Is it worth the time and energy...?

I heard a statistic once concerning Vacation Bible School that said, less than 4% of the kids who attend Vacation Bible School are unchurched. Less that 4% - that is not a lot of kids for the time and energy it takes to pull off a VBS. So as a team we started brainstorming how to reach more unchurched kids with the gospel. The idea was a Backyard Bible Club. Parents took on the responsibility to pull of a VBS in their own backyard. Invite the neighbor kids over and do VBS that way - we (the children's ministry) would provide them with all the materials they needed to pull it off; Invitations, Lessons, Craft supplies and Snack Supplies - but it never really got off the ground. Not sure if we were ahead of our time, parents just didn't have the time, or if people just really didn't care about reaching the kids in their neighborhoods - but whatever the case, it just didn't work at that time. So we put our heads together again and decided to do a program that was invented by our campus pastor at the time, Mac Lake, and it was called Nic at Nite - a messy fun time for kids and parents to come together for interactive games, worship and bible stories.  Everyone who attend seemed to enjoy it - however the team pulling it off felt it was a lot of work, for a very little win! So we decided to take a few years off from any type of Summer VBS type activities.
We decided to try something really different next, we called it Worship Week. Parents signed their kids up for different ways to worship God through the arts. We had photography, painting, singing, drama and dance. These were all taught by folks in the church that would be considered professionals in their fields. And since we had professionals teaching the kids we had to limit the number of kids who could attend. That's where we ran into some problems! So as successful as the program was, it limited the number of kids we could reach in one week.
So back to the drawing board. The leadership in the church asked if we could go back to a more traditional VBS style. We agreed, but the thought of the "less than 4%" statistic kept popping up in the back of mind.  We successfully pulled off a VBS of 800 kids, workers and staff members. Everyone loved it - we had fun doing it but it was a lot of work. Still from the stories we heard, the statistic stood true.
So here we are another year and we are staring VBS in the face - time for a bigger and better VBS. (Side Note - I am so blessed to work with some of the most amazing and talented people. This year's VBS is going to be hard to top! If I do say so myself). We are hoping for 1000 kids at our Elementary VBS this year, which I think is really do able - but the 4% starts to ring in my ear. Then one day while praying for VBS God revealed something to me.  4% may be unchurched but my purpose of VBS is not solely to bring in the unchurched. If they come that is wonderful, but my purpose is to bring the gospel to the unsaved! Not all the children in our children's ministry who attend regularly on the weekend have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior.  So by putting on a VBS this gives us as Children's Ministers another chance to share the gospel and see children come to Christ during that week. And if one comes to know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and savior then yes all the time and energy that goes into putting on a VBS - no matter what size, is worth it. Because from that one - many may come to know Jesus, you just never know.
So Children's workers as you prepare for Vacation Bible School this year remember, its not just the unchurched we are trying to reach, but the unsaved - and yes there are still some of those attending your church today!
Just my thoughts - hope you get a nugget out of it!