8 Tips for Leading Discussions: Part 1

One of the most valuable methods of teaching and training older children is discussion. This is because discussions — which include panels, forums, interviews, brainstorming, and variations of these — give your students the ideal opportunity to talk about what they are learning and discover how to apply those concepts to their lives.

A carefully planned and directed discussion session, in whatever form, can turn a dull, lifeless group of children into an excited, enthusiastic bunch of students. But perhaps you, like many leaders, are afraid you do not have the expertise or experience to lead an exciting discussion or to teach your students to do so. Or maybe you have tried, with less than outstanding results. Either way, don’t be discouraged. The hints and suggestions here are just for you.

The setting helps

Discussion implies questioning and answering between two or more people. It is difficult to have this kind of group interaction when the seating arrangement discourages it. Therefore, the best setting for discussion is an informal circle or semi-circle, or any arrangement where the children can easily see each other’s faces and expressions. This helps create a close, friendly atmosphere in which all the students, plus the adult leaders and the discussion leader become members of the group instead of the leaders taking a dominant position. Formal rows of seats or pews may remind children of school or church and may unconsciously inhibit the students’ willingness to participate.

Sometimes, however, well-planned programs with ideal seating arrangements still fizzle. What else could be wrong?

The leader is the key

As an adult leader or helper, you have a very important role in making any discussion (and any meeting) a success. Here is a brief checklist of attitudes a discussion group leader should have:

• Do you like other people?
• Do you try to understand them?
• Do you listen attentively?
• Do you appear to be fair and impartial?
• Do you make everyone feel that he or she is valued?
• Do you listen to every point of view?
• Do you express differing opinions with tact?
• Do you have a sense of humor?
• Do you have a friendly, inquiring attitude?
• Do you show poise and self-control as you guide the discussion?
• Do you show enthusiasm and interest in the subject being discussed?
• Do you use insightful questions, re-statements, transitions, and clarifications to help apply and reinforce the conclusions of the discussion?

In this 2-part series, we'll help you effectively lead group discussions. This article is designed for those of you teaching older elementary students, but if you lead other ages you will probably also benefit.

In VBS or any group discussion, you will have a variety of students. Some may be loud or talkative, others will be quiet; some children may be highly intelligent, others may have learning difficulties. Your job is to involve all of them in the discussion. Although some may be Christians and some may not be, everyone’s contribution must be acknowledged and appreciated.

One way to do this is to use the word “we” frequently in your discussion. After all it is “we” who are talking in the discussion. Also, use the children’s names frequently; everybody likes to hear theirs.

As the leader, make your speeches short. Don’t make the mistake of launching into a sermon in the middle of a good discussion; there is no quicker way to kill group interaction.

Try to be impartial and listen to everyone’s point of view. That doesn’t mean you must condone or accept an opinion that goes against the Bible. After the speaker has finished, you could say, “Thank you, (Brad), for your thoughts, but that is not what God says in His Word. The Bible says, …”

With little or no guidance or direction in a discussion, students will sometimes pool their ignorance. Don’t let that continue for long. Interject some relevant information that will help to focus the discussion. It is also important not to take sides until you sense that the group has reached the point where a conclusion needs to be drawn or an application made.

As a group discussion leader, you have several roles:
1. To open the discussion and introduce the topic and its importance.
2. To develop the progress of that discussion toward the stated objectives.
3. To stimulate interest throughout the discussion.
4. To provoke thinking and interchange between the children in the group.
5. To gather information and encourage participation.
6. To determine the group’s knowledge on the subject.
7. To be in control of the discussion at all times.
8. To change the direction of the discussion if it is necessary, and
9. To bring the discussion to a logical conclusion and include a practical biblical application in line with the purposes and goals of your discussion.

It’s all in the questions

As the leader of the discussion, you must rely heavily on questions. In addition, you will need to do much restating and condensing of comments and ideas given in the discussion, and you will need to summarize what has been said. But the use of questions will be predominant in guiding the progress of your discussion.
“I keep six honest serving men,
They taught me all I know.
Their names are what, and why, and when,
and how, and where and who.”
— Rudyard Kipling

Kipling’s six questions — what, why, when, how, where, and who — can form the basis for many different kinds of discussion questions. Here are some forms of questions you will do well to try:
• Fact-finding questions help children learn information and data.
• Ambiguous questions have several meanings to help keep the discussion moving.
• Leading questions seek or suggest answers; can be used when no one knows what to say next.
• Provocative questions are designed to incite an argument and wake up your group.
• Direct questions are aimed at a specific person.
• Relayed questions are used when someone asks you a question and you refer it back to another person or the entire group.
• Reverse questions are used when someone asks you a question and you refer it back to the questioner.
• Either/or questions force the group to make a choice.
• Multiple-choice questions help to ascertain priorities.

