The Importance of Recording Stories

It is through reading and understanding the biblical accounts that any of this is knowable.

This is a very biblical concept. You might even say this is found throughout the entire Bible. Without the Bible, would we have a reason to work for six days and rest on the seventh? Would we understand what sin is and our need for salvation? Would we understand the depth of God’s love for us and his perfect plan of redemption? It is through reading and understanding the biblical accounts that any of this is knowable.

Recording your VBS stories is similar to the stones of remembrance or memorial stones erected by people in the Bible.

• Jacob set a pillar in Bethel to commemorate a powerful vision of God he experienced while sleeping there (Genesis 28:10–22) because he didn’t want to forget what God had given him.
• After the Israelites defeated the Philistines, Samuel erected a memorial stone called Ebenezer, which means “Stone of Help” (1 Samuel 7:7–12).
• Joshua set up 12 stones of remembrance in the promised land at Gilgal as a memorial to God’s love and miraculous assistance (Joshua 4:1–8) and explained that the stones would prompt their children to ask about them (Joshua 4:21–22). God longs for us to proclaim his goodness to future generations.

There are also practical reasons to record VBS stories.

Recording the overarching highlights of VBS helps with future planning. You may not be the VBS director for the next 20 years. By recording the highlights, numbers, and particulars, you can help contribute to the long-term success of the ministry. Future volunteers can easily glean wisdom from your experience as they help shape the ministry going forward.

Recording the numbers and finances helps practically with budgeting. Your church finance team should be rejoicing when you come up with specific numbers for the cost. With all the creative things surrounding VBS, finances are important, and recording them helps with future planning.

Record stories of the impact VBS has on people.

Record stories of the impact VBS has on people. Notice I didn’t just say “kids.” VBS impacts so many people—from the kids who attend, to the volunteers who help, to the families to which the kids go home each day. Recording these stories is vital. These stories are why you put in the long hours and months of planning. These need to be shared as often as you can to bless, inspire, and encourage others.

Without recording the impact stories of VBS, how will you remember them and have them available to share eight months from now when the budget comes around or when you need to recruit volunteers? When you can recall how a child came in shy on the first night but by the third night was asking to read the Bible and tell how God can forgive their sins, that reminds everyone why you have a VBS ministry and how they can impact it.

Recording VBS stories is even more important when you look at long-term memory recall, like an annual report. This is a great way to preserve the ministry your church is doing, even if it is for just one season. It always warms my heart when I can look at an old annual report from a church, and there is a story of how a child, volunteer, parent, or whole family was brought closer to Jesus through receiving the gospel. To know this was done by the hard work and dedication of those sitting next to me on any given Sunday makes me feel like I am obeying the command in Matthew 28:19 to go and make disciples of all nations.