Pastor Joseph Hemphill shows children how to "pan" for gold.
“ This has been so much fun!” “ I enjoyed teaching in Vacation Bible School.” “ The time went just too fast.” “ I’d like to continue working with youngsters.” These and similar comments from teachers and help ers show that for the workers as well as the youngsters, Vacation Bible School can be fun! How can it be fun for all concerned? Here are a few proven tips: 1. Plan For Plenty of Help “ This one thing I do.” Perhaps we are taking Paul’s statement out of context, but the truth is there for Vacation Bible School too. When each one has one responsibility, he can concentrate on doing his best. He avoids the frustrations and pressures of being over loaded and the results in service can bring joy and genuine satisfaction. It is amazing how many people are willing to serve when they are asked for one specific job which they feel they can do. Thus many more in the church have the joy of helping in this evangelistic endeavor. Under the general supervision of the Main Director, some responsibilities may be delegated as follows: (1.) Assign the seeming of personnel, the locating and placing of workers to a Personnel Superintendent. (2.) Secure a Program Superintendent to have charge of any general assemblies and to plan the Clos ing Program even before the school begins (in confer ence with departmental superintendents), and to supervise all rehearsals. (3.) Delegate the handling of all supplies to a Sup ply Superintendent. This entails the obtaining of all supplies before the school begins, dispensing supplies during the school, and taking an inventory afterward. (4.) Arrange for craft periods, third or fourth grades and up, to be handled by a Craft Superintend ent in a separate room with a corps of craft helpers. Moving the youngsters to another room allows extra activity and may mean the recreation-play period can be eliminated. Having craft separate can alleviate pressure and relieve workers of added responsibilities. (Craft suggestions: Parents and youngsters appreciate crafts that are really worthwhile, such as, leather- work, copperwork, copper enameling, etc., and they are willing to pay for the materials when the end- products are of value. Such crafts are genuine “ draw ing cards.” Craft stores are glad to make suggestions and give instructions.) (5.) Enlist the help of a Publicity Chairman to mimeograph dodgers, invitations, notices, and pro grams.
Craft time is a high point of VBS activity. (6.) Plan for a Decoration Chairman to take care of decorating the church buildings according to the theme of the school and to prepare outdoor signs for advertising. (7.) Ask a Transportation Chairman to schedule bus routes and arrange for “ car pools.” (8.) See that a Kitchen Chairman is assigned to take charge of refreshments, treats for the children, and the “ coffee break” for the workers. (9.) Appoint a Follow-Up Chairman to oversee personal work during decision services and to see that visits are made and letters sent to new converts. 2. Begin Early and Provide Thorough Training “ I’ll help if you’ll show me how.” Discouragement and frustration can result from lack of clarification. Service can be a joy if one knows exactly what is ex pected and how to do it. (1.) Gather the entire staff for instructional meet ings. Inform regarding the overall program, general procedures and policies. Include presentation of age characteristics, pointers on personal soul-winning, tips on handling discipline, and demonstrations on story telling and other methods of teaching. (2.) Assist the departmental superintendents in planning workshops for outlining the daily program, assigning responsibilities, and the preparing of ma terials for each department. (3.) Keep a scrapbook each year of Vacation Bible School data or assign a Scrapbook Chairman to do so. Include records of attendance, samples of publicity, snap-shots, and evaluation reports. Let each depart mental superintendent and chairman use several pages for his particular department. This can be of real value the following year in briefing workers as to their responsibilities.
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