May 08, 2006
Vacation Bible School
Our church staff eliminated Vacation Bible School (VBS) even though at one time the participation and attendance was well over 500. Their justification to discontinue VBS was the cost in man hours, organizing, training and recruiting teachers, financial expense, and last but not least, that some people in the community used VBS as a babysitting service. There is no doubt that VBS is a huge investment, however, the return on that investment far outweighs the inconvenience to the church staff. We have volunteers willing and available to hold a VBS, yet our church has opted to function only as a resource for parents who want to have a small independent neighborhood VBS in their backyard. As a mission field unto themselves, our children deserve more from the church.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Can we truthfully say it is too inconvenient, or too expensive to bring little ones to Jesus as He directed? Our past VBS's were very successful.
Outdated Duo;
-----We can definitely not say it is too expensive, or too inconvenient to bring little ones to Jesus through VBS. Jesus talked about your very life not being too valuable to lay down for another, or your death too inconvenient. Obviously, the contemporary leaders should agree that nothing is too inconvenient or too expensive in His service. Look at the expense they have laid out to produce the performances of the Clashing Cymbals Dance Band in the morning services. And consider the ministers, and ministers, and more ministers, they pay to do something (hopefully something more than just giving us reason to wonder what they all do). These contemporary leaders are certainly not skinflints.
-----But it is odd that they are both zealous to reach out to the community and certain to smother a fine outreach program such as VBS, never mind cost or inconvenience. The fact that they are willing to suppress what produces their stated objective is telltale that there is an ulterior motive. Viewing this among the other evidences of ulterior motive: 1) insistence upon contemporary music and denial of traditional, 2) insistance upon dressing down before the congregation and scorn for dressing up, 3) scorn for church decor in a sanctuary and insistance upon neutral atmosphere of the auditorium, 4) insistence upon parent involvment in all youth ministries above involvment of the many trained and paid ministers, etc., etc., etc., there is a very obvious pattern - verything old must go matter not how beneficial to the body or the Lord.
----My guess at the ulterior motive: When the old is dumped then everyone must be retrained to serve in the new. There must be lots and lots and lots of classes and small groups for the ministers to be important in controlling and earn money in managing. That means there must be lots and lots of roaylties passed around for study matterials and new music scores. And the sooner you also jump on their band wagon, then the more prestige, position, and influence you will have in resheering the rest of the sheep. Shoot, you may even get in on some of the money! Finally, when the church is completely retooled in all its new programs to the liking of the contemporary leaders, they will take great heart (pride) in knowing that they were the ones who retooled His church all for Him - how sweet of them!
-----But honestly, we can only suspect what the ulterior motive might really be. The visible motive we have heard ad nausium.
Post a Comment