Vacation Bible School: Past and Present

 

Another VBS is in the books. It cheered me up to walked into the Worship Center each night and sit with the kindergartners. One of my assignments for the week was to be there at 5:45 to greet them since the assigned workers had to work and could not arrive early enough.

It is amazing to watch the transformation of the “new” kids from Monday night until Tuesday night. The first night they come in with their parents, not smiling and sit wherever you point. They are difficult to engage in conversation. I remarked several times Monday night that the kids who were all sitting quietly in their chairs, not talking, would not act like that again that week.

I was right. Tuesday night they were laughing, jostling with each other to sit beside friends they had made in only one evening together. Watching that change happen is always fun. I wish adults could bond like that in one short evening.

VBS also makes me nostalgic for my days of VBS. It seems I can’t get through the week without having several conversations with other adults about the crafts we used to do. The boys sometimes made shoe shine kits or stand up podiums for the church. The girls didn’t get the tools, we got the aerosol paint and macaroni. I’m not sure what spiritual truth we were supposed to learn while we glued macaroni on whatever and sprayed it gold. It is a memory for me nonetheless.

I also miss the piano music and marching in. Oh yes, and the special chords on the piano to stand up and sit down. Some aspects are the same. The pledges to the American flag, Christian flag, and the Bible are the same. It seems harder to get kids to do the part of leading each pledge these days—probably because you don’t get to actually carry the flag and lead the march in. Even as a very shy child, I would relish the opportunity to carry the Bible in. The church I grew up in only allowed boys to carry the flags so my highest aspiration was to carry the Bible. I usually got a turn during the week to carry the Bible. There are some advantages to being a usually quiet, obedient child. Teachers tend to pick them for jobs like that because they don’t want someone who will mess up the pledges. So even in a big VBS, I usually got to do it. Also, I was a church kid—there every week, not just for VBS.

As a child, (I guess even as an adult) I was what I call a “high content” learner. That meant if the teacher taught it at VBS, I learned it. I still remember some games I played at VBS that had Bible facts in them. Every single time I recall that Simon carried Jesus’ cross part way—I remember the room I was in at a neighboring church’s VBS with the chairs that all hooked together and folded up when you stood. We were playing a Bible fact game suggested by the curriculum that year. We played it at the end every night while kids were being picked up. Since the “principal” of the Bible school was taking me home. I learned every Bible fact in the entire game. Evidently those facts have stayed with me all these years.

Those memories shaped who I was as a VBS teacher. I taught the first time when I was about 14 or 15. I remember teaching a group of kids to sing some songs I had learned at church camp and helping them paraphrase a Bible verse—whatever year it was—sometime in the 70’s.

In the 80’s when I taught, I used teenagers to help me. I used them because I remember how badly I wanted to “help” in church during my growing up years. I would try to see what special gifts and talents the teens had and get them to use them in some way. We would carefully prepare every single activity and “study stop” so that no child would run out of something to do during their time in our room. They would spend 2 hours in there for 5 days and they did learn a lot. I even added in extra activities like tours of the church, cooking pancakes and other fun stuff like special guests to visit.

I have one memory of a guest’s visit that stands out. One of the stories for my kindergartners was about helping in our community—I think it was from Acts about Christians sharing what they had. We had a church member who was a firefighter so I asked him if he could just drop in some time that week and tell the kids about his job. He said he could not give me a time because obviously firefighters are on call.

I was so surprised to see him walk in one morning with his firefighting clothes on, sweating like crazy and covered in soot from fighting a fire all night. He told me that he had not had a chance to come in all week and he thought he had better come on in before the week was over, even though he was tired and dirty. He definitely had the kid’s attention.

I found out later that word got around VBS that he was there and he ended up staying the entire morning at church sharing with different classes. Poor guy was probably exhausted but we all appreciated that he took some time for the kids to learn how Christians help others in their community. I don’t know if those kids remember it or not, but I never forgot it.

My favorite part of VBS is the sharing the gospel part. I like that our pastor takes a strong role in this. It gives the kids a chance to be close to him and see him set a great example for them in sharing their faith. This year I sat behind him so I could see the kid’s faces and prayed for each one while he shared.

He used his balloon inside a balloon and his three ropes to creatively help the kids understand the need for us to let Jesus forgive us of our sin and follow Him. He asked them to mark a card to show what decision they made. I really like that better than walking to the front like we did when I was in VBS as a child. I know because I was so shy I would not walk to the front. But, I would have marked a card. I believe I was saved the minute I placed my trust in Christ. But I didn’t make it public until I got in an environment where I didn’t have to walk an aisle.

