What makes a great VBS, and how do you pull one off without burning yourself out in the process?

In this episode, Nick sits down with Jeremy O'Neill to talk all things VBS, from big-picture planning and promotion timelines to volunteer leadership, programming strategy, registration questions, and what actually makes a VBS successful. Jeremy shares lessons from years in local church kids ministry, why he wrote How to VBS, and how church leaders can think more clearly about whether their event is primarily about evangelism, discipleship, or both.

They also talk through practical issues every ministry leader faces: when to start planning, whether VBS should be free or paid, how to reduce no-shows, how to measure if your event is really reaching new families, and how to use summer events to build your volunteer team for the rest of the year.

Jeremy also shares creative ideas like staggered promotion plans, invite-day strategy, planning grids that reduce stress, and how VBS leadership roles can become a training ground for future ministry leaders.

Whether you’re leading a traditional VBS, a summer camp, or any large kids ministry event, this conversation is full of practical wisdom to help you plan smarter, lead better, and make the most of one of the biggest ministry opportunities of the year.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

Why Jeremy wrote How to VBS
A realistic VBS planning timeline
Save the date vs theme reveal vs registration launch
Free vs paid VBS and the pros and cons of each
How to think about attendance, outreach, and follow-up
Evangelism vs discipleship in VBS strategy
A smart registration question every church should ask
How to use VBS to recruit and develop future leaders
Planning grids and systems that reduce overwhelm
Jeremy’s new projects: Simple Kids Ministry, KidmenU, and the VBS Vault

Links mentioned:

Chapters

00:00 Intro and welcome
00:07 Why this is the right time to talk about VBS
00:54 Jeremy O'Neill update and what he’s doing now
01:25 Family update, adoption, and life with two little ones
03:01 Why Jeremy wrote How to VBS
06:10 What makes this book different from publisher guides
07:13 The structure of the book: planning, programming, and people
09:11 When should you start planning VBS?
12:03 Save the date, theme reveal, and registration strategy
13:15 Should VBS be free or paid?
17:43 How pricing affects commitment and no-shows
18:35 What actually makes a VBS successful?
21:37 Practical ways to reach more new families
22:24 The power of an invite day
24:29 Is VBS more about evangelism or discipleship?
31:53 A must-have registration question for every VBS
34:08 Programming tip: planning grids that reduce stress
42:54 People tip: use VBS to identify and develop leaders
47:44 Jeremy shares about Simple Kids Ministry and KidmenU
48:53 Book release, VBS Vault, and where to find everything
51:10 Final thoughts and wrap-up