PLANNING CALENDAR - 2 to 3 Months Prior

 
Printer Friendly Version
  1. Three to Six Months Before Power Lab
  2. Two to Three Months Before Power Lab
  3. Eight Weeks Before Power Lab
  4. Four Weeks Before Power Lab
  5. Two Weeks Before Power Lab
  6. One Week Before Power Lab
  7. During Power Lab
  8. After Power Lab

Two to Three Months Before Power Lab

Plan Power Lab publicity.

Decide how you'll promote Power Lab in your church and community. Refer to the "Publicity" section in the Director Manual for publicity ideas and resources.

Set up your Power Lab church Web site.

Go to www.group.com/vbs to access your VBS Web Toybox. Follow the easy steps to set up a Web site for your church's Power Lab.

Encourage preregistration.

With your VBS Web Toybox, families can register online from the comfort and convenience of their homes. Once your Power Lab Web site is up, paste your URL (that's the Web address at the top of the screen) into your publicity items. Families can access your site and register, and staff members can fill out staff applications. Plus, VBS Web Toybox instantly places kids into crews when they sign up!

Begin recruiting station leaders.

Use the recruiting helps detailed in the "Recruiting" section of the Director Manual to collect your Power Lab volunteers. 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.

Network!

Networking will stretch your time and dollars. Find other churches in your community that are doing Power Lab. Get together and brainstorm decorating, fundraisers, and publicity ideas that will get your whole community excited about VBS. This year Group Publishing is sponsoring hundreds of Power Lab Parties across North America.just for you! A Power Lab Party will be a time for networking, training, idea-sharing, and support. You'll also walk away with ideas to keep your children's ministry going strong long after Power Lab ends. Check out the VBS catalog for a location near you! Or visit www.group.com/vbs, where you can gather ideas from Power Lab Directors from across North America.

Estimate your Power Lab enrollment.

Use figures from your church's Sunday school or figures from last year's VBS program. Once you've estimated how many children will attend, figure out how many Lab Crew Leaders you'll need. You'll need one adult or teenage Lab Crew Leader for every five children, including preschoolers. Be sure to have extra Lab Crew Leaders ready in case you need to form Lab Crews for last-minute registrants.

Order Power Lab materials.

If you purchased the Power Lab Starter Kit, you already have a leader pack for every station and all the multimedia components you need. You may want to order additional leader resources for team teaching-and a copy of each leader pack for yourself, if you'd like. We also recommend that you purchase the clip-art CD, which includes customizable forms, decorating outlines, publicity pieces, and more than 200 pieces of clip art. People who have used Group's VBS in the past tell us that their VBS programs are growing. To avoid stress and disappointment, order early and order extra!

For every elementary-age child, you'll need to order one of these items:

  1. Power Lab Bible Book (includes Daily Challenges, stickers, and Operation Kid-to-KidT outreach book)
  2. Power Lab name badge
  3. set of Bible Memory Buddies

Bible Point craft items:

  1. Buddy Beaker
  2. Incredi-Ball
  3. Gotcha Guy
  4. Oozy Slime
  5. Back-in-the-Boat Game
  6. Radical Rez
  7. Brainyboppers
  8. Prayer Wear
  9. Wacky Hacky

For every preschooler, you'll need to order one of these items:

  1. Squeaky Beaker's Bible Book (includes Daily Challenges, stickers, and Operation Kid-to-Kid outreach book)
  2. Power Lab name badge
  3. set of Bible Memory Buddies

Bible Point craft items:

  1. Buddy Beaker
  2. Gotcha Guy
  3. Oozy Slime
  4. Brainyboppers
  5. Wacky Hacky

For every crew leader, you'll need to order one of these items:

  1. Power Lab name badge
  2. Preschool or Elementary Crew Leader Pocket Guide
  3. 1 crew bag

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 your station areas. If your plans involve more than 150 children, run two or more simultaneous stations. For more information on how to do this, see "Lab Stations" in your Director Manual. You'll need to set up a separate room or area for each station. Use the following guidelines:

Sonic Sing & Play

  1. large room to accommodate entire VBS (possibly a sanctuary or fellowship hall)
  2. sound system/microphone (helpful)
  3. outlet to plug in CD player (or a sound system to play Sonic Sing & Play Music CD)
  4. outlet to plug in overhead projector (if using Sonic Sing & Play song lyrics transparencies)
  5. screen (for your music video)

Cinema Science

  1. classroom to accommodate one-fourth of the elementary-age kids (helpful if room can be darkened)
  2. outlet to plug in TV and DVD player

Wacky Works and Missions

  1. classroom to accommodate one-fourth of the elementary-age kids
  2. 1 or 2 low tables (helpful for supplies)
  3. outlet to plug in CD player when using Sonic Sing & Play Music CD

Test Tube Treats

  1. large room to accommodate entire VBS (possibly a fellowship hall or gymnasium)
  2. church kitchen or other uncarpeted area for snack preparation area

Hyperspeed Games and Spotlight Drama

  1. room or outdoor area to accommodate one-fourth of the elementary-age kids (a fellowship hall, gymnasium, or lawn)
  2. room enough for children to run around
  3. outlet to plug in CD player if using Sonic Sing & Play Music CD

Bible Blast

  1. classroom that can comfortably accommodate one-fourth of the elementary-age kids and that can be darkened. Since the Bible Blast room requires "sets," it's helpful if this room can be undisturbed for the entire Power Lab.
  2. classroom that's in a quiet area of your facility (helpful for storytelling)
  3. outlet to plug in CD player

Faith Fusion Finale

  1. large room to accommodate entire VBS (possibly a sanctuary or fellowship hall; could use the same room as Sonic Sing & Play)
  2. sound system/microphone (helpful)
  3. outlet to plug in CD player
  4. video projection unit
  5. large screen (for showing Sonic Sing & Play Music video and Spotlight Drama presentation)
  6. stage (helpful)

Squeaky Beaker's Preschool

  1. up to 4 classroom(s) to accommodate all preschoolers for Crafts &Play, Games, Chadder's Theater, and Bible Adventures & Missions
  2. outlet to plug in TV/ DVD player
  3. restroom facilities in room or nearby
  4. child-size furniture
  5. preschool toys such as blocks, modeling dough, dress-up clothes, and stuffed animals

Plan and schedule a leader training meeting using the guidelines in the "Staff Training Meeting" section in your Director Manual.

This outline incorporates the Aha! DVD, which contains clips from Power Lab field tests. Your station leaders will enjoy seeing Power Lab in action. Be sure to include Crew Leaders in your training so they can better understand their role. The DVD is filled with helpful, practical tips to make station leaders and crew leaders the best staff around. Plan to meet for at least two hours.

Back to the top