Vacation Bible School offers some unique opportunities that should be taken into account in teachers training. For many churches it presents a good means of community outreach so the potential exists for a large number of unsaved people in attendance. But, many who already believe may come as well, including those from your own church. This leads to a VBS teacher’s goals.
Two Prominent Goals: Why Vacation Bible School
While VBS is a major outreach arm of the church, we shouldn’t ignore those who already believe. Consequently, two prominent goals exist for any Vacation Bible School. Teachers should not neglect one or the other but rather reach for both.
1) Outreach
We want to see people move from spiritual “death to life” (Rom. 5:24), “out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Pet. 2:9), from disbelief to belief (Jn. 3:16).
2) Spiritual Growth
We want those who are already Christians to know the Lord better, to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18), and do something with what they learn (James 1:22-25).
Whether new spiritual life or spiritual growth, the overriding goal comes down to — Changed Lives. We want to make learning in VBS fun and exciting but also life-changing.
Tips for Reaching a VBS Teacher’s Goals
VBS teachers must keep both of the above goals in the forefront as they plan, prepare and present lessons.
- Incorporate opportunity for students to make decisions for Christ. In addition to a Gospel presentation during the lesson, plan to make yourself available before and after class as well. Also consider how you might follow up with those who give their lives to the Lord.
- If not already part of the curriculum, make sure to add ways of helping those already saved to see how the lesson applies to their lives as believers.
VBS teachers must understand the processes for reaching these goals.
- Take time to learn how to best share the Gospel to the age being taught. Remember that the younger the child, the more concrete that presentation must be. Abstract terminology will tend to be confusing.
- Understand the spiritual growth learning process. Faith comes from hearing the Word (Rom. 10:17) but there also needs to be an understanding of its meaning and implications for life at their particular stage in life that leads to living in accordance with it (Col. 1:9-10). And, always remember that understanding spiritual truth requires the work of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life (1 Cor. 2:12-14) so rely on Him to work through you and in the lives of those you teach.
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Vacation Bible School can be a major event for many churches that involves various components. The Bible lesson is just one part of the experience. Teachers are part of a team. To effectively do their part, make sure VBS Teachers Training provides an understanding of the following.
When providing teachers training for Small Group Bible Study teachers, make sure to include help for the following aspects of teaching in this kind of setting.
Not all Bible teachers teach within the walls of a church building. Some go out into the community to nursing homes, children’s homes (orphanages), prisons, schools or college campuses, and the like. Teachers doing Outreach Bible Studies also need teacher training. While some training on the basics of teaching will apply, they do need to understand the particular slant of teaching in this kind of setting.