as we leave. I hope to feel inspired and excited and refreshed and reconnected. I also hope to have lots of celebrations, new ideas and information to be able to give back to my local church to make us even better in fulfilling our mission.

GC2016 60 Days Prayer