Learn to prime the pump

A good discussion depends on the students in your group — children who will get involved in the topic and want to talk about it. Sometimes the hardest part of a discussion is getting it started. If that is the case with your group, sometimes it is helpful to treat your group like an old-fashioned water pump. You’ll have to prime it.

Very few groups have students who will jump right in at the beginning and keep the discussion going. One way of getting started is to tell answers to some early questions to children in the group prior to the discussion. Then if things are getting off to a slow start, the children with the answers can respond.

Whether you do this or not, always have the beginning questions written out in front of you. (That means sticking pretty close to the questions and thoughts in the All-Stars for Jesus Leader’s Guide until the discussion gets going.) To begin, simple questions—some with obvious answers—are usually best. Try to use a variety of questions that do not have simple yes or no answers.

Especially as you get started (and always), give the children time to think. Respect each answer, even if it is not exactly the answer you were seeking. Soon your questions and answers will develop into real discussion, and you are on your way!

There may be times when your discussions drag and slow down. Anticipate these times and have several key questions planned to drop in when this happens. Caution: If response to your questions is slow, be careful not to answer the questions yourself. If you begin to do this, soon the children in your group will learn to just sit back and wait for you to give them all the right answers.

Remember, carefully planned questions are the key to a good discussion. In addition, be open. Be unshockable. Be willing to hear every response. Keep the goals of your discussion in mind at all times and use your carefully planned questions to work toward achieving those goals.

Involve as many children as possible in the discussion; don’t allow the discussion to be monopolized by one person or a few. Whenever possible, try to call on every child in your group. At other times, involve everyone by asking a “do you agree or disagree?” question.

Stay tuned next week for 4 more tips!

2012 VBS Timeline: 4-6 Months Before Your VBS

Welcome to February! It's not too early to begin planning for your 2012 Vacation Bible School program. After all, summer will come sooner than we think.

Here are some things to begin doing now in preparation for your 2012 VBS. First, start praying. You may want to organize a prayer team to start praying for potential leaders and workers for your VBS. Then set a budget. Take a look at all the VBS options available and start deciding which ones look best for your church and community. Start choosing VBS Starter Kits to preview. Visit Shop VBS to select several kits to preview for 30 days, risk free. Starter Kits have already started shipping and will continue to ship this month and those following.

Decide how many VBS programs you will hold this year. Will you do a traditional VBS plus a sports camp? Perhaps a weekend VBS? Some churches hold a VBS week during Easter break in addition to one over the summer. You may want to keep several Starter Kits so you can plan for multiple special events throughout the year. 

Also pray about whether to include preschoolers in your VBS program this summer. Many of the VBS Starter Kits come with a separate preschool director's guide. Pray about who will lead your preschoolers and who God is calling as your preschool helpers. Including preschoolers can become a great way to meet new families in your neighborhood. Visit Shop VBS to preview some of the VBS programs written especially for preschoolers such as Jesus in Nazareth and Joseph in Egypt. If you decide to hold a completely separate preschool VBS, either of these All-in-One Preschool VBS Programs will fit the bill.

Click on the VBS Planning Timeline below to see the larger and expanded view. Print a copy for each of your VBS team members.

When you order your VBS Starter Kit from Shop VBS at eChurchDepot.com, you'll be guaranteed of the best price anywhere. When you spend over $99 you'll also receive FREE shipping! Visit Shop VBS to listen to music and video clips, see the daily Bible lessons and Bible points, and download the complete VBS Planning Timeline. Watch for a VBS Comparison Chart we're putting together to help you decide which program(s) you'd like to review.

2012 VBS Timeline: 6-9 Months Before Your VBS

Begin your VBS planning with prayer. Pray with your ministry staff, organize a prayer team, and begin asking God to guide and direct your VBS planning. Next, choose your dates and time for your VBS program. If you do a VBS plus a sports camp, choose the dates for both. Put them on the church calendar and add them the church website.

Click on the VBS Timeline above to see the larger and expanded view. Visit Shop VBS to see the VBS overviews and Scripture themes for 2012.  At Shop VBS you can listen to music and video clips, see the daily Bible lessons, find VBS hints and tips, and read our report, "Seven Steps to a Succesful VBS." You can also download a VBS Comparison Chart we've put together to help you decide which program(s) you'd like to review.

