No More VBS

So VBS should be as boring as regular "church?" I don't think so. In fact, the opposite should be true. As far as the kids program is concerned, our Sunday morning is a lot like VBS, just smaller. We have monthly "themes", decorations, etc. just like VBS.

 

Why is regular church boring to you? And why is "church" in quotation marks?

I don't grant the premise that regular church is boring.

Should be true according to whom or what? What are we using as the basis for deciding what "should be"?

 

We had 11 saved at VBS this summer. Good enough reason for me.

 

Amen.. more churches should do this...
We are losing a generation of children.. because people are stuck in their useless traditions....

 

Our church will be having a traditional learn about Jesus, cookies and cool-aid, music-time, craft-time, game-time, Bible School next week. SHHHH! Don't tell all of those church and neighborhood kids who are excited about it how ineffective it's going to be. And for goodness sake, please don't tell my 18 year old daughter who has worked all week decorating her room for all of those 2 and 3 year olds who she'll be teaching about Jesus that it's going to be a waste of time. Oh, and those firefighters and policemen who are taking time out of their busy schedules to come and talk to the kids? I guess I'd better call them and tell them not to bother.

Yes, I'm being a little sarcastic. (OK, maybe a lot sarcastic - haha)

Ya know what? We might not see families come to church as a result of this VBS. Or, maybe we will. We might not see dozens of kids saved. Or maybe we'll see one. Even if we don't see any fruit immediately I'll still think it's worth it.

I still remember going to Bible school as a little girl (a loooooooooong time ago.) I remember some of the songs, the crafts, and learning about Jesus. That's the important thing, isn't it? How exciting for some of these kids to hear about Jesus for the first time!

Now I'm getting excited.

Yay for VBS!

 

It's interesting to note that many of us must see immediate tangible results or a particular thing is a failure.

We had a great VBS this yeaqr using Group's Avalanche Rnach curriculum. We ahd about 50-60 children each night andthe workers. Have we grown? Don't really know. Have we shared the gospel - most definitely. We may never know the outcome of this week until eternity.

VBS is great, even though it has changed since I was a kid in the 60s and 70s- for the better I think.

As to the earlier comment about using the mega sports thing. Go for it, but remember not all kids give a rip about sports. As a kid that would not have appealed to me at all. Music and theater on the other hand, you bet.

 

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OK, so first TinyTim posts...from West Virginia...then Booklady posts...from West Virginia...

You mean two people live in WV? I had no idea it was that crowded! :laugh:

:tonofbricks: Ow!

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Man, you should be running far and fast cause I've heard Tim has a really good arm!

 

Do we really think this little of hte power of the gospel? That without posters and balloons and games the gospel can't do its work?

This is what concerns me. I don't care whether a church has VBS or not. I do care what we are putting our faith in.

 

Don't forget me and Pocadots1990! It's getting to be a big metropolis around here!

 

Regular Church boring? To a child it is.
We did Avalanche Ranch too. And our Sunday School, which takes place the same time as "regular church," is just as much fun.

So I agree that VBS=fun/Sunday School=boring is not a good thing. But I think that VBS=boring/Sunday School=boring is not the way to fix it.

You can have fun AND learn at the same time. In fact, if you associate that learning with a positive thing, you'll be more likely to remember it. And we did talk about our sin and a need for a Savior at VBS, and even made an altar call to give our sins to Jesus at the foot of the cross.

 

Is this because a child has been taught a certain way? Right now, we have a family with three children (4,5, and 7 I think) who children sit with them in every service, and are well behaved. They listen to the message and pay attention. Their dad tells me they talk about it when they get home and the girls ask questions about it.

I agree.

I agree, but the way you put this almost sounds like (surely not meaning it) what often happens: We focus on how can we have fun first and tack Jesus on at the end.

I think part of the problem today is appetite. I was reading something recently that I can't remember where it was, but it was good. It talked about how kids can sit for two hours for a movie, or two hours for a video game, but can't listen to a lesson for 20 minutes. The issue, he says, is not attention span, but appetite. We have allowed certain appetites to be created, and then that becomes the dictator for church.

I don't think church should be boring. I do think that teachign should take place at an age appropriate level. I think we need to be careful focusing on "fun." Christianity is a life of self-denial, not self-fulfillment. Picking up your cross is not a fun activity. It's not too early to start teaching it.

 

And we have kids, here in the inner city, whose parents probably don't know their kids are even awake and out of the house on Sunday morning and coming to a fun place called church.

 

As do we, but not nearly enough of them. But I don't see a biblical warrant for making church fun, no matter what age they are. So I think we need to be careful with what we are attracting them with. We need to communicate in everything we do that church is about God, not us. We need to create right appetites.

 

And all I am saying is that you catch more files with honey than vinegar. And that goes for adults, too. You say you don't have nearly enough kids who come on their own? Maybe that's why - too much vinegar.

Paul said "I am all things to all men". Maybe that includes kids, too and thinking like a kid. Make no mistake - the Word is taught, and the need for salvation can be understood by a child. But if they think the church is a horrible, boring, awful place to be, they may never give the Holy Spirit
His chance to speak to them. We try to let the kids know through our actions and methods that God loves them and will forgive them. And THAT'S why it's OK to smile and do fun songs that praise Him, act out Bible stories so that you feel part of the action, make crafts that actually serve to remind us of what we learned, and even make snacks that remind us of the truth from God's Word. And, oh yes, it happens to be fun.

 

Yes, and we're both barefooted coal miners.

 

Face it Rbell...

We WVians are taking over!!!

I know at least 7 Wvians on here....
Not to mention all the ex WVians that wish they were still WVians...

3 pastors...
1 Pastor's wife
1 Choir director
1 Youth leader
And booklady... Not sure who you are yet... but I already like you!

Plus a couple WVians that are lurking around to see what goes on...

 

My 2 cents

1 Cent- I have enjoyed VBS this past year. By the end of it many Japanese Children who speak English as a second language could answer what it means to Admit Believe and Confess.

2nd cent- I think to a large degree the entire system of Children’s programs should be look at. Dt 5 gives a picture of what is right. Children learn most from what their parents teach them. When parents are growing at church and kiddos are learning at their knee, the child will grow with the parent. No wonder kids drop out of church so rapidly, they were never taught how big church worked by their parents. Church to them was coloring quietly while mom and dad listen.

Side note- for those who will argue as to children’s evangelism, have we not spent millions of dollars targeting youth and kids, and church is still shrinking. Maybe if we followed the biblical formula, which is father first, and family follows, then we would see different results!!

Book Recommendation- Parenting in the Pew... http://www.amazon.com/dp/0830823409/?tag=baptis04-20

 

Does it seem like Jesus was very strong on the exclusive and difficult claims of the gospel? He was not trying to be "honey." The gospel is a gospel of self-denial, not fun.

If every kid in the community came on their own it wouldn't be enough. But please don't tell me you are suggesting I change the message in order to attract people. Because that is what it sounds like.

An often misused passage. IT is really about Paul limiting himself. But off topic here since 1 Cor 1-2 and 2 Cor 1-4 are the passages to focus on where Paul rejects calls to change the message or its presentation to attract people. He answers your very question in 2 Cor 4 where he says if our gospel is hidden it is hidden to those who are blind.

It appears our difference is on the nature of hte gospel and its work.

I wouldn't necessarily argue with any of those things. But your whole focus seems to be on making it fun for children, not really on finding out what the gospel entails in terms of presentation and content.

I think we need to be very careful about how we present it. What happens when "church is fun" for elementary school kids and then they get in the adult church and find out it is really something else? Or when they start to read the Bible and it is boring?