Hey everyone, this is my second time directing VBS, and I've had this problem both times. I have all my Bible Study and rotation teachers in place, but it seems like everyone else who has said they will work in VBS this year is waiting till the last minute to commit to an area to work in! We are having a training meeting in two weeks, and we don't have anyone to train because they either can't make it or they just don't think they need to be committed yet to an area so they don't think they need to show up! I'm not sure what to do, it's like they don't understand that even though they are just assistants (not that there is such as thing as "just an assistant" when it comes to children's ministry) they still need training! Most of my Bible study leaders are really frustrated with the fact that no one is volunteering to assist them, and only one of them has been pro-active in recruting their own assistants, which is my other problem, they seem to think that as director it's solely my responsiblity to recruit assistants for them! Help! Our VBS is in August, and we still need assistant for 4 Bible Study classes, and 2 rotation areas!

I know the feeling even though I have never direrected an VBS, I did volunteer to do so this year though,I normally do the crafts and for the past several years I have had to go outside the church and ask my aunts to assist me with the crafts.

Sorry you're having problems. Just my opinion but when I either ask someone to help or they say they will help I ask them then to do a specific thing right then. I'm blessed that I have some teachers and rotation leaders that have been doing the same job for years and don't want to do anything different, which is fine with me. You have some time so don't freak out yet. I would ask each of them if they have a preference where they help and if not make a list of where you want your people and tell them that's where you want them. Our VBS is in late July and I've already given the teachers their leader guides. That way they can study on their own. It's hard to get people together for meetings, especially during the summer. I know it's frustrating but remember that God will take care of things. Keep praying!! God bless..
Mark

Mark D is right! God will take care of things. I am a director at a small church in Texas. Like you, I was panicking. Our VBS is this Wed.-Sat. and I still needed 2 teachers. Well, I had some step up this last week to take it. Two people I wasn't expecting...so God will provide. I also was panicking on decorating....no one had done anything....then after church yesterday, things began to take on a life of their own....It's already beautiful and everyone is getting excited! So keep moving ahead and it will work. By the way, we didn't do any training. I typed up all the information I needed them to know and gave it to them. This worked best and when they had questions, they came to me about it.
Debbie

Hi Debnise
I would like to see a copy of the information that you gave to your teachers if you don't mind sending me a copy. I'd appreciate it.
Thanks so much

pastorlisashaull@aol.com

I have asked people to volenteer for specific tasks, but they just are un-willing to committ for some reason, I almost feel like I've already enlisted the 10% in the church that you can count on (you know, the ones who do 90% of the work), and that no one else really cares. Enlisting people was so easy in the beginning! As far as training goes, I know it can be difficult to get people to come, but I just can't get past the fact that the ratio of those who actually attend training and the decisions for Christ that are made is significant enough to lead me to believe that we have to do training. Most people who work in children's ministry are not trained and have no idea what they are doing when it comes to leading children to Christ. I can't just hand them a folder and hope they read it, they need to understand how children learn and understand God to be effective. I just don't think it's right not to provide training, and it's not like we're having weekly meetings or anything. We are having 3 meetings, one we already had and most of our lead teachers came, it went really well, on we're having a week from Saturday that will be our actual training, we are having people from the state convention team come and help us lead it, and one on a Sunday afternoon, that is specifically designed to teach them how to do evanglism with children, and is going to be for all our children's ministry workers, not just VBS. The church we're at has never really done a workshop like it before, and we are going to open it up to other churches if they want to attend. I just don't feel like giving my workers a folder of information is enough to help them really understand how important children's ministry is!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: bcfbrian7800,