Celebrate Christmas with an Outreach to Your Community

The Church Family Christmas Celebration is a complete program book with CD-ROM to help you easily plan and  organize a complete Christmas outreach to your church and community. The easy-to-use instruction guide tells you all you need to know—whether you've been planning church events for 25 years or this is your first time! Includes worship ideas, an instant Christmas pageant, promotion and programming ideas, printable family devotions, recipes for refreshments, craft instruction sheets, CD-ROM, and lots more:

• Step-by-step instructions for planning and set-up
• Reproducible instruction sheets and patterns
• Christ-centered crafts
• Worship service guides
• Quick and easy decorations and centerpieces
• Nativity Pageant scripts
• Missions project ideas
• Printable family Christmas devotions
• CD-ROM included!

The Church Family Christmas Celebration can be used during the advent season to prepare the hearts of your congregation and community for Christmas. You choose the time frame and programming options that work best for your church. 

The reproducible bulletin inserts, posters, song sheets, recipes, pageant instructions, and much more will help you put this memory-making event together in no time at all. When your volunteers see how well organized you are, recruiting will practically take care of itself. The Church Family Christmas Celebration

Choosing Teams Creatively

Here are a few creative ways to let your students choose teams or partners so nobody is left out or chosen last.

1. Use a deck of children's playing cards such as GO FISH or OLD MAID. Hand out a card to each student and have them pair up with the person who has a matching card.
2. Cut several cereal box fronts into four or five large puzzle pieces. Hand one piece to each child. The children with the interlocking pieces are on the same team. Have a race to see which team can complete its puzzle first.
3. Group students according to birth months. If you have a smaller group of students, have January through June form one team and July through December form the other.
4. Ask students to hold one hand behind their backs with 1-4 fingers pointing out. Group students in odd or even groups or group by numbers if you need four groups.
5. Line up students alphabetically and split the line into equal groups. Vary lining up by first, last, and middle names.
6. Give each child a piece of hard candy (red, purples, yellow, green, etc.) to eat. Have the children stick out their tongues to form groups of similar colors.

VBS Appreciation Idea & Thank-You Note

Print this thank-you card to let your VBS volunteers know they are appreciated. Feel free to replace the star with your own VBS logo. Then copy or print the page for every two workers and cut the page in half. Fold each card in half and add a personal note or VBS memory inside.

For an inexpensive gift, purchase an All-Stars for Jesus water bottle for each of your volunteers. Place a plastic bag of chocolate hugs or jellybeans or a single-serving sports drink mix inside. Twist the lid back on. Punch a hole in the card and slip a ribbon through the hole. Tie the ribbon around the water bottle. Give a bottle to each of your workers on the last day of VBS (or midweek so they can use the water bottle during VBS). Explain that you appreciated the way the volunteers helped the children feel like stars in Jesus' eyes. Then present a bottle to each worker.

Click on the image above to download the card.

VBS Clearance Sale This Week

We're clearing out our warehouse and you'll save 30%-50% on leftover VBS items this week. Hurry! Quantities are extremely limited. We have Pandamania Memory Buddies, Bamboo Border Trim, Pal's Bible Play Pack, Gold Rush Super Starter Kits,   MegaSports Go the Distance Water Bottles with Gospel Balls, SonSurf Magnets, High Seas Outdoor Banners, and lots more!

These items will sell out quickly so don't miss the chance to save big. As our blog readers, we're giving you advance notice of the sale. For you, it begins today. Visit our VBS Sale now.

Go Fish Guys: Kickin' It Old School VBS Snacks

These are the daily themes that go along with each day of the Kickin’ It Old School VBS. You can also download the Day 1 Bible Lesson for FREE by visiting our website,eChurchDepot.com. We've written some snack ideas for each of these lessons. Feel free to modify them as you wish. Some of your creative volunteers may come up with additional snack ideas to reinforce each day's theme. Here are a few to get you started:
Day 1 - This Is My Father's World - God Is Our Creator
Serve fresh fruit and vegetable sticks with ranch dip or yogurt. Talk about how God planned for good foods to grow for us to eat. Let the children name some of God's other wonderful creations as they eat.

Day 2 - Before The Throne Of God - God Is Our King
Serve rice cereal and marshmallow treat bars. Cut each rectangular bar in half with a zig-zag to create a crown shape. Then let the children decorate their crown snacks with colorful candies or small pieces of colorful dried fruit. Talk about God as our King as the children eat.

Day 3 - I Love To Tell The Story - Jesus Is Our Savior
Cut cheese slices into cross shapes or use pretzel sticks stuck through a mini-marshmallow to let each child make a cross. (Make the crosses beforehand for your preschoolers. Use three pretzels for each cross. Break one pretzel in half for each of the cross beams. Break the top off another pretzel and eat the top. The whole pretzel will be the bottom section and the broken pretzel will be the top. Stick each section into the marshmallow to make the cross.) Let the children explain that Jesus died on a cross and came alive again to save us from sin.

