That is what I did when I was asked about planning a mid-week children’s program.

Basic questions that need to be asked are:

1)  What is your purpose?

Notice I asked what your purpose “is” not what it should be.  Be honest because your actions and attitudes will eventually betray or underscore what “is.”

If your purpose is no greater than having something to do with the children while adults are meeting, you will find little motivation to put much into a mid-week program.  When babysitting or crowd control become objectives, even though it might not be communicated that way, it is easy to take an “anything will do” approach.

If, however, your purpose is truly to utilize all the opportunities you have to reach children for Jesus and to help disciple them to love and follow the Lord, you will be energized to make it the best you can with the resources you have.

Of course, the second “if” above is more in line with what your purpose should be.  What can you do to work toward a more impacting purpose?

2)  What structure will best accomplish that purpose and fit your situation? 

Structure should be an outgrowth of your purpose and realistically guided by your resources … available teachers/workers, time, facilities, etc.

If you adapt a structure simply because it is a pre-fab plan and easy to use, you might be missing the mark on what God wants to do in and through you.

If you tailor a structure that best meets your needs, you will have more potential of lining up with God’s desires and intent to work in and through you.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you can’t use somebody else’s plan or structure.  Nor does it mean that you must start from scratch and “reinvent the wheel.”  What it does mean is that you will invest much prayer and objective assessment into it.  If a pre-fab program best fits your purpose and resources, then that is what should be used.  Or, perhaps you will need to take an existing program and make some tweaks.  Maybe you will need to develop your own plan but if that is the case, then God will provide the person(s) equipped to do so.

3)  What curriculum will fit the structure?

Often the pre-fab programs mentioned under the second question above come with the curriculum for you to use.  I am listing this as a separate question, however, because too often we let the curriculum determine the structure.

If you let the curriculum determine the structure then you might find yourself frustrated as you try to make something work that doesn’t fit your resources.

If you let the structure determine the curriculum then you should be doing something that works for your situation.

A mid-week program should be a little more fun and fast-moving than a typical Sunday School or Children’s Church program.  Some churches have used Sunday School or Children’s Church curriculum for their mid-week program but if not careful, it can feel too much like school for the kids which they have been in all day prior to going to church on Wednesday evening.

Some churches use curriculum from publishing companies that use a large/small group approach.  You would need less high commitment – preparation teachers and more lower commitment - preparation small group leaders.

Some churches use VBS curriculum, using a lesson per week.  Often these types of curriculum rotate children through a number of learning stations.

The question is: What type of curriculum will best fit your purpose, the structure that grows out of it, and works with your situation?

From there it is a matter of implementation — ordering materials, recruiting teachers and workers, training them, scheduling, organizing, etc.

To do that we need a proper mindset, attitude, and heart …

that sees the person, not the disability.

that views them as much a part of the Body as anyone else.

that unconditionally accepts those different than ourselves.

Sure, you will undoubtedly need to develop a program structured to best meet their unique needs but you already do that for children, youth, and adults, for men and women, etc.  But, just like with those ministries, the goal should never be to isolate them from total church life.  They are a valuable part of the Body.  They belong.

Click here for special needs and disability ministry resources to help you in that process.

– WHEN TO CHOOSE VBS CURRICULUM –

Normally by the end of summer or beginning of autumn, most of the major curriculum companies announce the next year’s theme.  While you usually cannot order the material at that time, you can start comparing what is going to be available.

It used to be I would go to the local Christian bookstore when the curriculum was in stock and spend a number of hours checking out the various programs.  Now, with the Internet, you can do much of the research online and much earlier.

The earlier you begin the process, the more potential for your “creative juices” to start flowing to imagine the possibilities of what you could do with the various themes.

The earlier you decide, the sooner you can start praying more specifically and even dropping hints to build excitement.

– WHICH CURRICULUM TO CHOOSE –

In choosing VBS curriculum, pray for God’s guidance as you ask yourself the following questions:

How does it meet the basics?  Take into consideration factors vital to choosing any kind of curriculum. 

