# VBS Gospel Presentation



## Jvictory15 (Jun 24, 2021)

Hey there everyone. This week is our church's yearly VBS and on Saturday I have the opportunity to share the Gospel message with 125+ K-5th graders. I'll have about 20 min for this presentation and will be divided up into 2 groups (younger & older). I really don't want to go down the normal 'ABC' route that one would usually find at a VBS because in my opinion this gets pushy for them to make a 'decision'. What route or resources do any of you recommend to help me formulate a gospel presentation that will clearly present the Gospel and do so to kids who may have never heard the Gospel expounded upon?


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## JTB.SDG (Jun 24, 2021)

Sweet and simple. 5 minutes on sin; 5 minutes on Christ; 5 minutes on faith and repentance; 5 minutes on new desires/new life as the proof of real faith.


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## TheInquirer (Jun 24, 2021)

I like 2 Ways to Live as a basic framework and then fill it out as you see fit for audience, time, what info you want to add, etc.






Two Ways To Live


A simple presentation of God's message of hope to his world through the life and work of Jesus Christ. Everyone must decide how to respond.




twowaystolive.com


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## Jack K (Jun 25, 2021)

Scattered thoughts...

You're right not to try to push for decisions. Since you're the pastor (right?), your church hopefully will be with you on that and is not one of those that measures the success of its VBS by how many decisions it coerces.

Twenty minutes at the end of a whole week is not the way to present the gospel. It ought to be a big part of all the teaching, all week. If I were in your position, I would start by asking the VBS director (or the teacher) what the kids have been learning all week, and then try to build on that, if possible. Twenty-minute gospel presentations seldom go well, because they are inherently unnatural. What ought to be natural is to talk about the gospel all the time at VBS, so that it becomes the joyful theme of the whole week rather than a special (and pressure-packed) moment at the end. The VBS could actually do more harm than good if the kids' teachers have withheld the good news of salvation from them all week and are now asking you to hit them with it. It's dishonest and fake, and the kids will sense it. So see if there's something you can build on.

For kids of that age, don't make your lesson concept-based, make it story-based. Use a Bible story to teach the gospel: Jesus' arrest, trial, crucifixion, and resurrection. Or Zacchaeus. Or Adam and Eve's sin followed by Jesus' victory when tempted in the wilderness. Or the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. Or the death of Lazarus. There are plenty of possibilities. Teach using the Bible story, and explain the gospel in that context. Otherwise, you will have kids who remember very little except that the gospel is boring (which is only slightly better than "the gospel is a pressure-filled presentation").

Beware of teaching truths about Jesus without really showing off Jesus himself. His compassion, his sacrificial love, his servant's heart, his truthfulness, his power over sin and death, his fierce commitment to those who are his—put these on display, if you can. You should be thinking at least as much about how you will show off Jesus the person as you do about how you will explain salvation concepts. The gospel does not call us to a concept, but to a person. I like to use the healing of Jairus' daughter. Every one of Jesus' personal qualities I mentioned above is on display in that story. Can you teach the gospel starting with that account of the Savior who gives life?

You're teaching kids, not writing a tract. Put some heart into it.

Be visual, not just auditory. These are kids.

You're aiming (hopefully) to make a long-term impression, not an instant false convert. In twenty minutes, you won't be able to make all the points that your theological mind tells you you need to make. So pick a few important points and be content with those, and then show those kids the beauty of Jesus in a way that will stick. Down the road, other gospel-tellers will build on what you begin. You don't have to do it all in twenty minutes.

Reactions: Like 2 | Love 1


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## Jeri Tanner (Jun 25, 2021)

Hi Jason, your signature needs some additional information. If you’ll please click the signature rules link below you can read what’s required. Thanks much.


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## Osnah (Jun 25, 2021)

I have taught children in various children's ministries for 20 years. I have taught Sunday School, VBS, and Awana. (I know that many here probably do not like Awana, but my wife and I head up the ministry and we get to set it up our way, but that's a topic for another thread.) Most of the kids that we get each week in our Children's ministries are unchurched kids. I don't assume that they know anything about the Bible, yet I don't let that hinder me either.

Kids today are used to having a phone or tablet and they learn visually. Each week when I teach, I use a PowerPoint presentation and work from the same framework. For me the framework is:

*Intro* - Usually some 'attention grabber' like maybe an object lesson, video, or a few questions about a topic that doesn't seem related.
*Scripture *- I will show the verses that we are discussing up on the screen. If it's a long passage, I bold the exact verses that I want to focus on and then give a highlight of the rest. 
*Main Point* - This is where we interpret the Scripture.
*Application* - I show them how to apply what we went over to their lives.

Because kids love visuals, I use a slideshow as a way to keep me on track. Everything that I will discuss has a slide. With each slide I will insert a picture of some sort to keep their attention up front as I am talking. I try to have a theme or topic for each slide. I will do a Google search for an image that I can insert into that slide that relates to the topic of that slide. Sometimes it's a funny picture or a serious one. I find that this format has served me well in different teaching ministries for kids.

Find a topic or story that you want to teach the gospel message from. Prepare well, teach boldly, proclaim Jesus and His message, and allow the Spirit to move as He wills.


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## Mrs. B-N (Jun 25, 2021)

Jack K said:


> Scattered thoughts...
> 
> You're right not to try to push for decisions. Since you're the pastor (right?), your church hopefully will be with you on that and is not one of those that measures the success of its VBS by how many decisions it coerces.
> 
> ...


This was excellent and helpful for teaching my own children! Thank you!

Reactions: Like 1


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