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Big Events

Camps and VBS

MinistryPlatform is loaded with tools for helping you manage summer camps, vacation bible school (VBS), and similar events. Here are some recommendations and tips on pulling together these features to make your camp or VBS a success -- and hopefully, a little less stressful!

Set Up Camps or VBS Events

  1. Create an event with registration.
  2. Create one event for each day. If a series, you can use the Register in Series setting to register kids into future Events in the series automatically.
  3. Create any needed groups by age, grade, gender, location, and so on.
  4. Create a Product with any necessary Product Option Groups and Product Option Prices for parents to select an age or grade group, t-shirt size, use a promo code, etc.
    1. Kids can be added to Groups automatically if your Product Option Price has the appropriate group for that option set in the Add to Group field. This could be a general Group for which smaller Groups will be created. If you want more specific Groups, you can have multiple Product Option Prices.
  5. Create a Custom Form to gather information during registration. Make sure the Event in Step 1 has this Custom Form and all Form Responses will be associated with that Event.
  6. If someone is not able to register online, manually add the Event Participant record to the Event and use the Add a Payment Tool to record payment. This also allows the collection fo Custom Form answers.

Assign Group Placement

You can manually assign Group placement, if needed.
  1. Determine your approach for adding kids to group (by age, by gender, by location, by custom form response, etc.).
  2. Create custom views on the appropriate pages to help with seeing these smaller groups among your pool of event participants, if needed.
  3. See Add People to Groups for different ways to add people to groups.
  4. When the child is assigned to a group, add the Group Participant record association to the Event Participant record for that child. Alternatively, if needed, you an manually add a participant to an event using the Group Attendance Tool.

Recruit Volunteers

Allow Volunteers to sign up to volunteer using the Opportunity Finder.
  1. Create separate opportunities for each volunteer role/area of serving.
  2. Include a custom form as part of the opportunity to collect any additional information needed.
  3. Set the group in the Add to Group field of the Opportunity record so the volunteer is automatically added to the appropriate group.
  4. Connect the opportunity to the event for additional visibility on the Event Detail page.
  5. Create a process to email the volunteer when the Response record is created thanking them for volunteering and letting them know next steps.
  6. Use the Response record to track follow-up communications, results, and so on, including setting up a View Notification on the Waiting on Me view to ensure volunteers are placed in a timely manner.
  7. Use the Background Checks page to ensure that volunteers have the needed screenings for working with kids.

Communicate with Camp or VBS Attendees

  1. Create a custom message template with your camp or VBS logo to "brand" your event.
  2. Use the Event Sign Up snippet to direct people directly to the event to sign up.
  3. If your event had the option to only pay a deposit, follow up with those with outstanding balances.
  4. Use the registrant message to send out emails from the Group Participants page to all volunteers with important information, including where they will be serving (for example, using merge fields: Group, Group Role, and Comments).
  5. Use the Event Reminder a few days before the event to send parents one email listing all kids and group assignments:
    1. Change the default reminder (listed in your Configuration Setting), or add a new message template to the event's Optional Reminder Message field.
    2. Add the token [Group_Assignment] to the body.
    3. Set Send to Heads to Yes.
    4. Set Days Out to Remind as needed (1 or higher).

Helpful Reports for Camps and VBS

  • Selected Program Group Rosters:
    • Run rosters for the Program Groups you've selected.
    • Page: Program Groups.
  • Selected Program Groups Multi-week Roster:
    • Print a roster with columns for up to 5 weeks.
    • Page: Program Groups
  • Selected Program Groups RollScan Roster:
    • Print group rosters with barcodes that can be used to expedite attendance with the RollScan tool on the Event record. See Prepare a Group Roster Barcode for barcode configuration.
    • Page: Program Groups.
  • Selected Program Participants List:
    • Select a program then run this report and you will get back the participants for that program.
    • Page: Programs.
  • Selected Program Roster:
    • Use this report to print a roster of all group members who are actively participating in the selected programs. It is possible to omit some program groups by setting that option in the Program Group record.
    • Page: Programs.
  • Selected Group Rollscan Roster:
    • This report produces a roster with a 3of9 barcode for the selected groups. It is similar in function to the report titled Selected Program Groups Rollscan Roster. See Prepare a Group Roster Barcode for barcode configuration.
  • Selected Group Roster:
    • Get a roster of participants for the selected groups.
    • Page: Groups.
  • Selected Group Roster: Parent Info:
    • Print a roster for each group with the parents' contact information for the group members parents (heads of house).
    • Page: Groups.

Also, you can create a custom report specifically for your camp or VBS with the appropriate content. For example, one church created a custom VBS report for parents to use to sign out their child at the end of each day. It included an image header that was the VBS logo. For details on how to request a custom report, see Report Work by Professional Services.

If you're not using Check-In Suite, you can print name tags ahead of time by using the Selected Group Nametags: Avery 5395 report on the Group page. Note: These are standard nametags that do not include pick up or security tag options. If these components are needed, Check-In Suite is strongly recommended.

Attendance for Camps or VBS

We recommend using Check-In Suite for daily attendance, printing name tags, communicating room assignments along with security badges/pickup tags for parents. Check-In Suite is also great for volunteers!

You can create a custom Kiosk Theme and custom Label Sets for your camp or VBS.

You can also leverage the Group Room Overview to see room capacities and balancing and Classroom Manager, to see things like who has checked in, who has arrived at their room, who is authorized to check a child out, etc. Great for Group Leaders and teachers!

If you choose not to leverage Check-In Suite to track each day's attendance, there are several other options for recording attendance:

  • Classroom Manager
  • Rollscan Attendance Tool
  • Group Attendance Tool
  • Portal My Groups

Tips & Other Ideas for Camps and VBS

  • Use the Trim Selection Tool and/or Map My Selection Tool to get create a targeted selection for an email blast promoting your camp of VBS.

  • Create custom views to easily keep tabs on details like Participants by grade, Participants by breakout Groups, volunteer placement, and so on.
    Remember: Don't forget, you can create a View Notification if you want to be emailed the content of a view leading up to the camp or VBS.
    Don't forget, you can create a View Notification if you want to be emailed the content of a view leading up to the camp or VBS. For example, one church created a Group Count view to monitor numbers of volunteers and kids.

  • Use the Assign Participants Tool to quickly create or assign Default Contact registrants to real Participants.

  • To reduce the number of Default Contacts to assign, require login by setting Event to Force Login to Yes.

  • Use the Select Heads Instead option on the Transfer Selection Tool to turn a selection of your participating kids into a selection of their parents.

  • Use the New Message Tool to notify parents via text message about last minute changes - like about the new plan in the event it rains on pool day!

  • Use Event Metrics to record total attendance or other metrics each day.

  • Consider using Parent Groups that stay the same from year to year to prevent having to remake custom views each year.

  • If you're not using Check In Suite, print multiple lists of kid's group placement and room assignment posted in obvious spots and/or with various volunteers to help parents figure out where their kids go.

  • Additionally, you can engage Professional Services to help reduce staff time. For example, one church collected updated allergy information on the Custom Form that was part of Event registration. Then, PS create a custom routine that added/updated the allergies from the Form to the Attributes page each night. As a result, updated allergies printed on name tags without any additional data entry by the church staff.

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Last updated: July 12, 2024