VBS Questions

Hi Tina -

Margie and I are the VBS directors this year and we are using the "Celebrate Freedom" curriculum from Smyth & Helwys. It's a primer on Baptist Distinctives for all age groups including adults.

We have a budget of $600 and I'm not sure how many will attend. We pray for a successful ministry, though.

- Clint

 

Mornin' Saggy -

No, this is our first Summer directing the VBS and the S&H literature is new. As you may or may not know, the S&H publishing company has received a great deal of flak from the extreme right of the SBC because they rival the Lifeway publishing company. We went with this program because we felt that our church was ready for some spiritual meat as the children are full of spiritual milk.

To circumnavigate the criticisms levelled against S&H, Margie and I had a team of five men, three ordained ministers and two inactive deacons, review the literature fully and critique it. The only alteration that was made to the program was that the opening assembly will be more evangelical in nature and we are using music from Group Publishing to accomplish these ends.

The curriculum consist of five days, each exploring a different Baptist (or Biblical if you prefer) distictive or freedom. A "Baptist hero" is introduced to illustrate an example of the distinctive being taught.

Day one: Respect for individual interpretation (Bible Freedom), Anne Judson, Hebrews 4:12

Day two: Soul Liberty (Free to know God), Clarence Jordan, Matthew 16:13-16

Day three: Church Autonomy (Church Freedom), John Smyth & Thomas Helwys, Romans 12: 4-5

Day four: Seperation of church and state (Freedom of Belief), Roger Williams, Joshua 24:15

Day five: Implementation of the Great Commission (Freedom to tell others of God), Lottie Moon (and we have also added Annie Armstrong to demonstrate home missions), Matthew 28:19-20

I will also be adding other scripture as I have accumlated a wealth of literature on Baptist Distinctives for those volunteers who are not as familiar with these principles. Growing up a Baptist with no formal doctrinal training, I learned these things through osmosis. It would have been a great advantage to me to have had these concepts crystalized for me the way this program does. Our pastor is in charge of registration so he will be screening for anyone who is unfamiliar with the Gospel message. I really geared this year towards the education of my church to doctrine. We have lacked training for two generations and we are now paying for it with a small sect of individuals who believe in an ecuminical path for our church.

So needless to say, I have been in several meetings over this curiculum and have received a bit of criticism for it. However, I have 100% backing from the clergy and the elders of my church on this and it has brought to the surface some problems that until now had only been discussed around dining room tables and living room coffee tables. As you know, Tina, I was born to bump heads. My real strength in all of this is that I don't really care who likes me or not. I truly feel that I am doing this for the Lord.

So I would ask that you be in prayer, not so much for me, but for my church, that the Bride be readied before the return of the Groom.

 

BTW, the "theme" is a beach party. Here's a link to the curriculum overview: http://helwys.com/cf/

 

We're using the Lifeway VBS, Amazon Expedition. I haven't read any of my material yet.
We did a beach theme a few years ago, it was fun.
Do you decorate with your theme?

No idea what our budget is. I know we're always over. We usually have over 100 children.

[ May 08, 2002, 06:36 PM: Message edited by: katie ]

 

I'm not involved in VBS, except in decorating and food, praise God!

(Just kidding! I love kids! I teach them in SS )

So, I'm not totally sure what they're doing this year.. last year, they did Veggie Tales!!!

We're also having a "Youth" revival this summer... it's for the entire church to attend, but planned by the Youth. We pick the music, and sing, and choose the speaker, etc.

We're doing a different theme every day with that... One day it'll be Lighthouses, and the specials will be "The Lighthouse" and "He's my Lighthouse; One day it's weddings, and the specials will be "Wedding Music" and "Wedding Day", etc.

Should be fun... rather stressful, though... We're still trying to decide on a speaker!

~*~ Audrey ~*~

 

The churches here all interchange with each other. The themes have gotten so outta hand, that when children are asked what they learned, it becomes obvious it isn't about Jesus. The teachers go overboard trying to outdo each other in the decorating department & the meal-fixing is outrageous. I really was startled to see a local SBC use the same as the UPC! If simplicity and KJOnly is your interest, there is a brand new literature based solely on KJV & can be viewed at the following site~~~> mtziononline.org (This is the Mt.Zion Bapt.Ch. of Brogue,PA.)

 

When I teach those kids know what they've been taught, and they know who Jesus is,because I am a good children's teacher, our decorating does not in anyway stop children from learning about Jesus, that would be the teacher.

 

sorry, what's VBS?

 

Vacation Bible School, Cality

 

Aaaaaaaaaaaaahh!! How can you put vacation and school together? lololloll