Day 5 -- It is Finished

Vacation Bible School is over, and not a moment too soon.

Please don't think I am a persnickety old woman about it, but there are some very real issues with how most churches "do" VBS. There are some real benefits as well, and I guess the trick is to find out how to maximize the benefits while minimizing the issues. Based on my experience at Crossroads, this is what I've found --

The benefits

* The kids absolutely LOVE it (mine included)
* For five days, kids are taught at their level
* For five days, it is high energy and high interest
* Many children come to church and hear about Jesus for the first time, ever
* New people are introduced to the church
* We get to go to church dressed however we please (okay, this may not be quite applicable, because I go to church dressed however, most of the time).

The issues

* High stress, especially for those leading and organizing
* 2 1/2 hours of free babysitting
* Chaos rules supreme
* Spike in attendance after VBS that gradually declines to nothing
* Exhausting. I only work two days a week, but there were others there that worked a full work day and then came and worked 3 or 4 more hours. (Our director uses a week of her vacation to do this).

I suppose in the long run, it is worth it, but there has got to be a better way.

1 Day VBS

The time element is eliminated. Instead of five nights, perhaps one Saturday. Do a morning session, feed them lunch, then do an afternoon session. The church in my neighborhood is doing this this weekend. I'm anxious to see how it goes. The drawback, however, is that if you have new children, or children you haven't seen in a year, it is difficult to get to know them and build a relationship with them in one day. Also, a whole day is a long time to have a 5 year old (that doesn't belong to you).

Abbreviated VBS

Instead of a full five nights, shorten it to three or four. In my experience, night three is always the smoothest, most productive night. Night four starts to get crazy, and then night 5 is absolutely choking. Do three nights of classes, then let the fourth night be a wrap up and picnic. The downside is that there exists the very real possibility that night 3 becomes what night 5 was, etc, and there is NO productive time, whatsoever.

Vacation Bible Study

Instead of 4 or 5 consecutive nights, spread it over three or four weeks. Pick a night and meet for four weeks on that night. You would still get to know the kids, but there would be ample time for resting between. :) The downsides is that it ties up a lot of weeks, and there is a big gap between the meetings, so kids probably wouldn't attend as much.

My kids
Travis is on the left


Kristi is on the right


Other pictures (taken mainly by our director, April Lowe, I think).




Mr and Mrs Preacher seemed to enjoy it, anyway.