You need to look at where is is coming from doctrinally.  Don’t let a theme sway you into compromising.

You need to make sure it follows a sound teaching-learning process.  VBS is more than fun and games.  Bible lessons need to promote changed lives, moving from head knowledge to seeing the implications of truth to their lives, culminating in application.

You need to check age level development issues.  It’s easy when trying to develop a spectacular theme with all the bells and whistles to move too far into the abstract, making it fun but not right where students are at in the various age levels.

How does it fit our setting?  Take into consideration the following elements as you check out the various curriculum possibilities.

- Culture of the Community (how a theme might be perceived)

- Primary Target (i.e., saved vs. unsaved; urban vs. rural)

- Facilities & Property (the potential what is available yields)

- Budget (cost of workbooks, extra teacher’s manuals, craft kits, decorations, publicity, etc.)

- Number of workers or teachers available to implement it

- Level of skill, knowledge, and time required by leaders, teachers, & workers to successfully implement it in comparison to what our people can offer

How will it interest our people?  Take into consideration the level of appeal not just of the theme but of the materials.

Will people find the theme exciting?

Will people find the music, games, & crafts engaging?

Will leaders & teachers find the material easy to use?

Will the unchurched attendees be able to connect and will the churched be challenged?

How will it provide support for successful implementation of the program?  Putting together an effective Vacation Bible School is a lot of work.  What does the curriculum provide for you?

- publicity materials (Is the logo and other clip art available to you if you cannot afford their printed materials?)

- online forums (Click here for links to some of the available VBS forums to get an idea of what they are like.)

- training tools (What comes with the kit?  What is online?)

- music tracks (Does it provide you with good quality music?)

- decorating ideas (Does it suggest ideas for decorating, some of which will be low cost alternatives if needed?)

- supplemental or alternative ideas (Does it provide possible suggestions for what to do if the ideal doesn’t work in your setting?  Does it give ways to shorten or lengthen the agenda to accommodate your time table?)

You might not find a Vacation Bible School curriculum that aligns perfectly as a good fit for you in all these areas.  Make sure, however, that it at least measures up in the basics and then do your best to make it work in your setting, trusting God to use it to His glory.  Remember, the earlier you choose your curriculum the more time you will have to tweak it to make it a better fit.

The Apostle Paul answers that question in his words to Timothy:
“… from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Tim. 3:15)

Paul goes on to in the very next verse to provide the ways God’s Word helps us.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.  (2 Tim. 3:16-17)

What better source to teach, rebuke, correct, and train children than the Bible.  The words of Scripture carry more authority and power than anything a parent or teacher can communicate.

The question is not “if” children
can learn the Bible but HOW.

The new PowerPoint presentation, Teaching the Bible to Children, helps you know “how.”

It one of the many teacher training resources available as part of a membership on TrainBibleTeachers.com and also is a separate item in the MinTools store.  Be sure to check it out because children really can learn the Bible!

The MinTools.com site has a page devoted to adult ministry resources.  You will notice only a few of the books in the general section.  And, of those books, none are current.

Disciple Making Teachers: How to Equip Adults for Growth and Action  (1997)

Ministering to Today’s Adults  (1999)

The 7 Ways of Teaching the Bible to Adults: Using Our Multiple Intelligences to Build Faith  (2000)

The Christian Educator’s Handbook on Adult Education  (1998)

Now, you will find resources on some of the various sub-groupings like men’s and women’s ministry, younger, middle, and senior age adults, single and married adults.  But, — why so few general books on adult ministries?

If you were to check out the children’s ministry and youth ministry resource pages, you will find a good number of general ministry training resources for those age groups and I haven’t listed near all of the ones I could have.  But,  — you will not find this kind of volume for adult ministry training.

A popular online Christian bookstore has specialty stores by age levels.  The list includes infant/toddlers, children, youth, single adult, and senior adult.    Again, you do not find adult ministry listed as you do children and youth ministries.  Though some adults are included (what about married, younger and middle aged adults?), the list does not contain a general adult section.