A number of kids marked cards that they decided to follow Jesus. Pray for them as their parents talk with them, their teachers and leaders talk with them, and they ask questions. Many of them will attend camp in July so they will get plenty of opportunities to understand what it means to repent of their sin, follow Christ, and change their lives to live with Jesus as Lord of it.

VBS saw some people teach for their very first time. Some led music and stood in front of a group, also for the first time. Many students and adults used their gifts to make it happen. If no one has said it to you, thank you. Thank you for sharing your time, energy, talent, gifts, and compassion. Time spent that can impact eternity is obviously time well spent. Kids are not the church of the future, they are the church of the present and the future. Thanks kids for letting us see through your eyes.

“I assure you: Whoever does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Luke 18:17 (HCSB)

Is Accountability a Bad Word?

Is Accountability a Bad Word?

Donna J. Wright

Remember the offering envelope checklist? If you are over 50 and grew up in a Baptist church you probably do. I remember getting my envelope—even as a young child, I had my own set, and marking each box on the front: Present, On Time (hopefully), Bible (I’d better go get it), Offering (Daddy, can I have some money?), Lesson, (Look it over for a minute), Preaching (always). Usually, I totaled 100%. I can honestly say I probably didn’t earn that 30% for studying my lesson, but I usually knew the scripture and topic before I arrived. Oh, and I had to keep up with my envelopes too. That provided some accountability for me.

I’m sure the checklist on the offering envelopes has gone away for lots of reasons. They can still be purchased today so evidently some churches still use them. But I haven’t used them in many years. I had friends that were never able to be 100% and it wasn’t their fault. I’m guessing that is one of the reasons they went away. Their parents didn’t bring them on time and picked them up before “preaching.” This reminded me of the seminary class I had in Childhood Education. Never reward or punish children for something that is not their fault. This proverb could have been the beginning of the end of the envelope. I don’t know.

Whether the envelope was good or bad, one thing it did provide was accountability. We’ve written them off as ancient but they did provide it in some ways. It gave me a short checklist of what was expected of me—someone who held a box of envelopes from South Summerville Baptist Church. I was expected:

·      To be present

·      To be on time

·      To bring my Bible

·      To give an offering

·      To study my Sunday School lesson

·      To attend worship

Today in our churches do we communicate basic expectations in such a tangible way? We may “encourage” regular attendance in Sunday School (small groups) and Worship (formerly called “Preaching”), and ask occasionally for the other commitments and participation, but I don’t think we do anything that shows people that we expect these things regularly, weekly even.

Many articles have been recently been written about the dearth of disciple-making in our churches. Sadly, I agree. I have read widely to find some ways to help my own church be a better incubator of disciples. I eventually concluded that we need two things. People to spend time with other believers in a way that encourages them to grow spiritually and as someone to “hold them accountable.” Beyond that I have to figure out how to make sure this occurs, and even measure it in some way.

And then I remembered the envelope. I can see and hear one of my Sunday School teachers, Mrs. Wallin, asking me if I filled out my envelope. One Sunday she questioned me about my “studied my lesson” check mark. She was on to my quick look before checking the box. I guarantee you that I studied my lesson more the year I was in her class. I couldn’t face her with my 100% envelope if I didn’t. I responded to her higher expectation.

As Small Groups Director in our church, I remind teachers not to embarrass anyone, to remember that some cannot easily look up scriptures in their Bibles, some don’t have Bibles, and so it goes. We have gone from accountability to trying not to embarrass anyone and to making sure they feel comfortable. I’m for those things. I don’t want anyone to be so embarrassed that they walk out the door and never come back. So, how do we hold people accountable and not embarrass them?

·      Set expectations publicly and not personally

·      Share expectations again in a small group setting

·      Make expectations and accountability a part of the one-on-one discipleship

My pastor, almost a year ago, did a series of messages where the gist of it was asking everyone who calls West Mobile Baptist home to do three things: attend worship regularly, join and attend a small group, and serve in some way in our church

This simple three-point list resonated with me. I used it on our website and in some meetings with leaders. Then, I was leading a small group and one of our newer church members shared that it was during that series of sermons that her husband and she decided they needed to get into a small group. So, evidently I wasn’t the only one that was moved by it.

No, it isn’t a fully developed plan to make disciples. But it is a clear set of expectations for every person in our church to know that at least three things that are expected of them.

So how about you? Are you accountable? Are you holding anyone else accountable? Want an envelope checklist?