VBS Fears
by Ted Slater on 05/30/2009 at 3:48 PM
So two weeks ago during announcements at church the pastor mentioned that they were still looking for people to help out at Vacation Bible School, something our church does two weeks per year.
In that moment I felt something I've felt before: a sense that settles into my thoughts that, yes, this is something I should do. So without mulling things over too deeply, without examining my qualifications or whether I really wanted to help at VBS, I quietly agreed to do it.
I asked Steve Watters if I could take mornings off from Boundless during one of the VBS weeks, filled out the volunteer application form at church, and that was that.
So here I am, obligated to be a VBS "crew leader" all next week from 8-something till noon. The reality of it hit me last night, during our orientation meeting: I'm going to be responsible for perhaps 10 kids, to help them engage in what's going on, to help get them from activity to activity, to walk them to the bathroom if they need to go potty, to model joyful Christian life for them.
To be honest, I found myself a bit scared last night. I'm unprepared, unsure what to do, not confident that I'll be in a happy mood, lost about the motions that accompany the songs.
Someone said something last night, though, that I think will help me through this. They said something like, "The Lord has called you to this."
Hm. And if He's called me to volunteer with VBS, to be a crew leader over 10 kids, then He'll enable me to carry out my responsibilities just fine. I'll be fine, and the Lord will bless these kids through the seemingly unqualified one He has called: me.
So here I am today, still a bit fearful about next week, kind of incredulous about what I've gotten myself into. But I do have a hope grounded in truth, that the Lord will enable me to serve these kids well. I believe that by the time Monday morning rolls around, my confidence will be in the One who called me to serve this way.
1. Carol said the following at 4:05 PM on May 30:
You'll have a great time. Don't worry; they're just kids!
2. BDB said the following at 4:52 PM on May 30:
Well, sometimes God tells you to do something in order to humble you. Once I realized the challenges of classroom management of 20+ 3rd grade boys, I learned to be much more respectful of school teachers.
Especially when a tiny 23-year-old woman can silence my class by simply crawling up to them and staring them in the eye.
And then saying, "Good. Now pay attention to the worship leader."
3. DannieA said the following at 6:20 PM on May 30:
Not to be trite, but you will do a GREAT job. If at our church, all the crew leaders are the youth/teenagers and they do a great job, there is no reason why you can't be just as good!
I can't believe you all do it in the morning though! Ours are in the early evening before 8pm. Ours will happen in July. I'm in charge of Registration with 8 people to oversee LOL
4. Ame said the following at 6:30 PM on May 30:
Ahhh ... the kids will teach you MUCH more than you will teach them! Allow some teachable space within you ... you'll be glad you did :)
And remember ... these kids are accostomed to schedules and routines. They're coming right out of a year of school with schedule and routine and groups and moving from place to place. THEY will be fine. They know what to do. They just need an adult to set the parameters, guidelines, and continue to round them up within those.
And ... to be able to answer ?'s about God ... and life ... and family ... to be their friend, for a week. You can do that.
5. Christina said the following at 7:09 PM on May 30:
I'm a former children's pastor and every year when VBS rolled around I also had a fear - that there wouldn't be enough VBS workers and that I'd have to spend weeks (sometimes even months) trying to convince the congregation of the importance of ministering to kids.
God always supplied all the workers, but every year I was still trying to convince people a week before the event. I was always so grateful for people like you who, despite your fears, volunteered to help. I know that you, and everyone else who sets fear aside and volunteers to work with children, will be blessed!
6. Mike said the following at 7:26 PM on May 30:
"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.'" - Romans 8:15
God doesn't send fear. That's the other guy, trying to put you off. If Abba called you, then you are fit for the task.