Children’s and youth ministries are very important but so are adults.  Think about it:  Jesus, though welcoming children to Himself, primarily ministered to adults.  The Bible, though relevant to children and youth, is written as an adult book.  And, the Bible is clear that the main responsibility for the nurture of children and youth belongs to parents.  We need to know how to effectively minister to adults so their walk with God flows into the training of their children. 

Perhaps the pastor I visited is right to be baffled. 

Why isn’t more emphasis put on adult ministry training?

Here are some follow-up ideas:

1. Take Home Follow-up:  This could be information sent home the last day to inform parents of what other opportunities are available for their children and for them as well.  But, even better, is to send something home recapping what was learned and something they can do to enhance its effect (the next steps).
2. Contact Follow-up:   This is communication in writing or through a personal visit to thank them for coming, to inform them of other church ministries, and to welcome them to come again.
3. Outreach Follow-up:  This is for those who attended the VBS to have an opportunity to do some sort of service project a short time after VBS to do something with what they learned.  Click here for a good idea.
4. Prayer Follow-up:  This is a time of prayer for those who attended that the Spirit would continue to work in their lives.
5. Report Follow-up:  This is a report given to the total church body a week or two after VBS to inform them of what God did this year and to invite them to pray about their participation for next year.
6. Evaluation Follow-up:  This is when leaders, teachers, and all workers come together to discuss and learn for the next year, the good and the bad.  Or, rather than pull the whole team together, people could be surveyed, perhaps even those who attended.
7. Projecting Forward Follow-up:  This is casting the vision for the next year at the end of this year while the spiritual victories are still fresh.
8. Reunion Follow-up:  This is a special event a month or two down the road wherein everyone who attended is invited to come back and revisit some of the favorite moments or activities.  If a video or pictures were taken, a media presentation could be part of it.

If your VBS program is long over and you haven’t done any follow-up, you can still implement some of these ideas.

Spiritual Gifts: 

1. Recruit people who are gifted to do the job.  Don’t just seek to fill positions.
2. Utilize a variety of spiritual gifts.  Don’t just look for people with the gifts of teaching and administration.  There is more to do in Christian education than teach and direct programs. 
3. Specialize the way you utilize people according to their gifting.  Don’t expect them to do that for which they are not gifted, at least not on a regular basis or as their primary ministry.

When you do this, you will discover that everybody can have a part regardless of gifting.  Rather than overworking the faithful few, making them do anything and everything, you can get a variety of people involved in ways that suit them, freeing up your teachers and administrators to do what they are gifted to do.

Heart Passions:

1. Recruit people who have a heart for Christian nurture or discipleship.  Don’t minimize the importance of people being motivated by more than a love for God.
2. Find a place for people who are impassioned for this kind of ministry or the various people groups regardless of their gifting.  Don’t turn people away or neglect to look at certain people because they lack typical gifting used in this kind of ministry.

When you do this, you will tend to have people serving who want to be there.  These are the people who will tend to give it their all, no matter how big or small of a task they do.

Commitments:

1. Make sure people know what you are asking them to do and what is expected of them.  Don’t deceive them into thinking they are capable if they are not or that it will take less time or energy than it will.
2. Limit their time commitments to what they agree to do.  Don’t make them feel guilty for failing to do that for which they were not recruited.

When you do this, you will be demonstrating a respect for people.  They will then be more likely to stick with their commitment and maybe even volunteer to go the extra mile.

Resources:

1. Provide training, feedback, and encouragement.  Don’t abandon people once they start serving.
2. Provide materials and finances needed to do the job.  Don’t expect them to invest what they don’t have or weren’t expecting to put out.

When you do this, you will be letting people know that just as you asked them for a commitment, so you are committed to them.  You will also be letting them know that you see them and what they are doing as important enough to invest into.  They too will begin to view their contribution as important and needed, no matter how big or small of a responsibility it may be.

Recruiting people to serve in the Christian Education Ministries of the church can be a challenge.  If you sow the above factors into your recruiting process, you will reap the reward of a more effective ministry.  It will have been worth the time and effort.