Day 4 - I'm A Soldier In The Army Of The Lord - God Is Our Truth
Today's theme is God's power. So serve power bars or fruit bars along with power shakes (frozen fruit mixed with yogurt or ice cream in a blender). Talk about God's power and what it means to be a soldier in the army of God.

Day 5 - The Solid Rock - God Is Our Rock
For your final VBS day, let the children make edible cinnamon bread rocks. Prepare a mixture of one tablespoon cinnamon with one cup of granulated sugar. Stir until mixed well. In a separate bowl, melt one stick of butter or margarine. Give each child a small amount of bread dough on a piece of parchment paper. Have the child print his name on the paper. Let the child knead the dough, forming it into a rock shape. Have him dip the bread dough into the butter (or spray it with cooking spray) and then roll it in the cinnamon mixture and place it back on his parchment. Place all parchments on a cookie sheet. Bake 8 minutes at 400º, then reduce heat to 350º and bake an additional 2-3 minutes, until bread is done. Let the rocks cook before eating. Let the children describe how God is our solid Rock while the bread cools.


TIP: Use registration cards when children sign up for your VBS to record any allergies they may have. See the VBS Registration Ideas post for registration cards you can print out for your VBS program. Include any allergy information on the child's name tag so all VBS helpers are aware of the allergy. You can substitute items or omit dairy products from the snacks if you have children who are allergic to milk or dairy.

Go the Distance Coloring Pages

Here are some coloring pages we’ve created for Go the Distance, the Mega Sports Camp VBS. There is a coloring page for each day—a total of five plus a cover page. The coloring pages have the daily memory verse portion and the lesson focus and Scripture. Each day we've added a few more words to the verses so by Day 5 both verses, 2 Timothy 4:7-8, are shown in their entirety.

This set of coloring pages contains memory verses in the New International Version. If you use a different Bible version than the ones given, feel free to cut off or white out the verse and replace it with the version you prefer. Each coloring page shows a picture of the Bible story about Paul being taught that day. There are five coloring pages plus a cover page—all for just $4.99 per set. Best of all, you can make as many copies of these pages as you need!

You may want to make a coloring booklet for each child with coloring pages for each day stapled together. At the end of your VBS week, your students will have a booklet with the entire VBS Bible stories and memory verses—a fun keepsake reminder of their week at your Go the Distance Vacation Bible School.

If you have another VBS program for which you’d like  coloring pages, just leave a comment. (Hometown Nazareth coloring pages were posted October 11, SonSurf Beach Bash coloring pages were posted October 19, 2010, coloring pages for PandaMania were posted November 9, 2010, and Main Street coloring pages were posted April 11, 2011.) 

If you’d like to take a look at any of these VBS Starter Kits, visit Shop VBS for more information and to order your Starter Kits. To view additional reproducible coloring pages, crafts, and puzzles, visit our VBS Downloads Store.

You can make as many copies of these coloring pages as you need for your VBS program. May God bless you as you prepare to teach children (and their families) about Jesus' love for them!

(Click on the image above to download the pages.)

PandaMania VBS Snacks

Here are some fun snacks you can make for your PandaMania VBS. 

The Bible Point for Day 3 of PandaMania VBS is "God watches over you." The Bible story is about Jonah trying to run from God. Prepare your snack in clear plastic cups. Use blue gelatin and fill the cup about half way. Let the gelatin sit for 10-20 minutes. Then add gummy fish and cover with the rest of the gelatin. After the gelatin sets, serve the snacks. You may want to add a few goldfish crackers on top. Add a dollop of whipped cream on top for any children who would like their snack to look like the stormy waves in the water before Jonah was tossed overboard. Talk about the story of Jonah and the big fish as the children enjoy their snack.

For another fun snack, make your favorite cupcakes. Use green muffin liners, if you have them. Let the cupcakes cool completely. Then decorate them with green frosting. Place the frosting in a plastic bag, snip off the end, let out most of the air, and seal (or almost seal) the bag. Pipe onto the cupcake, lifting straight up to form grass-like strands of frosting. To make a Panda face, place a large marshmallow on top of the cupcake. Use white frosting to add two chocolate chips (upside down) for eyes and two pieces of a chocolate cookie for ears. Combine this sweet snack with pretzel sticks or fruit. 