7. Diane said the following at 7:28 PM on May 30:
I want to encourage you. My husband volunteered for VBS four years ago for the first time and now he takes a week of vacation every summer to do it again. There are very few men who get involved, in comparison to women, and your presence (especially for the boys) will be so special. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts after next week :)
8. Alex H said the following at 8:39 PM on May 30:
Ted I felt the same way :) the month of June i have two separate times where I lead kids and young adults.. I totally didn't feel ready until God told me I was :) have an blast man
9. Samaria said the following at 10:00 PM on May 30:
Awww, you'll be fine. My mom was in charge of about 20 tweenagers for the past two years, and no matter how nervous or frustrated or exasperated she gets with those kids or with herself, she has such a great time with them. It'll be fun! At the end of the week, those kids start protesting about her leaving.
Which is to say, they'll protest about you leaving, too. :D
10. Juliet H said the following at 10:42 PM on May 30:
As a librarian who works with kids all year, and as someone with experience doing VBS and an after-school program at our church, I've learned how important it is to have adults engaging with the kids the way you will be as a crew leader. You'll be the one who remembers their names, listens to them, and sets the tone of the group. When you are paying attention to the activity leader, they will be more likely to pay attention. The best way to be prepared to do this it to be yourself! Kids sense when you are being fake. Immerse yourself in the activities and especially the songs- when you're having fun and loving God, they will too!
11. Amir Larijani said the following at 10:31 AM on May 31:
Ted:
Think of this as if you're playing football: the 300 pound gorilla on the other side of the line? He wants to eat your lunch...
Seriously, if you don't have butterflies in your stomach, then you don't belong out there teaching.
That healthy fear is a very good thing: when you are teaching kids, the price of bad teaching is an order of magnitude higher than the price for making the same bad call with other age groups.
In my church life, I've been a teacher for about 20 years--yes, folks, I am that old!
The older I get, the more nervous I get before I teach a lesson.
It's my calling. I've got lots of experience, and this should be something with which I am "comfortable".
And yet I never am "comfortable", especially teaching children.
I look at this lack of comfort as a good thing. Comfort is effectively tantamount to complacency. When you get to that point, disaster is right around the corner.
So yeah...your nervousness is not a bad thing. No matter how prepared you are, you will never be adequately prepared. Children will hit you with questions and comments from angles you never thought were possible.
Sometimes, I wish I could get adults to ask those kinds of questions...
12. Carolyn said the following at 1:17 PM on May 31:
one of my fav quotes: "God will not call you to do anything that he will not also equip you to do"
13. Jayme said the following at 3:22 PM on May 31:
So great that men are helping out! Even if you're nothing but a human jungle gym, some kids really need the positive MALE attention. They thrive on it.
14. Marilyn said the following at 5:46 PM on May 31:
You will have the time of your life! VBS is also intensely exhausting, but in a good way. In all my years we've had very few men working in the program, the kids will think it the greatest thing ever.
The first year I volunteered (oops...I meant the first year I was volunteered) I was terrified. After we got going we realized that the program practically runs itself, and all we had to worry about was building relationships with the kids.
It was so much fun I volunteered for many years. I still work with little kids in a different kind of kid's program and I can't imagine working in any other ministry. That first year I would have run in terror if someone told me I was going to end up teaching in children's ministries.
Have fun!
15. Ted Slater said the following at 7:00 PM on May 31:
Thank you for all the encouragement! It is en-courage-ing.
You'd think someone with a dang master's degree in education would be less intimidated by this, hm? It's just so out of where my "comfort zone" has been.
I think the "secret" to well-serving these kids is to spend time with the Lord before spending time with the kids. Then this empty vessel will have something to give.
16. Daniel said the following at 9:05 PM on May 31:
Thanks for sharing this!! I'm actually having similar thoughts as I've been asked to be the person who teaches the Bible lessons for some VBS programs. Immediately I thought, "Who, me? I don't think I am THAT qualified to do such a thing." So, I told the person I'd get back to them after some time of praying and considering if the Lord was calling me to do this. I think after reading this post, I should do it. I kinda had that inkling soon after hearing of this opportunity, but my fear got in the way. Now I think I know what the Lord wants. Thanks so much for putting this life situation you've faced into words; it has helped me!!
