Nazareth VBS Ideas

Bible Memory Makers are a great way to help reinforce the memory verse each day during your Nazareth VBS. Every child receives one memory maker each day. The memory verse is included on the colorful Bible Memory Maker—giving the children a Scripture reminder of what it means to follow Jesus. During the home-town huddle, the tribe leader presents the daily Bible Memory Maker to each child who makes an attempt to say the memory verse. The memory makers can be tied together with a chenille stem half (pipe cleaner) so they can be taken home as a keepsake at the end of your VBS week.

Reinforce good behavior with this tip: Use the shekels as rewards for kind, helpful behavior during each day of your VBS. Explain to the children that those who are caught being helpful each day will receive an extra coin for that day. Then encourage tribe leaders and shopkeepers to reward thoughtful behavior with a shekel (one extra coin for each child each day). Shekels can be used in the marketplace—children give each shopkeeper a shekel as they enter the shop. Have shopkeepers recycle the coins back to tribe leaders (or to the designated Nazareth Tax Collector) at the end of each day so the tribes have plenty for the next day.

Let each child decorate a coin pouch with fabric paint and markers during your first day of VBS. (Or have a few crafty church members sew a small pouch for each child). Make sure the child puts his name on the pouch (you may also want him to add his tribe name or give each tribe a different color coin pouch). Once the pouch dries, let the child carry his shekels in his pouch each day. But have the children leave their pouches in a designated place at the end of each day so the pouches aren't forgotten at home. The final day of your Nazareth VBS the children can take home their pouches along with the crafts they've made during the week.