Nazareth VBS Ideas

Bible Memory Makers are a great way to help reinforce the memory verse each day during your Nazareth VBS. Every child receives one memory maker each day. The memory verse is included on the colorful Bible Memory Maker—giving the children a Scripture reminder of what it means to follow Jesus. During the home-town huddle, the tribe leader presents the daily Bible Memory Maker to each child who makes an attempt to say the memory verse. The memory makers can be tied together with a chenille stem half (pipe cleaner) so they can be taken home as a keepsake at the end of your VBS week.

Reinforce good behavior with this tip: Use the shekels as rewards for kind, helpful behavior during each day of your VBS. Explain to the children that those who are caught being helpful each day will receive an extra coin for that day. Then encourage tribe leaders and shopkeepers to reward thoughtful behavior with a shekel (one extra coin for each child each day). Shekels can be used in the marketplace—children give each shopkeeper a shekel as they enter the shop. Have shopkeepers recycle the coins back to tribe leaders (or to the designated Nazareth Tax Collector) at the end of each day so the tribes have plenty for the next day.

Let each child decorate a coin pouch with fabric paint and markers during your first day of VBS. (Or have a few crafty church members sew a small pouch for each child). Make sure the child puts his name on the pouch (you may also want him to add his tribe name or give each tribe a different color coin pouch). Once the pouch dries, let the child carry his shekels in his pouch each day. But have the children leave their pouches in a designated place at the end of each day so the pouches aren't forgotten at home. The final day of your Nazareth VBS the children can take home their pouches along with the crafts they've made during the week.

Main Street Coloring Pages

Here are some coloring pages we’ve created for Main Street VBS. There is a coloring page for each day—a total of five plus a cover page. The coloring pages have the daily memory verse portion and the lesson focus. Each day we've added a few more words to the verses so by Day 5 both verses, Psalm 25:4-5, are shown in their entirety.


There is a set of coloring pages for the New International Version and a separate set for the King James Version. If you use a different Bible version than the ones given, feel free to cut off or white out the verse and replace it with the version you prefer. Each coloring page shows a picture of the Bible story being taught that day or Jesus teaching that Bible point. There are five coloring pages plus a cover page—all for just $4.99 per set. Best of all, you can make as many copies of these pages as you need!

You may want to make a coloring booklet for each child with coloring pages for each day stapled together. At the end of your VBS week, your students will have a booklet with the entire VBS Bible stories and memory verses—a fun keepsake reminder of their week at your Main Street Vacation Bible School.

Check back each week for additional coloring pages—we’re working on a set for the other 2011 VBS programs, too. (Hometown Nazareth coloring pages were posted October 11, SonSurf Beach Bash coloring pages were posted October 19, and coloring pages for PandaMania were posted November 9.) If you have another VBS program for which you’d like coloring pages, just leave a comment.

If you’d like to take a look at any of these VBS Starter Kits, visit Shop VBS for more information and to order your Starter Kits.

You can make as many copies of these coloring pages as you need for your VBS program. May God bless you as you prepare to teach children (and their families) about Jesus' love for them!

(Click on the images above to download the pages—KJV is on the left and NIV is on the right)

Hometown Nazareth VBS Craft: Riding to Nazareth

The Bible Point for Day 3 of Group's Hometown Nazareth VBS is "Jesus had a home...we do, too." The Bible story is about Joseph and Mary escaping to Egypt with little Jesus.

Before your VBS, collect a small, empty gelatin box for each child. Print stickers with the Bible point, "Jesus had a home...we do, too." Print one sticker for each child. Also print the craft page below for each child. Cut a 10-inch length of yarn for each child. Cut out the pattern beforehand and prefold it if you have younger children in your group.

During the lesson, give one child a sticker with the Bible point. Have the child read the Bible point aloud. Talk about how God gives us each a home. (Be sensitive to children who may come from a difficult home situation.)

Then tell the story of Jesus' family escaping to Egypt from Matthew 2:13-14 and 19-23. Point out that God was with the family wherever they went and God is with us, too. After you tell the story, hand out scissors, crayons, glue, tape, a 10-inch length of yarn, and an empty gelatin box to each child. Let each child cut out the pattern and print his name on it. Help the child fold the pattern on the broken lines. Then help him glue the folded pattern around the gelatin box and tape each end of the yarn around the donkey's neck to Mary's hands.

Show the child how to pull the yarn gently to make Mary and Joseph move. As you retell the story, have him pretend to pull the family to Egypt then to Nazareth. Say, "Just as God took care of Jesus' family and gave them a home, God cares for us and gives each of us a home, too. God is with us wherever we go." Encourage the children to take home their crafts and tell the Bible story to their family members and friends.

