You’ve prayerfully recruited a great VBS team! Now your teammates need to know how to make the most of the theme, Stompers & Chompers: Building Dino-Sized Faith in God’s Big Plan; use the VBS resources; comport themselves in kid-friendly ways; teach; and lead a child to Christ—among other things. RBP recommends holding three training workshops.
Here are ideas for your first workshop.
Before Workshop 1
1. Invite every worker by personal text or phone call. Don’t take for granted that team members have noticed announcements at church or read your email.
2. Prepare the agenda. You may want to provide it to the team members ahead of the workshop. Here’s a recommended agenda:
Open the meeting in prayer.- Explain the theme, Stompers & Chompers.
- Have the song leader teach a few Stompers & Chompers songs using the Worship DVD, Music CD (instrumental or piano accompaniment), or Songbook (download or print).
- Work together as a group to develop your unique VBS goals: Why do we have VBS? What do we want to accomplish? How can we accomplish these goals?
3. Prepare a folder for each worker that includes all necessary information.
- a personnel chart with workers’ names and phone numbers;
- a map of the facilities, showing the location of each department, crafts, games, snacks, and first-aid kits;
- a daily time schedule, including desired daily arrival times;
- fire and emergency escape routes and procedures.
4. Create a display of VBS materials.
5. Design fun into the plan for your training workshop.
During Workshop 1
1. Give each department head a Stompers & Chompers Duffel Bag to carry supplies in and a Spiketacular Tail Hat.
2. Give each worker the following:
- an information folder;
- a Stompers & Chompers T-shirt with professionally printed logo (you’ll need a Logo & Print License), or apply an iron-on logo to a T-shirt for each worker, or provide the supplies for each to make his or her own;
- a Stompers & Chompers Music CD (instrumental or piano accompaniment); and
- a Stompers & Chompers sticky notepad with “Thanks for your ministry!” written on the front sheet.
After Workshop 1
As a thank-you and a reminder, send a postcard, acknowledging workers for attending the first session and letting them know the dates and times of Workshops 2 and 3.
This is part 1 in a three-part series, Train Your VBS Team. Look next Monday for part 2, “Down to the Nitty-Gritty: Workshop 2.”
