Let’s talk about the heart behind Explorer Badges, how you can earn them, and why they will make this Vacation Bible School season the best ever!
We all know that the VBS Directors and leaders – the ones who guide, support, and love kids – are the true heroes of Vacation Bible School. Your creativity and passion are what make the week truly special. With this in mind, we want to celebrate you and the hard work you put into VBS all year long!
Introducing Explorer Badges! These badges are more than tokens of appreciation. They symbolize your Live It Out VBS commitment and achievements!
The Inspiration Behind the Badge
This year’s theme, Live It Out VBS, is all about camp. Whether you are more familiar with a traditional summer camp, science camp, sports camp, or music camp, the idea of earning badges at camp is not new. For decades, it has been a cherished tradition in scouting programs and youth organizations.
Badges serve as a visual reminder of a job well done, and they promote a sense of accomplishment. Once you’ve earned your badges, there are so many creative ways to display them! Display them on a hat or a cool counselor vest to showcase your achievements and spark conversations. Alternatively, clip them onto your lanyard for a more everyday way to keep your VBS spirit alive. Let these badges remind you of your accomplishments as you plan for VBS 2025.
Explorer Badges are designed to:
- Encourage Participation: You will want to participate in all things Live It Out VBS because we have created lots of resources to help you this season. These badges might just provide the extra motivation to dive into a helpful tool you didn’t even know we had!
- Recognize Achievements: Each badge represents a specific accomplishment. Whether it’s early preparation, providing valuable feedback, or engaging with others on social media, we are proud of all you do to make your VBS great! We hope these badges will boost your self-esteem and encourage you to continue to strive for that greatness.
- Build Community: The bread and butter of Orange VBS is our community of over 20,000 VBS leaders. We are so grateful for each of you, and we know you’re grateful for each other as well! One goal of these badges is to continue to foster that community and camaraderie; we want you guys to talk with each other and share all your brilliant ideas!
The Explorer Badge Collection
Let’s take a closer look at some of the exciting badges, the reasoning behind their creation, and how to earn them!
The Early Bird
- How to Earn: Be one of the first to purchase the Live It Out VBS Kit within the initial days of its release.
- Why: This badge recognizes the enthusiastic leaders who are eager to kickstart their planning.
The Cheerleader
- How to Earn: Provide valuable feedback or a review that we can feature on our website.
- Why: Constructive feedback helps us improve, and testimonials inspire others! This badge honors leaders who contribute their insights and experiences.
The Networker
- How to Earn: Engage with our team at the Orange booth at the KidzMatter Conference in September.
- Why: This badge celebrates leaders who actively participate in building connections and sharing ideas in the broader community.
The (Un)Boxer
- How to Earn: Share an unboxing video of your Live It Out VBS Kit on Facebook or Instagram.
- Why: Sharing unboxing videos helps build excitement and anticipation! It allows other leaders to see what’s included in the kit. This badge encourages community, sparks enthusiasm, and promotes the joy of VBS preparation!
The Social Butterfly
- How to Earn: Become a Top Contributor in our Orange VBS Facebook Group.
- Why: This badge recognizes VBS Directors who love to connect with other leaders online by sharing tips, tricks, and more! Collaboration is vital when planning your VBS, and this badge helps promote that.
The Bargain Hunter
- How to Earn: Place a bulk order of Live It Out Merch from our Trading Post!
- Why: Our VBS merch is made just for you and your Live It Out VBS. We’ve created these items to help you enhance your VBS experience, and this badge rewards those who take advantage of these products!
The DIYer
- How to Earn: Share your DIY decor ideas, crafts, snacks, and more in our Orange VBS Facebook Group.
- Why: Orange VBS is created for all unique church types, environments, and budgets, but we know that you know your ministry best! This Explorer Badge celebrates original DIY ideas, enriching the VBS experience for everyone.
The Rockstar
- How to Earn: Share a video of you and/or your team jamming out to the Live It Out theme song!
- Why: Sharing a silly moment not only spreads joy but also inspires others to incorporate the theme song into their own programming! It helps create a lively atmosphere, setting the tone for an unforgettable VBS experience.
The Dreamer
- How to Earn: Come say “Hey!” to us at our booth at the Children’s Pastors Conference in January!
- Why: This Explorer Badge honors those of you who seek out opportunities to dream big and innovate outside of your typical work week.
The Orange Rookie
- How to Earn: Your church is a first-time user of Orange VBS.
- Why: This badge celebrates new members of the Orange VBS family. By embracing this fresh approach, you join a community dedicated to creating impactful, memorable experiences for kids.
The Orange Veteran
- How to Earn: Your church is a 3+ time user of Orange VBS.
- Why: This badge honors seasoned leaders who have consistently chosen Orange VBS over the years. Your ongoing commitment and experience demonstrate a deep trust in our program, and we are so grateful for that. Your continued support and expertise help strengthen and enrich the VBS community.
But Wait… There’s More!
The Exclusive Live It Out VBS Fanny Pack
- How to Earn: Purchase your VBS Kit before December 31, 2024. If you purchase your kit from a wholesaler (Christian Bookstore, Concordia, etc.), be sure to activate your kit on our website to earn this exclusive fanny pack!
- Why: You’ve earned all these badges… But what are you supposed to do with them? You need a place to put them! That’s why we have created an exclusive Live It Out VBS Fanny Pack so that you can rep your badges in style!
How to Receive Your Explorer Badges
You’ll want to complete this form and upload proof of your earnings! For example, if you post a video of your kidmin team jamming out to our Live It Out theme song, you will enter your information on the form and attach a screenshot of your post.
Our team will be keeping an eye on these submissions, and we will notify you via email once you’ve earned a badge (or two!). We will ship your badges to the address on the form, and once they arrive via mail, you can start repping your Live It Out SWAG!
We will be giving out The Networker badge and The Dreamer badge in person at the KidzMatter Conference and Children’s Pastor Conference, so you’ll want to be sure to stop by our booth to get those! Otherwise, you’ll find the rest in your mailbox.
The Impact of Explorer Badges
The goal of these badges is not to recognize “good behavior,” and it is not even to incentivize you to do something. These badges are for you. Here at Orange, we care about you as a leader. We want you to feel proud of what you are doing in your ministry, and we want to celebrate alongside you! These badges foster a sense of achievement, community, and encouragement among our VBS leaders. We hope you continue to feel motivated this year as you are planning your VBS months and months out, and we want you to connect with others while doing so. Also, we know you might not always hear the words “thank you” in your role, so we want to be the first to say it.
Explorer Badges are our way of saying “thank you,” and we are so excited to celebrate the incredible efforts that make Live It Out VBS a memorable experience. Whether you’re an Early Bird, a Rockstar, or a Dreamer, each badge you earn is a testament to your hard work and commitment to your ministry. We cannot wait to see you wearing your badges with pride as you inspire the next generation to live out their faith with joy!
