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Three to Six Months Before Your Crocodile Dock VBS
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Two to Three Months Before Your Crocodile Dock VBS
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Eight Weeks Before Your Crocodile Dock VBS
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Four Weeks Before Your Crocodile Dock VBS
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Two Weeks Before Your Crocodile Dock VBS
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One Week Before Your Crocodile Dock VBS
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During Crocodile Dock VBS
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After Your Crocodile Dock VBS
Three to Six Months Before Your Crocodile Dock VBS
Begin praying for your church’s Crocodile Dock.
Ask God to prepare the hearts of church members, workers, and children who will attend.
Choose a format for your Crocodile Dock.
• Will you meet in the morning, afternoon, or evening?
• Will you meet every day for a week or once a week for several weeks?
• Will your program be for children only, or will entire families be invited to attend?
• Will you meet at your church or another location?
Set Crocodile Dock dates.
As you’re considering dates, you may want to find out about other summer programs offered by your church or your community so you can avoid conflicts.
Choose a Director.
If you’re reading this manual, that’s you! The Director is responsible for planning, recruiting staff, and overseeing all details to ensure that Crocodile Dock flows smoothly. For an even easier adventure, consider recruiting a Crew Leader director who will train, encourage, and check in on Crew Leaders throughout Crocodile Dock. (Remember, your new favorite word is delegate!)
Set a budget.
Look through the entire Crocodile Dock catalog to get an idea of what you’ll need for your program. Write down the cost of each item you’ll need, and then tally the total cost to set your budget. Your church may already include VBS in its budget. If so, find out what funds are available. If your church doesn’t have a VBS budget in place, don’t worry! Money for a quality VBS program needn’t be a stumbling block. There are countless ways that you can easily (and painlessly) raise the funds you need. Consider the following ideas:
- Collect an offering to cover expenses.
- Charge a per-child registration fee for Crocodile Dock. Give discounts to families that register more than one child.
- Invite congregation members to “sponsor” children by contributing a per-child amount. (See the Registration section in your Ultimate Director Go-To Guide for more specifics on this idea.)
- Hold a creative fundraiser! Have a hammy volunteer walk around before and after church wearing a Crocodile Dock T-shirt, a fishing hat, and a giant pair of waders. Ask members of the congregation to fill the waders with change. Your volunteer will get a workout walking in all the jingly coins!
Start collecting decorations.
Look for Spanish moss, inflatable alligators, rope lights (to make your bayou glow), green or blue material, fishing nets or other fishing equipment, lanterns, crates, and greenery. You might even let members of your congregation know what you’re looking for so they can keep their eyes and ears open for potential decorations.
Come see www.groupoutlet.com. It’s swamped with plenty of “gator goodies” and decorations. Inflatables, bulletin board paper, T-shirts, and plush animals are all at www.groupoutlet.com! You’ll find decorating delights, clothing, Crocodile Dock exclusives, and more resources at bargain prices.