Just my opinion but I think you need to be a little flexible with your attitude. You seem almost "militant" and angry with your way of doing things. If you take the fun out of VBS for yourself then everyone else will pick up on that. Things DO need to be done but you cannot go into this with anger. I agree that people need to understand how to teach kids but out of the thousands of teachers and assistants who do VBS every year I would say a large majority have no "official VBS training". I think you have to have some faith and trust in the people who are helping you that they will study and give what the kids need. I think if they weren't interested in leading the children then they wouldn't have volunteered in the first place.If you don't feel they are getting enough I would suggest having the pastor go into each class one night and share how to become a Christian. I have full confidence in my teachers to do this themselves but on Weds. night we have our pastor talk to each class anyway.
I don't mean to sound like I think training is a bad thing because I certainly do not. It's like having a preacher who is a seminary graduate and one who isn't. If neither is inspired by God to do what they are doing then you won't get anything from them. However, if they are inspired by God, you can get as good from the "non-educated" pastor as you can from the "well-learned". I'll be praying for you and your VBS. I'm sure it will be a success. Keep praying and trust in the Lord!!!
Mark

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Mark, the problem I have is that no one would sent their child off to school to learn about math and english where the teachers weren't trained to teach them. Why should we be satisified with sending our kids to learn about God and make the most important decisions of their lives about who Jesus is with a bunch of leaders who have no understanding about how to teach them. One of the reasons so many people have problems doubting their salvation when they are older and often dropping out of church because of their doubts even is because they have people leading them to pray a prayer who have no idea how to make certain they understand and have taken to heart that decision and don't know how to help those children make that moment one they can look back on and know that they were saved. I'm sorry, but I don't think that it is wrong of me to want these kids to have leaders who care as much about their spiritual welfare as a public school teacher does about their accedemic welfare! Especially when the research shows that a child's worldview is set by age 9 and most children do not have a Biblical worldview who claim Christianity. I really want my workers go get it that this about changed lives, not about one week! I just wish that we would take more time and effort to put into our children, and most churches put theirs on the back burner. Children are not our church's future, they are the present, but we give them our leftovers when it comes to their spiritual development.

bcfbrian, I agree with everything you've said regarding training children's workers. The one thing I've learned in my time working with kids and adult workers is that you have to move slow. I make one or two changes per year with the hope of one day becoming the "ideal." Do your training and be excited that the few who attend are more than what was done last year. Then next year, you'll have a few more trained and pretty soon, everyone will have been trained. We can't expect to get everyone trained the first year, but we can continue to make steps in the right direction. Becoming stagnant is the problem, just keep moving and people will follow....it may be slow, but it's progress!

mich, you sound like my husband, we both use the forums under bcfbrian7800. Thank you for what you said, I understand and agree with you, but it doesn't make me any less frustrated by it. I just sometimes wish that God's people would care about what God cares about without being divided over it. Anyway, thanks

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Don't get me wrong, I get frustrated all the time about these issues. I love that you said that children are not our church's future. I say that often myself. It drives me crazy that we pour so much of our finances and energies into youth and adults while we just bide our time until the kids get old enough to join those groups. Will we ever understand that we must focus on our children to see real kingdom growth? Why wait until they've formed their opinions when we can help them learn the truth? I'm not even sure that we can call what we sometimes give our kids "leftovers." Many times what we give them is not nourishing and not satisfying. We give them just enough to keep them from starving to death, but not enough to perpetuate growth. I have to try as hard as I can to see the positive side of things or I'll drive myself and everyone around me crazy with my soapbox rantings! May God bless all of our ministries and raise up people who are passionate about teaching kids His truth.

