This article is sponsored by Cokesbury, the official resource provider of Vacation Bible School curriculum for The United Methodist Church.
Vacation Bible School is one of the most beloved summer traditions in the local church. It brings children and families through your doors, builds relationships with your community, and, when done well, can be a meaningful bridge between your congregation and neighbors who have never set foot inside your building. But promoting VBS effectively can feel out of reach when your communications budget is small and your team is lean.
The good news is that some of the most effective VBS promotion costs very little. What it does require is a bit of planning, a willingness to ask for help, and a clear sense of who you are trying to reach.
Here are practical, low-cost strategies to help you fill those seats this summer.
Start with your congregation
Your own members are your best and most affordable marketing channel. Word of mouth remains one of the top ways families learn about local events, and your congregation is full of people who are already connected to parents, grandparents, neighbors, and coworkers.
Give members tools to make sharing easy: a simple half-sheet flyer they can hand to a neighbor, a few pre-written social media captions they can copy and post, or a brief announcement they can forward by text goes a long way. Do not just ask people to "spread the word" - give them the exact words to spread.
Consider recruiting a small team of VBS ambassadors from your congregation. Ask them to each personally invite at least five families outside the church. Personal invitations are far more effective than promotional posters or social posts.
Utilize free resources like invitation cards from Cokesbury as a good “pass it along” tool.
Choose a curriculum that does the promotional work for you
One practical way to stretch a small budget is to start with a curriculum that already includes promotional tools. Cokesbury's VBS programs, including the 2026 theme Snowball Mountain Challenge, come with a ready-made decorating and publicity kit for promotional purposes. For small church teams with limited design capacity, having those assets built in can save significant time and money.
Use free and low-cost digital tools
You do not need a large advertising budget to reach families in your community. Start with what you already have.
Update your church website to include dates, times, age ranges, registration information, and contact information. Make sure this page is easy to find from your homepage. If families search for VBS options in your area, you want them to land on your site.
Post consistently on your church's social media accounts in the weeks leading up to VBS. Mix up your content with behind-the-scenes prep photos, countdown posts, staff or volunteer spotlights, and short video clips of decorations coming together.
Send a dedicated VBS announcement to your mailing list, and follow it up with at least one reminder. Email remains one of the highest-performing channels for reaching people who are already connected to your church. The reminder is important as people are busy with summer activities – a week before is ideal if your registration cut-off date allows.
Within the free resources from Cokesbury, you'll find not only several logo and graphic options, but color swatches and font direction as well. Use these for your promotion efforts.
Go where families already are
Reaching families outside your congregation means showing up in the spaces they already occupy. Think about the places parents and children spend time in your community during early summer.
- Post flyers at your local library, pediatric and family medical offices, laundromats, community centers, and grocery store bulletin boards. Many of these locations welcome community event postings at no charge.
- Partner with a neighboring church or two to cross-promote each other's VBS programs. You may serve different neighborhoods or schedule VBS on different weeks, making this a win for everyone.
- Look for free community calendar listings through your local newspaper, city or town website, and neighborhood apps. Many of these accept event submissions at no cost.
Make registration simple
Once families hear about your VBS, do not lose them to a complicated sign-up process.
If you are using a Cokesbury VBS program, take advantage of their free landing page and registration tool. It lets you create a custom URL, collect sign-ups, and give families a polished registration experience without any additional software or cost.
If you need a different option, a Google form can also help you collect registrations.
If offering accessible options, make this known
Families who have children with disabilities or communication differences often do their research before they ever show up. If your VBS is prepared to welcome them, do not keep that a secret -- put it in your promotional materials, on your registration page, and in your social media posts. A simple line like "All children are welcome" is a good start, but specific language goes further.
Let families know what accommodations are available, who to contact with questions, and what they can expect when they arrive. Cokesbury makes this easier than you might expect. Among their free downloadable resources for Snowball Mountain Challenge, Cokesbury includes American Sign Language materials, a meaningful addition that signals to deaf and hard-of-hearing families that they belong at your VBS.
A small budget, a big reach
Promoting VBS on a small budget is not about doing less -- it is about being intentional with what you have. When you combine your congregation's enthusiasm, the reach of free digital tools, and your presence in your community, you can generate real excitement and see a healthy attendance without a big spend. Starting with a curriculum that includes built-in promotional tools, like those available from Cokesbury, can give your team a head start before a single flyer is printed.
The families you are hoping to reach this summer are out there. With a little creativity -- and the right resources -- you can find them. Learn more about Cokesbury's VBS programs at cokesbury.com/vbs.
With over 20 years of experience across various media outlets, Renee McNeill has guided brands in crafting and executing effective strategies for both internal marketing and public-facing campaigns. As a specialist in social media and e-marketing, Renee is passionate about empowering churches worldwide to enhance their communications and marketing efforts.Renee is the producer of the MyCom brand, and can be reached at [email protected].
This article was creating with assistance from AI - to learn more about how AI can assist your church, click here.