Click the image above to download the craft

SonSurf VBS Craft: Egg Carton Jellyfish

The theme for Day 2 of SonSurf VBS is "Look up to Jesus." The Bible memory verse for this day is Psalm 56:3 — "When I am afraid, I will trust in you" (NIV), and the Big Answer is "I can look up to Jesus and ask His help because He is trustworthy." Let your students make an egg carton jellyfish to help them remember to trust Jesus.

Collect an egg carton for every 12 children. Cut the carton cups apart so each child can have one cup. Also bring thick yarn, scissors, glue, wiggle eyes, markers, construction paper, tape, and string. If you use a cardboard egg carton, let the children paint the cups. If you use foam egg carton cups, the colored ones look best. If you use white, you can tell the children they are making moon jellies.

Help each child trim the egg cup to even out the edges. Let him glue two wiggle eyes on the cup (after painting it). Cut eight pieces of thick yarn into 6- to 8-inch lengths for the tentacles. If you use thin yarn, have the children braid three strands of yarn together for each tentacle. In that case, cut 24 pieces.

Spread a generous amount of glue inside the egg carton cup. Stick one end of each yarn piece into the  glue. Let dry. Glue a piece of yarn or string to the top of the jellyfish for hanging. Give each child a slip of paper on which to print the memory verse, Psalm 56:3. As the children work, talk about trusting Jesus. Tape the memory verse to the yarn or string hanger, just above the jellyfish. Have the children say the verse together.

Say, "God did not create you to be like the jellyfish—with no backbone. God promises to help you overcome your fears when you trust in Jesus. God will give you strength and courage when you ask Him and then trust Him." Review the Day 2 Bible story of Jesus healing the official's son (from John 4:45-54), if you have time.

Visit Shop VBS to order your SonSurf Starter Kit and supplies. Starter Kits have already started shipping and will continue to ship in January.

Decorating for Harvest

Use harvest season decorations to give your church a new, inviting look for fall. Choose creative church members to select ideas from the following suggestions. They also may have some creative ideas of their own, using items available in your community. The helpers can do the decorations themselves or form a decorating committee. Have your Sunday school classes, Bible clubs, mom's groups and others meeting at your church make harvest decorations to spruce up your church.

Cut leaf shapes in various colors and sizes to use as wall decorations and name tags for your harvest events. Make pumpkin garlands from orange construction paper. Use the garlands along with orange, green, and brown crepe paper around doorways, windows, hung from the ceiling, and as runners across table tops.

Ask families to bring in harvest items from home to decorate hallways, windowsills, shelves, and table tops: pumpkins, gourds, miniature bales of hay, colorful leaves, nuts, apples, squash, dried corn husks, scarecrows, baskets, bushel barrels, cornucopias, colorful rocks, pussy willows, fall flowers, etc. Make a large banner for one or more walls that reads, "The Harvest Is the Lord's." Post a similar banner at the children's eye level for your young students to decorate with crayons or markers.

Have children draw pictures of people for whom they are thankful. Hang the pictures on the walls after they are signed by their artists.

Draw harvest fruits and vegetables onto construction paper. Cut them out and hang them from drinking straws or dowel rods to make mobiles. Hang extra shapes from ceilings, windows, and in doorways.

Collect canned food to give to a local homeless shelter or food pantry. Let your students decorate large collection boxes to place around your church campus. Have bundles of dried corn stalks standing nearby. Arrange pumpkins, squash, and dried gourds around the base. Use these as collection spots for your food drive.

For more harvest decorating and outreach ideas, take a look at A Church Family Harvest Celebration program book with CD-ROM from Christian Ed Warehouse.

If your church holds a harvest festival or other fall event, invite your community to join your congregation. Then invite the visitors to return for worship, Sunday school, and Bible clubs!

Storytelling Tips

By Brenda Mills

Everyone loves a story. Children move to the edge of their chairs when they hear, “Let’s have a story.” Use this method of teaching to reach young hearts with Christ’s love during your VBS program. It’s your responsibility to become the best storyteller you can.

Note that we said storyteller. Reading stories to children is an art in itself to be discussed later. First we’ll concentrate on the techniques of telling the story.

A GOOD BEGINNING

Prepare your introduction carefully. Begin your story smoothly. If you fumble through your first few statements, you’ll become frustrated and may lose your train of thought. If you stammer to a stop and have to start over, you’ll want to leave the room and never return! Never memorize a story word for word. But if it makes you feel more comfortable, memorize the first few lines for a snappy opening.

An introduction with interest-catching appeal will capture your listeners from the first word. “Mac had been Peter’s dog for as long as Peter could remember, and they were real pals.” Doesn’t that sound like a lot more fun than “Peter had a dog named Mac?” Use your imagination and knowledge of the group to make your introduction sparkle.

