Vacation Bible School was just around the corner. I noticed I had a group of youth who wanted to work, but I didn’t know what to do with them. After all, they were youth. That was not bad, but how mature were they? Could I count on them to remain focused through a long week of tough work? Would VBS be nothing more than a fun “playtime” with a bunch of kids? I set out to train an army of students prepared to work in VBS. I realized I could not tackle this project alone, so I enlisted other adults to assist in the training process.
Weeks 1 and 2
Once our training team was in place we developed a seven week training plan and determined the content of each session. We introduced the theme and Bible Content and other details concerning our school.
Week 3
During the third week of training the youth studied the salvation lesson in the youth VBS curriculum. This was a natural time to include a training session on sharing the gospel with a child.
Week 4
We taught the youth the learning styles and characteristics of children. Using the “Characteristics of Children” page in the VBS Children’s Leader Guide.
Weeks 5 and 6
Knowing that some youth had never worked in VBS, we realized they would need job-specific training. We selected adults who excelled in specific areas and had them to train the youth.
Week 7
During the final session, we “laid down the law” so to speak. In a loving way we explained our expectations regarding promptness, dress, socializing with other youth, manner of speech, appropriate behavior of a teacher and usage of cell phones.
Celebration Time
Since youth are youth, we realized our training time needed a little fun and a whole lot of affirmation. To celebrate seven weeks of successful training and say “job well done,” we rented a climbing wall, put food on a table, and said, “Have a great time! We appreciate your willingness to serve.”
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