I agree with everything you both are saying about the kids. I think we must take care of our children now and show them church can be fun as well as educational and build a solid foundation for them so they will have it when they're grown. It is also important to have people teaching our children that know what they're doing. But I just can't agree that there must be training for someone to be qualified to do that. I'll use myself as an example. I don't mean to sound like I'm saying "look at me" but I think this example works for what I'm saying. I teach 2-3 year-old Sunday School (Yes I teach. It's more than just nursery) and have taught VBS and have been director for 3 years. I have no formal training in any of it. By your standards I shouldn't be doing any of it. I read and study on my own, I come on this wonderful forum and learn things, and from what I'm told I just have a knack with kids. It's a gift God has given me and I would take nothing for it. Like I said earlier, many of my teachers, old and new, have the same "knack". I know they study and are well prepared because I have seen the fruits of their teaching by children coming to the Lord and being saved. I think we might just be dealing with different types of people. The ones I have teaching are people I know can work with kids and have done so in some form or another before and I feel completely comfortable that any of them could explain to a child how to become a Christian. Saying that, if I did have someone volunteer that I wasn't sure about in that respect, I would give them a little extra attention and make sure they were with someone I knew could help if that comes up. We do have a couple meetings where we discuss things and people are pretty open if they have questions. I am extremely blessed and I thank God for my teachers and helpers.
I may have mistook your passion for "attitude" earlier and I'm sorry for that. There is nothing wrong with knowledge and our church teachers should be as qualified as our school teachers. I just don't think that knowledge has to come in the form of a training session. There was one here in Charlotte that a couple ladies went to and they said they really didn't get anything out of it. I hope yours goes great and you have a huge turnout. God bless.

Mark, I have no problem with someone who does as much research on their own as you do and who takes time to study and learn. My problem is that most people who volunteer don't do that. You may be lucky in that your volunteers have, I don't know, but in my experience most haven't. I had a teacher one year in VBS who worked with 1st and 2nd graders like they were adults, and I could do nothing about it. She wouldn't take my advice at all and she just taught them over their heads all week long. She had no training, would not read anything I offered to her for help, she simply thought that she knew what she was doing because she had a daughter in that class. Having a child that age does not automatically qualify you to teach them. You, Mark, are what my Christian Education professor would call a self-directed learner, and that is what we all should be. If we all were, then it would make my job as VBS director, and hopefully one day as Minister of Education in a church, much easier! As I said, however, most people are not, and many think that just because they've volenteered for years they are qualified, but I have talked to kids who have prayed to recieve Christ under people who have been doing children's ministry for a long time, and most of them can not explain their salvation. That scares me! If you don't believe me on this, read Transroming Children into Spiritual Champions by George Barna, it might change your mind about some things.

Ok, now I understand. When you use terms like "Christian Education professor" and "self-directed learner" I understand where your point of view is coming from. I guess we're just 2 different people in 2 different situations and have 2 different feelings on how to do things. You obviously have had and are having dealings with people who may have the heart and desire to teach children but, in your opinion, shouldn't because they have neither the knowledge or common sense how simply because they aren't "trained". I would guess we have had different upbringings and experiences that have led us to what we believe.In my life I have had the privilege of hearing many great pastors and teachers who, for whatever reasons , have not had formal training in religion. They study themselves and MOST IMPORTANTLY are inspired by God. They may not know the new ways of doing things and may not know what "self-directed learner" means but they have a calling from God and are filled with his Spirit. Too many people are in our pulpits and classrooms who are there because it seems like a good job or because they want to help, which is a good thing but I believe you have to be called to truly be the kind of leader God wants you to be.
As I said before, I guess I am just blessed with the teachers and helpers I have at my church. They do a great job with the kids and it's not just because they have been doing it for a long time, they are just good and I see the fruits of that all the time. Some may not have as much "book smarts" as you but they are inspired by God.
You really seem to have a good heart and want the best for your kids. I do think you're one of those people who think the only way to do anything correctly is to have a college degree to do it. Because of that belief and because of your experiences with some of your teachers you believe that applies to everyone. If you have people who aren't good teachers put them with someone who is. For whatever reason, everyone isn't going to be able to go through training but if they are willing to help that's half the battle. Just take a look around this board and you'll see many directors who can't get people to do anything. I'm sure you have many people in your church who already know how to show children how to become a Christian and would be glad to help.
Every situation needs someone to lead it and it looks like we are good people to lead our VBS's. They're different and we're different and as long as the children learn and get what they need out of VBS then we've all done a good job, thanks to God.

