“ Church leaders have even talked about closing their church doors to VBS. Obviously 9 worker recruitment is the fly in the VBS ointment ! 99
result we did not reach many unchurched parents, whom we could have reached with a demonstration program. “ A two-week school gives the leaders more time to work with the children individually and to seek to lead them to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. In a one-week school our workers simply did not have enough time to do this.” Don’t throw out a two-week school too quickly. But if you find that your local conditions dictate a different schedule, consider these alternatives: a. Have one week of VBS at the beginning of summer and one week at the end. b. Conduct VBS during Easter vacation and have the second week sometime in the summer. c. Schedule VBS one morning a week for ten weeks. Workers in a New Jersey church tried this plan and were thrilled with the results. True, they needed more teachers than before, but it was easier to get them. Many of the children were away on vacations part of the time, but none of them all the time. With a one- or two-week school this church had always lost some children for the whole time. Also, the children loved this through-the-summer program. Instead of interest waning toward the end of VBS, it increased! What’s more, teachers had a full week between sessions to prepare their lessons, get ready for the handcraft activities, and meet, plan, and coordi nate. The workers said they felt this was one of the best features of this plan. 10. Pray that the Lord will direct you to the workers of His choosing. Board members in an Illi nois church prayed (beginning in January, no less!) that the Lord would cause prospective work ers to respond to VBS-service invitations. And the Lord answered prayer. Workers responded with far more readiness and enthusiasm than the year before! Put these ten ideas to work, and you’ll find that worker recruitment will no longer be a fly in your VBS ointment! APRIL, 1966
SUGGESTED VBS ANNOUNCEMENT FOR YOUR CHURCH BULLETIN (Actually used this February in a Midwestern church.) Within the next two weeks, our VBS depart mental superintendents will be inviting many people in our church to serve in VBS this summer. If you are asked to serve, we urge you to carefuly consider these VBS values: • VBS is an excellent evangelistic agency. Last year in our VBS, 14 (change the figure to accurately report conversions in your VBS) boys and girls re ceived Christ as their Saviour. VBS offers one o f the best means in the entire year for winning others to the Lord. • VBS adds to the Bible-teaching time of our edu cational program. In our two-week school, we have 25 consecutive hours of Bible instruction and Bible- related activities. This is the equivalent o f six months o f Sunday School teaching! • VBS gives you opportunity to serve the Lord. You may not be able to sing, preach, or teach. But you can still serve in VBS! Workers are needed to drive the bus, do secretarial work, help with hand craft, direct traffic in front o f the church before and after school, be in charge o f recreational activities, help serve refreshments in the kitchen, bake cookies, take photos, be nursery attendants, etc. • VBS offers you on-the-spot teacher training. Where else can you get such wonderful in-service training opportunity, day after day for two weeks? Wonder if you should serve in our educational pro gram? Try out your teaching wings in VBS? • VBS provides our church with many new pros pects! Last year children from 44 (change the figure to report your situation) unchurched families at tended our VBS— families with which our church had no previous contact. As a result many o f these par ents heard the Gospel— at our closing demonstration program or later. VBS gives us a once-a-year “ pass port” into the homes o f many unsaved families. Yes, VBS is valuable! Pray that the Lord will use our VBS this summer in a marvelous way. Why not get in on the blessings— by working in our Vacation Bible School!
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