By Joy Allmond
NASHVILLE, Tenn.— As hundreds gather at Ridgecrest Conference Center for Friday’s kickoff of the 2020 VBS preview series, anyone—for the first time ever—can watch from around the globe.
On Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. ET, Lifeway will live stream the evening session of their “Concrete & Cranes” preview event from the conference center near Asheville, N.C. for free.
“VBS is the most evangelistic event most churches do all year. It’s a strategy the church cannot afford to ignore,” said Chuck Peters, director of operations for Lifeway Kids.
“So we are hosting this simulcast as a way to invite church leaders, parents, and anyone, anywhere, involved in kids ministry get a sneak peek of what we’re offering this year and how it can best be used.”
To access the simulcast, users will need to create a free Lifeway Digital Pass account, which they’ll use to sign in and watch the evening session.
The 2020 VBS theme, “Concrete & Cranes,” revealed June 2019, will focus on Philippians 1:6 and will teach kids—through five stories from the life of Jesus—how they can build their lives on the sure foundation of Christ and His gospel.
In addition to the simulcast, the rollout of “Concrete & Cranes” includes another new free feature — the exclusive VBS Director’s Club.
Club membership includes:
- Recruiting and enlistment tools
- Exclusive themed clip art
- Access to training presentations
- Themed social media assets for promotion
- Bible story and worship rally overview videos
- Other resources and special offers
Churches looking to get a head start on VBS can order the new Director’s Kit (formerly known as the Jumpstart Kit). For “Concrete & Cranes” the kit comes in form of a tool case.
The 2020 kit includes an administrative guide that offers training tips, set-up and promotion suggestions, a double-sided promotional poster, a CD-ROM containing evaluation tools and forms, music, samples of take-home activity books for all age groups, as well as some gifts for the VBS director.
The kit also features a “Decorating Made Easy” book full of ideas for all budgets, timeframes, church sizes, and contexts.
“Our team is so excited for kids, students and adults to learn about the strong foundation we have in Jesus at VBS this year,” said Jana Magruder, director of Lifeway Kids.
“‘Concrete & Cranes’ is big on fun and helps kids build on the love of Jesus to reach their homes and communities for the gospel.”
For those wanting to experience “Concrete & Cranes” in person, future two-day 2020 VBS preview events are open for registration:
- Sugar Creek Baptist Church; Sugar Land, Texas; Jan. 17-18
- Travis Avenue Baptist Church; Fort Worth, Texas; Jan. 24-25
- First Baptist Church Hendersonville; Hendersonville, Tenn.; Jan. 30-31, Jan. 31-Feb 1
There’s also a one-day preview event scheduled for Feb. 1 at First Baptist Church Hendersonville.
All 2020 VBS materials are now available for purchase at Lifeway.com/VBS. Any order totaling $50 or more includes free shipping.
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Joy Allmond is a writer for Lifeway Christian Resources.
