Plan publicity.
Decide how you’ll promote Jerusalem Marketplace in your church and community. Refer to the "Publicity" section (pp. 95-103) in the Jerusalem Marketplace Directors manual for publicity ideas and resources page.

Begin recruiting staff.
Use the recruiting helps detailed in the “Recruiting” section (p. 75) to find all the volunteers you’ll need to staff your Marketplace. The “Recruiting” section also includes bonus ideas that will captivate people’s hearts and minds, while allowing you to flex those creative muscles (in an easy way—with great results). And the photocopiable job descriptions, handouts, and bulletin inserts make your job a breeze.

Estimate your enrollment.
Use figures from your church’s Sunday school or figures from last year’s VBS program. Once you’ve estimated how many children and adults will attend, figure out how many Tribe Leaders you’ll need.
You’ll need one adult Tribe Leader and one teenage (or adult) Assistant Tribe Leader for every ten people. Be sure to have extra Tribe Leaders ready in case you need to form Tribes or Clans for last-minute registrants.

Order Jerusalem Marketplace materials.
If you purchased the Jerusalem Marketplace Starter Kit, you already have photocopiable roles for all your shopkeepers and other staff.

For every participant, you’ll need to order the following:

• a set of Jerusalem News Student Newspapers
• a Jerusalem Marketplace tribal bandanna or name badge
• Marketplace project items:
• a dreidel kit
• a harp kit
• a matzo cover weaving kit
• a set of Bible Memory Makers
• a Memory Keeper

For every Tribe you’ll need:

• a Tribe Teaching Pack, containing a set of hand blasters, 2 scented fizzers, 2 “Pray!” posters, a glow stick, and a praise popper
• a Tribe Traditions Pack, containing a mezuza, b’samim box, and oil lamp

Even if you’re planning a late-summer program, it’s not too early to order materials. As you update your registration count, you can order additional student supplies as needed.

Explore your church facilities.
You’ll want to be deliberate in selecting where to set up your Jerusalem Marketplace. Use the following guidelines:

Gathering

• large room or open area to accommodate entire Jerusalem Marketplace attendance (possibly a sanctuary or fellowship hall)
• sound system/microphone (helpful)
• outlet to plug in CD player (or a sound system to play Jerusalem Marketplace Music CD)

Marketplace

• large, open area (possibly outdoors) to accommodate approximately half of the participants
• easy-to-clean floor since kids and adults will do things like pottery, carpentry, and grinding spices

Synagogue School

• quiet area, set apart from noise of Marketplace
• cabinet or other place to store “Torah” scrolls

Tribal “tents”

• open area where you can spread blankets on the ground (ideally outdoors, possibly under shade trees)

Village Playground

• open area where kids and adults can play games
• play area free of rocks or other hazards