work well in this capacity. Last summer teens at our church helped the teachers gather and prepare materials, they as sisted in the handcraft time, they ran errands for the departmental superintendents (thus relieving the superintendents of the need to make frequent trips to the supplies cabinet for an extra pair of scissors or a bottle of glue!), etc. Our adult work ers would never have made it without those teens. Use a worker’s questionnaire on a VBS re cruiting Sunday. Many able and willing workers may be found through VBS questionnaires, distrib uted in your adult Sunday School classes or in a church service. Use the following questionnaire, adapted from the Scripture Press VBS Leaders’ Handbook; VBS WORKERS' QUESTIONNA IRE VBS is a challenging opportunity for us to get the Gospel out to our community. And there is a place fo r YOU in our VBS effort! Can you serve as a teacher, secretary, pianist, or other helper? If you are free from (dates) from 9:30-12:00 a.m., we can use your help! Baby-sitting and transportation will be provided if needed. Here’s your opportunity for a fruitful ministry for Christ. I am willing to serve as a . ........ teacher 4. baby-sitter (at church) I ( .......... will) ( ........... will not) need a baby sitter. I ( ........... will) ( ........... will not) need trans portation. Perhaps you aren’t free to serve during VBS hours. You can still have a vital share in bur VBS ministry. Here are other ways you can help: I am willing to serve as a . . . ........ secretary ........ treasurer ........ pianist ........ photographer recreation leader handcraft leader school nurse teacher’s helper
5. Delegate responsibilities. Don’t expect your teachers to do everything. If one person has to lead singing, tell the Bible stories, lead recreation, and oversee all the handcraft for one department, no wonder that person says VBS is physically exhaust ing! Spread the work load. For example, appoint one person to be in charge of the recreation, one person to be the refreshment-preparer in the kitch en, another to be the VBS secretary, etc. Also have teachers in the department take turns telling the Bible stories. Let your prospective workers know of these plans for spreading the work load—and no doubt you’ll get more workers then to carry the load. 6. Avoid conflicts in your church calendar. Obviously, it’s asking too much of your teachers ter expect them to attend a special week of evangelistic meetings in the evenings during VBS. Your work ers will appreciate the assurance that not too much else will be expected of them during those two busy weeks. 7. Provide a crib nursery for workers’ babies. With some mothers this provision will be the one means of enlisting their help. Many young mothers are happy to serve in VBS if they know their babies will be well cared for. And don’t minimize the importance of the crib attendant! Point out to this person that her role is strategic in helping make VBS possible. 8. Arrange a mid-morning coffee break for the workers. At the church I attend this has been a life- saver. Workers were glad for this breath-catching, nerve-calming time. Actually there were several breaks— one for each department, during that de partment’s recreation time. Several of our teachers said this made all the difference in the world—they were far less fatigued at the end of the morning. When you’re enlisting workers, why not tell them about this “ added feature” ? Consider various possibilities for VBS dates. Most Christian educators believe that a two-week VBS is better than one. A pastor told me that his church, after experimenting last year with a one- week school, is going back to a two-week program this year. He gave these three reasons: “We found that our school was terminating when some children were just getting started. Peak attendances are usually reached on the Wednesday or Thursday o f the first week. This meant that many of our children received only a minimum of Bible instruction. Some children said, ‘Can we come next week?’ We had to answer ‘No.’ “We felt that with a one-week school, it was im practical to have a closing demonstration program. Departments had no time to practice for it. As a 9.
car or bus driver publicity worker visitation helper baby-sitter (in my home) prayer partner refreshment supplier
cleanup worker typist Saturday VBS Parade helper neighborhood team leader (to enroll unreached pupils) other, as needed
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