17. BDB said the following at 9:53 PM on May 31:
You're totally going to get 10 first graders who want to pray for their pet!
And answer "Jesus" to every question.
18. Leah said the following at 11:35 PM on May 31:
Don't be scared, they're just kids! :)
I've been involved in kids' ministry since I graduated from highschool. Our primary school (elementary school) youth group operates for 2 hours on a Friday night but we also have a "VBS" (we call it "Holiday Club") for only 3 days the week before the school year resumes. The idea is that it gives parents the chance to do all the necessary back-to-school shopping without having to worry about kids. It runs in the morning too, which means we're usually there from 7:30/8.
Our youth group leadership team ranges in age from 19 to 25. "Holiday Club" usually has a different demographic in its leadership team- there is usually a mature adult group who oversees the whole running of it (eg. organising the craft section, providing morning tea, MC-ing, doing the up-front bible teaching) (40-60yo) but most of the actual interacting-with-kids leadership team ranges in age from 14 to 25. Of course the young teenagers are not given any leadership responsibility- they just help out with the kids' craft projects or help them learn a game or something. And they're often the most enthusiastic with the song actions!
If 16 year old kids can do it, you sure can :)
You only need to know the actions to the songs if you're leading the songs :) And they're usually easy to pick up!
Amir... Even though this is not currently my role, I never used to get butterflies in my stomach before running my small-group bible study for yr 6 and 7 girls. I knew them. I might get nervous if I had to get up infront of 100 kids to teach a lesson, but that would be coz I'm not used to it. But the role I was actually doing? There was nothing to be scared of. I am not responsible for converting anyone or making them learn. That's God's job. My job is to teach as effectively as I can. I am not there to plant the seed, water it, and make it grow. Only God makes it grow. Nothing to be scared of. And you're saying someone without butterflies doesn't belong in that position? I know a lot of school teachers/ sunday school teachers/ youth group leaders who I'm sure would say the same thing as me, and they are all mature Christians who understand their responsibility.
Ted - not to be rude, this is honest curiosity. If you have a masters in education... what have you been doing with it if you're scared of this type of role? ;)
19. Leah said the following at 8:28 AM on Jun 1:
BDB (17) - Oh gosh. We have 10 year old boys at kids' club who think it's cool to be difficult and just answer "pray/Jesus/bible" to every question. Fortunately it's a weekly youth group so we've had most of these kids every week of the school year, often for several years, so know them well enough to call them out and put the pressure on.
20. Sarah P. said the following at 8:28 AM on Jun 1:
Leah (#18): I teach 10s and 11s once a month at church. It doesn't scare me now -- in fact, I look forward to it -- but it sure scared me the first few times. And I still get the nervous butterflies Amir describes, which is simply a result of adrenaline hitting my system. I don't think there's anything wrong with that.
21. Amir Larijani said the following at 8:34 AM on Jun 1:
Leah writes:
No one suggested that it is your job or Ted's job or my job to convert anyone.
On the other hand, looking at Scripture, and weighing the great responsibility on teachers for teaching sound doctrine, and seeing the great degree to which teachers and other leaders will be held accountable, I'd say that complacency is a huge risk.
While my comment about butterflies and nervousness was an intentional exaggeration, my larger point was that his nervousness is not a bad thing.
I'd rather deal with a nervous teacher who prepares than with a teacher who thinks he or she knows it all, any day.
Oh, and one more thing: master's degree or no master's degree--be it in education, rocket science, or underwater basket weaving--that level of nervousness is not necessarily a bad thing.
I enjoy the heck out of teaching. Adults, kids, teens. I still get nervous.
I think of it like a window-cleaner who works on skyscrapers: the fact that I've done a lot of it does not keep me from strapping on the gear and double-checking my equipment, making sure I get it right.
22. Carrie said the following at 9:02 AM on Jun 1:
I was just asked last week to lead the music for our VBS this year :) I'm 23, and my sisters and I have been leading VBS for about 5-6 years now at our various churches, so it isn't as hard as it used to be (especially with my sisters for support), but that first day is always hardest.
