PLANNING CALENDAR - 8 Weeks Prior

 
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  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

Eight Weeks Before Power Lab

Begin recruiting Lab Crew Leaders.

Lab Crew Leaders are like older brothers and sisters in the Lab Crew family. They aren't responsible for teaching, and they don't have to prepare anything. Crew Leaders can be teenagers, college students, parents, or grandparents. They need only to love the Lord and love children. For more information on recruiting, see the "Recruiting" section of your Director Manual.

Crew Leaders should plan to participate in Power Lab for the entire adventure. If they need to be absent one or more days, encourage them to find their own substitutes.

Begin publicity.

Fill in your program's dates and times on the Power Lab outdoor banner (available from Group Publishing and your Group supplier). Display the banner in a prominent outdoor location. Hang Power Lab publicity posters (available from Group Publishing and your Group supplier) in your church and community.

Show the promotional segment of the Aha! DVD during a worship service or other church gathering. This brief segment gives people a glimpse of how Power Lab works and what kids will learn at this awesome VBS. You'll find that the video helps build enthusiasm, recruit volunteers, and promote attendance for your program. Be sure to follow up the video by telling the congregation how excited you are about the program!

Begin gathering supplies.

Refer to the master supply list in the "Power Lab Daily Supplies" section of your Director Manual. (Note: Some stations may not require all the supplies listed, since station leaders can choose which activities they would like to do.) Consult with station leaders to inform them of how you'll handle supply collection. Will you gather all supplies, or will each leader gather his or her own supplies? You may want to ask church members to donate food supplies or easy-to-find items, such as decorations.

Plan your Power Lab schedule.

The average VBS program runs for up to three hours each day. Group's Power Lab materials have been developed with these parameters in mind. For a three-hour program, Sonic Sing & Play and Faith Fusion Finale should last 25 minutes each, and every other station should last 20 minutes. See the daily schedules in the Director Manual to see how this works. If your program will meet for more or less time than three hours each day, you'll need to adapt these times accordingly.

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