PROCEED TO CLIMAX, CONCLUSION

Progress naturally from the introduction, building to the climax or most exciting or interesting portion of the story. Then finish the story with a brief conclusion. Don’t attempt to delay the conclusion, for once the climax of the story has been reached, listeners’ interest drops. A story is a unique teaching tool. Most contain a moral or teach a lesson. Let the story do it! Don’t attempt to tack on your own “sermonette” on the end of the story. Weave the moral into the plot in such a way that your hearers can’t miss it as you tell your story. When you’ve finished telling the story, stop!

BE NATURAL

Being yourself is important. Thorough preparation and practice will lead to naturalness in storytelling. You’ll probably feel most comfortable if you sit in a circle or semi-circle with your listeners. It suggests intimacy with the group and conversation at their level. If you must stand, due to a large group, stand naturally and relaxed. Never hide behind a podium.

A LITTLE ACTION, PLEASE

Use gestures such as the shrug of the shoulders, a raised hand, a finger over the lips to indicate quietness. But don’t force or overuse them. And by all means, use facial expression. Raise your eyebrow, smile, frown, show enthusiasm. Try to portray the feelings of the story characters.

Some storytellers show pictures while telling their stories. This is fine, but don’t show 27 pictures during a four-minute story! Have several attractive illustrations to use at the appropriate times. Display them so all can see, then put them aside.

Place your hands quietly in your lap when you aren’t holding a picture or gesturing. Avoid the “gymnastics” of too many hand motions. They only draw attention to yourself. Beware of distracting habits, such as playing with a string of beads or a button on a jacket. Remember, you are the means to help your listeners SEE the story in their minds. The less they see of you, the better! Thorough practice, perhaps in front of a mirror, will help you know where and when to use gestures effectively. If well used, they can add life to the story. If overused, they can distract and spoil the story.

LISTEN TO YOURSELF

Your voice tells the story. Use your natural voice. By all means avoid a whiny, monotonous, or honeyed tone. Practice to develop variety in inflection. Let your voice reflect wonder, strength, sadness, etc. Imitate noises and sounds indicated in the story, such as “Buzzzz — was the sound Kate kept hearing outside her bedroom window.” Practice these sounds beforehand so they resemble the natural sounds. Pause to impress or to increase suspense. Work on projecting your voice. Record your own voice — it may surprise you!

Use dialog or direct discourse frequently to bring your characters to life. Make them speak to your hearers, rather than always telling your hearers what the characters say. “Hi, Mom!” is much more realistic than, “Jerry greeted his mother when she entered the room.” Change the voice to indicate the different characters. Use action verbs and colorful adjectives to tell your story. Never use words your listeners may not know.

If you suddenly discover that you’ve left out an important point, don’t try to correct it by saying, “Oh, I forgot to say…” Continue on, and if it is an integral part, weave it in. But don’t interrupt your story to apologize for your goof!

When you’re telling a Bible story, hold your Bible so all can see it. This especially impresses little children with the fact that your story is from God’s Word.

“Let’s have a story.” Do your students’ eyes brighten at the sound of those words? Use these helps to make story-time an exciting high point of your VBS program.

Pandamania Craft: Butterfly Puppet

The Bible story for Day 4 of PandaMania VBS is from Luke  23:1–24:12, where Jesus dies and comes back to life. Have your students make this fun butterfly craft to help them remember the day's memory verse, Psalm 129:34—"Lead me along the path of everlasting life."


Before your VBS week, send a note home asking church members to bring old, clean socks so you have one for each child. Also cut a 5-inch “square” pair of wings (connected) from felt for each child. Give each child a sock, a chenille wire, a felt pair of wings, two wiggle eyes, glue, felt scraps, scissors, and a marker. Make a sample puppet to show the children. Encourage older children to help younger ones with this craft.


Show the child how to put his fist in the sock and draw a smiling mouth on it. Let him glue wiggle eyes above the mouth. While the eyes dry, let him glue felt shapes onto the wings to give them color. Help him glue the wings a couple of inches below the sock toe. Help him push the chenille wire through the sock just above the wings and back out again. Let him twist each end of the wire to make antennae. 


When the wings are dry, show the child how to turn the sock inside out slightly so the wings and antennae no longer show but so the eyes still show. The sock will look like a fat caterpillar. Let the child tell the story of how Jesus changes us and gives us new life just as the caterpillar changes into a beautiful butterfly. Have him turn the sock right-side-out so the wings show, put his hand in the sock, and let the butterfly fly.


This would be a good time to explain the salvation story. Talk individually with any child who wants to learn more.