Just so you know, Mark, one of the greatest pastors I have ever sat under had no formal education. He took a church that was divided and running 30 people in Sunday School and grew them to the point where they were averaging 300 in Sunday School and had 700 in their worship service. He was a fantastic preacher, an intelligent man, and a wonderful pastor. He was also a man who was willing to learn from others, and did his best to learn from everyone. He was truly called and inspired by God, and he was humble enough to admit that without the Holy Spirit working through him, he was nothing. I believe strongly in a calling and in the Holy Spirit leading, however, if the Holy Spirit is doing the leading, he will lead you to people who you can learn from, and teach you what you need to know through the work of others just as much as He will by direct inspiration. I love that pastor, so does my husband, but we both also felt a different calling and direction in our lives. Even that pastor will admit to us, and has, that if he'd gotten an education in the classroom under some great professors like my husband and I had, he could have avoided or handled better some of the situations he's been in. Some of the things that he learned from trial and error, we learned in the classroom from the benefit of our professors experience. We were blessed in our undergrad work, as well as where we chose to go to graduate school to have professors who had experience in churches, many seminary students have professors who have never been on staff in a church, but we didn't. I'm not saying it's impossible, but I am just saying the benefit of the classroom can keep you from making mistakes, and sometimes the mistakes we make and have eternal consequences.

<quote>
"I'm not saying it's impossible"

Let's both go with that and agree that, while we both feel strongly about our opinions, as long as the children's spiritual needs are being met then the methods of learning that the people meeting the needs of those children doesn't really matter. If someone has the means to get spiritual training then they should by all means get it. As Christians we can always use as many weapons we can get to battle sin. Sometimes those weapons come from the classroom and sometimes they come from life experiences. I feel like the people helping with my VBS have both the learning and the life experiences to teach our kids, which is fine. You feel like your helpers need more training, which is also fine. One size doesn't fit all.

Just to let you know I have heard some great sermons from well-educated pastors. I guess my biggest problem with what you have said throughout all your posts in this subject is that you seem a little "heady" about your education. Almost like you're looking down on those less-educated than yourself. I certainly don't know you and this probably isn't the case at all but it seems like that anyway. You should be proud of what you've accomplished and I know you've worked hard. Some people have what it takes to do what you've done, some don't.

Getting back to the original topic, since you feel as strongly about your teachers having official VBS training then it would seem like you tell them they either come to the classes or they don't teach. It might seem a little harsh and you may find yourself with no teachers but if you truly feel this is what God wants you to do them you should follow that belief. If it is then you will have teachers, if not then maybe you should re-evaluate your position.

I feel passionately about training, because I was taught by some wonderful, well-meaning people as a kid, who didn't know how to teach spiritual topics to kids. I grew up as a believer, but also pretty confused.

The other important thing about attending training is to understand the logistics of the event. As a director, I always have people running after me in the beginning of each night trying to find out where they're supposed to be. If they attended training, they would know. I think it's important for the parents to feel like we're organized and know what's going on, and when the leaders don't know where to be, it doesn't instill confidence with the parents who don't normally go to your church.

Mark, I just wish you would understand. It's not that I feel that everyone has to be at training in order to work with kids at VBS, but my point is that we need our workers to know how to lead kids to the savior. I don't care how they come to that knowledge, whether it be because they have served under someone who has a working knowledge and they've learned on from working one on one with that person, or whether it be from formal training. It's all about having a generation that know they are saved and are not confused about what that means. I really do beg you to read Barna's book (just so you know, George Barna is a layperson in church with no formal religious education) because that book really tells a lot about what we have missed out on in teaching our kids and how spiritually malnourished they are because of well meaning people who simply did not realize they were not getting spiritual truths across in a way kids could understand. It's not about formal training or informal training, it's simply about raising the next generation to have a more Biblical World View than the last one did. Please read the book! That's all I ask.

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Getting back to the original topic, since you feel as strongly about your teachers having official VBS training then it would seem like you tell them they either come to the classes or they don't teach. It might seem a little harsh and you may find yourself with no teachers but if you truly feel this is what God wants you to do them you should follow that belief. If it is then you will have teachers, if not then maybe you should re-evaluate your position.

Thanks for the advice. We both want the same thing and I know God will bless what we're doing.I hope I said something to help you with your question. Best of luck with your VBS and your training.