Posted on Wednesday, 4th March 2009 by Nanette's Staff
If you are involved in a Vacation Bible School, now is the time to be thinking about it! Time will pass quickly, and there is a lot to do if you want to have a successful VBS. Here are some tips to help you have a great VBS:
1. Start early! Begin planning now, if you haven’t already. Choose a theme and choose teachers for each age group. If you wait until the VBS dates are near, you will not have sufficient time to really do a great job. VBS kits are available now, which can give you a good starting point. You can review each kit and choose a curriculum, then return the kit you do not want to use. You will then be ready to order the rest of your materials and get the preparations going.
2. Study the material. Teachers should start out by studying the lessons that they will be teaching. The most important part of VBS is teaching the Bible to the students. Spend time studying the text and the material in the books so that you understand it thoroughly before you try to teach it to others. Remember to compare what you find in the books to the Scriptures to make sure you are teaching accurate information!
3. Plan ways to invite people to VBS. Encourage all the members of the congregation to attend the VBS themselves, and to invite their friends and neighbors to come with them. If you have a list of visitors from previous years, send them invitations. Pass out invitations in your neighborhood, or use a mailing list to send some out. Try thinking of other ideas to advertise your VBS, such as newspaper ads, radio public service announcements, signs and posters…any way you can get the word out and encourage people to come.
4. Prepare room decorations and visual aids. Do as much of this ahead of time as possible so you can focus on the lesson itself on the day you are to teach it. If you are rushing to finish room decorations at the last minute, you may not do as well at presenting the actual lesson.
5. Ask for help. Teachers should not have to do all the work themselves if there are other people available to help. There may be teenagers or other members of the congregation who are not teaching, but would be happy to help with some preparations. They might be able to help you with decorating classrooms and getting other materials ready for the classes. However, no one will know what to do if they are not asked to help!
6. Be prepared and flexible. Teachers should be well prepared with study and materials for their classes. VBS can be difficult, though, because you do not know how many kids you will have in class. You may also have students who you do not know, and who are not accustomed to attending Bible classes. Be mentally prepared to handle unforseen situations. If things do not go as you planned, just do your best to go with the flow. Remember that your main goal is to help the kids learn more about God, not to have a perfect craft activity.
7. Be enthusiastic! If you are excited to be at VBS, your students will probably be, too!
These are just a few tips for having a great VBS. Plan well and study well, be flexible and enthusiastic, and work hard. Teachers and kids learning and happy make for a successful VBS!
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