New! Downloadable Sunday School Curriculum

A great way to follow up your VBS program, is by inviting your students to join you for Sunday school. With NEW Downloadable Sunday School Curriculum from Christian Ed. Publishers, Sunday school has never been this easy and affordable!


Our NEW Bible Foundations Sunday school curriculum download includes everything: Teacher's Bible lesson plans, student sheets, memory verse activities, games, and crafts for 13 weeks each quarter. And it's all reproducible. No need to purchase extra teacher books and extra student materials. Print only what you need! There's never any waste.

Our Bible lessons give you lots of options. You choose the activities that work best with your students. Your teachers will love our easy-to-follow instructions and minimal prep time. Plus all crafts are designed to use simple household supplies. Make extra copies of lesson plans for all your teachers. Print as many as you need of reproducible Student Sheets with exciting crafts, activities, and Bible story review games for class use and to extend the Bible learning at home.
We offer three age levels: Preschool: Ages 2-5, Early Elementary: Grades 1, 2 & 3 and Upper Elementary: Grades 4, 5 & 6. You can have multiple classrooms for each grade level with no added cost. For example, if you have a separate class for two-year-olds, another for three-year-olds, and another class for 4-year-olds, you simply copy as many teacher guides as you need—Fall quarter on sale now for only $59.95!


Check out our three-year Scope and Sequence, FREE sample lessons and special introductory prices. Plus save $40 when you buy all four quarters with our annual subscription plan. Learn more>

All prices are based on your class size. Once you choose whether to order a quarterly or annual subscription, select under 50 students if your Grades 1-3 class size total less than 50 children. If your total is 50 or more students, pay one low price, no matter how big your classes grow.

Still have questions? Call us at 800-854-1531 or download the sample lessons to see for yourself why we believe our Sunday school curriculum downloads from Christian Ed Publishers is the best choice for your kids and for your church!

Also available...Preschool (Ages 2-5) coming August 16 and Upper Elementary (Grades 4-6) available August 23.

Egypt VBS Craft: Joseph's Wristbands

Bring the feel of ancient Egypt to your VBS with this fun, decorated wristband craft.

Give each child two white paper cups. Cut off the bottom of each cup. Larger cups can be cut in half. Save the bottom for future craft projects. Cover the work area with newspapers. Provide paper towels and wet wipes for clean up.

If the child's hand will fit through the cup, slide it onto the child's wrist. If his hand is too big to fit through the cup, cut the cup in half so it will wrap onto his wrist like a bracelet. Help him trim it to the size he desires. Do this for both cups. Encourage older children to help younger ones.

Let the child paint the wristbands or decorate them with markers. He can glue or stick plastic gems and stones around the wristbands. (Point out the picture of Joseph on the cover of the "Joseph in Egypt Coloring Pages" posted on March 25 for wristband ideas.) Encourage creativity.

Another option is to have the child print the day’s memory verse or Bible point on one of the wristbands. Have the words preprinted onto stickers or mailing labels for younger children, and let them add the stickers to the wristbands.

The Bible point for the first day of  Joseph's Journey is "God gives us hope." As the children work, talk about how God gave Joseph hope during the tough times in his life. Explain that God gives us hope when we go through hard times, too.

Christian Ed. Publishers has created a new Joseph in Egypt Preschool VBS to supplement your elementary VBS program from Group, Egypt: Joseph's Journey this summer. Written especially for 2- to 5-year-olds, this five-day preschool VBS program includes Bible stories, snacks, crafts, and games with reproducible student sheets and colorful visuals on CD-ROM. Order the spiral-bound book with CD-ROM or, if you need it tomorrow, order the download.

Tips for VBS Crafts

When selecting craft activities for your students, ask yourself these five questions:

1.   Does the craft help the children feel valuable and worthwhile?

2.   Can the children experience success with this craft or activity?

3.   Do the children do the work?

4.   Does the craft allow the children to express themselves?

5.   Does the craft encourage creativity?

When you turn your art projects and activities into learning experiences, you give the children worthwhile lessons that will be with them long after the project is gone. Here’s how: focus on what the children can learn rather than what they can make. As the children work, talk about the Bible lesson or theme of the day. Keep the focus on the Bible story or the memory verse. Tie the craft back into the day’s point.

Help the children have a fun time. Don’t let them get frustrated. If a craft becomes too difficult, switch gears and adapt the craft to the child. For example, if threading yarn becomes tedious, stop the threading and let the child add stickers to the craft or decorate it with markers or jewels. Turn your time with the child back into a fun experience. If a child finishes early (or just gives up), let him move to a free play area or begin a coloring project.

Allow each child to be the creative being God has made him or her!