By the end, the kids know the songs and are all with us, so we don't really have to lead, just get up there and join in the fun! Believe me, you'll really enjoy it if you just let go and have fun with the kids.
23. Carrie (the original) said the following at 11:01 AM on Jun 1:
Re: Amir (#21)
"underwater basket weaving" . . . that sounds like an interesting class. Do they offer those on-line? :p
24. farmer Tom said the following at 11:46 AM on Jun 1:
My friend Ted, I say this with all the love I can muster,( which most people here would probably say is little to none,).....
but quit emoting like a woman, man up, and do what you volunteered to do. If you can't handle the job, you were stupid to volunteer for it in the first place, if you can do it, quit worrying and whining about it and GET IT DONE.
Completing the task does not require navel gazing, hand wringing or other forms of introspection. Rather you simply step out in faith and use your abilities to do the work before you. Period.
There's your sensitive, caring admonition for the day.
25. Victoria said the following at 11:51 AM on Jun 1:
Ted,
My pastor often says, "God doesn't call the qualified -- He qualifies the called."
26. IMO said the following at 1:12 PM on Jun 1:
#23
You honestly couldn't get your point across without saying,
"but quit emoting like a woman, man up,"
It takes your credibility right out the window, assuming you care about it.
You seriously can't see how insulting you can be at times?
27. Tami said the following at 1:45 PM on Jun 1:
Ted, I hope all went well today, and that all goes well this week.
On a general note --
Feeling weak and powerless in the face of a task? Great!
When we acknowledge our weakness and fear to the Lord, and ask for His help, that's the only way we will receive His strength and empowerment to do the task He's called us to, and the only way to be fruitful in it.
But I also feel compelled to say, that it's really important to check with God and see if He's really calling you to do something, or if you're simply feeling guilty or obligated. Sometimes, when we step into things simply because we see a need and feel compelled to fill it, we're actually preventing others from stepping up and filling a role that, perhaps, God wants them to serve in.
Unfortunately, when you serve in ministry, it's easy to follow that saying, "Do you want something done? Ask a busy person." Sure, it will get done... but others should be encouraged to grow in service as well.
28. Zusanne said the following at 2:24 PM on Jun 1:
Hope it went well!
I know after my first DISASTROUS day as a summer camp counselor with pre-schoolers, the best I could do was copy someone who knew what she was doing, then make it my own.
Yes, I also have a master's in education and have been teaching for almost 20 years, but those little people really scared me!
Seven years later, no sweat, but that first week was a nightmare!
Best wishes!
29. Amir Larijani said the following at 6:56 PM on Jun 1:
IMO: Farmer Tom appears to just be giving Ted a jocular pep talk. LOL
30. Latrice said the following at 8:14 PM on Jun 1:
I'm glad you posted this. I signed up to teach at VBS this year and the closer it gets (which is next week) the less I want to do it.
I had been really, really excited about it up until recently. But have been getting nervous about my ability to do it. It was reassuring to read your candid thoughts on being nervous too. Like you, I'm sure I'll be fine when the time comes.
31. Leah said the following at 6:46 PM on Jun 2:
Sarah P- oh, I'm not saying there is anything wrong WITH having butterflies! I was taking issue with Amir's suggestion that there was something wrong if you DIDN'T.
Amir - I completely agree with your point that we should not be complacent. But nervous butterflies is not the opposite of complacent. That was my point. Of course nervousness is not bad. But suggesting it's somehow bad if you're not nervous is wrong too.
I would put it this way - I know I have all the safety gear strapped on, so I know I have no reason to be nervous. (NB: This is not somehow saying it's wrong to be nervous, because IT'S NOT. I certainly USED to be nervous. I'm only illustrating why I'm not... it's not like I don't care and am complacent.)
IMO (26) - I think your comment was directed at Comment 24, not 23 :)