Watching Survivor has actually taught me something about VBS and Children's MInistry. What, you might wonder, could Survivor possibly teach me about VBS and Children's Ministry? It taught me about effectively engaging children - all of them - in activities. Stop and think for a moment. If you have watched this show, you know most of the time there are two challenges or games, during each show which the contestants have to complete/compete in to move forward in the game. These are amazing games! Usually they involve some type of obstacle course/race and then a puzzle to assemble. Whichever team/person does these things first wins an advantage/award or immunity from being voted off the show. Since all of the players want to win the million dollars, they all want to win the challenges/games.
Thursday, December 31, 2015
What Survivor Taught Me About VBS & Children's Ministry
Watching Survivor has actually taught me something about VBS and Children's MInistry. What, you might wonder, could Survivor possibly teach me about VBS and Children's Ministry? It taught me about effectively engaging children - all of them - in activities. Stop and think for a moment. If you have watched this show, you know most of the time there are two challenges or games, during each show which the contestants have to complete/compete in to move forward in the game. These are amazing games! Usually they involve some type of obstacle course/race and then a puzzle to assemble. Whichever team/person does these things first wins an advantage/award or immunity from being voted off the show. Since all of the players want to win the million dollars, they all want to win the challenges/games.
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Recruiting = Praying, Sharing & and Getting Attention!
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
VBS Recruiting - Joy!
Monday, December 28, 2015
VBS Recruiting - Creativity!
When you think about recruiting, you can certainly go about it in a lot of ways, but if those ways do not get the attention of the people in your church, you are not likely to end up with a very big response. The reason for this is as follows . . .
Sunday, December 27, 2015
VBS Recruiting - Perspective
So often when we approach recruiting for VBS - or any area of children's ministry - we do so with an "air" of desperation. We almost expect people to say, "no" and may even think there are "good reasons" for them to say, "no". If we approach recruiting with a negative "perspective", people are likely to notice and say, "no".
If, however; we approach recruiting with a positive "perspective", we are likely to experience a very different response! So, what is a "positive perspective", you ask? Consider the following . . .
Saturday, December 26, 2015
VBS Recruiting - Look Through the "View Finder"!
- I LOVE VBS!
- I LOVE recruiting!
While it may be easy for you to believe I love VBS, you may be shaking your head and thinking it just is not possible for me to "love" recruiting; but it is! You see, I look at recruiting through the following "view-finder" . . .
Happy Day After Christmas!
I'm very happy to say my grandsons had so much joy and thankfulness over the gifts they received; there was no attitude of wanting or "needing" more gifts! I know these boys will be very happy for many, many days, weeks and months to come for the gifts they received.
So, today I'm sharing my final Christmas carol, and want to encourage you, as you go through today remember; "Even when Christmas is over the Light of the World is still here!"
Friday, December 25, 2015
It's Christmas . . .

So, while I most sincerely miss the power (our generator has given up the ghost), I am reminding myself about what really matters. Christmas is far more than gifts, celebrating, meals - and even more than electricity in our homes. Even when I do not have those things, I still have Jesus and God's gift of Grace and these are what really matters.
If you know Jesus, then I'm sure you'll be celebrating one of the most important happenings in all of history, too! If you do not yet know Him, I pray this year you will come to know Him Who loves you so much, He was willing to leave Heaven, be born as a tiny baby in a stable and ultimately grow up and give His life on a cross so we can be forgiven! Talk about the best Gift ever!!!
Merry Christmas everyone, and thank you for reading my blog!
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
My Christmas Carol for You - Jesus Joy of Man's Desiring & Joy to the World
While we are all likely able to sing from memory, Joy to the World, Jesus, Joy of Man's Desiring (written by Johann Sebastian Bach in 1716 and 1723) is one we may recognize, but not know, so I looked up the words to share with you, along with Joy to the World, which was written by Isaac Watts in 1719 and was based on Psalm 98. Enjoy!
Dates for my 2016 VBS Reviews
Usually publishers get their VBS kits to me starting as early as October, but I always have the kits by the end of December. This year, there are some I will not receive until the beginning of January, so I'm pushing the reviews back one week to give a little more time for kits to arrive at my house.
I want my reviews to be as complete as possible, so I'm pushing them back by one week. If you have to make a decision before January 25th and really need to see my side-by-side chart early, email me and I'll email the chart to you (lyndafreemanatcd@gmail.com).
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
This Christmas Be the Gift God Wants You to Be!
"Sticky" VBS Bible Lessons - What Makes a Lesson, "Stick"?
Monday, December 21, 2015
How Do I Determine My Top Pick for VBS 2016?

I want to give you an idea of how I will make my selections for this year's Top Ten VBS resources. I'm not a VBS publisher, I do not work for any publisher and I'm not a bookstore; I'm a children's ministry person, so when I evaluate curriculum, I look for the "tools" a curriculum provides which will help equip volunteers, so they will be able to most effectively communicate God's Word in a way children will remember and understand, so they will be able to live it in their everyday lives, every day!
My Christmas Carol for Today - This Baby - by Steven Curtis Chapman
So, today I'm very happy to share another "Christmas carol" with you - this time it is a song I've never heard before, but one I really like . . . "This Baby", by Steven Curtis Chapman . . .
Look at the lyrics -
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)