{"id":401,"date":"2015-05-21T13:28:30","date_gmt":"2015-05-21T19:28:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wwv.group.com\/childrens-ministry\/?p=401"},"modified":"2015-05-26T09:54:11","modified_gmt":"2015-05-26T15:54:11","slug":"3-secrets-to-engaging-kids-at-vbs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wwv.group.com\/childrens-ministry\/blog\/vbs\/3-secrets-to-engaging-kids-at-vbs\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Secrets to Engaging Kids at VBS"},"content":{"rendered":"

Want to a be huge success at VBS? Want kids to be excited about coming back the next day\u2014and see them growing in their faith? Here are three simple secrets you can try right away.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Be genuinely enthusiastic<\/strong>. I start off each Imagination Station<\/a> by calling out \u201cDid you bring your imagination??\u201d Then I invite kids to tell me if they left their imaginations at home under their beds, or if they brought them along. And to make sure everyone has enough imagination for the day, I think of funny and silly ways that they can get more imitation so they have plenty for the day. We jump in puddles of pretend imagination, look in each other\u2019s ears for a little extra, and find it in our pockets. Since it\u2019s invisible, it\u2019s always nearby and easy to get more of! My enthusiasm spreads to the kids, and they eagerly join in. If you\u2019re excited to be there, they\u2019ll be excited too.<\/li>\n
  2. Engage with wonder.<\/strong> I do the same activity four times during one day at VBS. So when I add water to the snow seeds<\/a>, I know what\u2019s going to happen. But do I tell the kids ahead of time? No way! Instead, I engage their curiosity. \u201cI wonder what\u2019s going to happen! Do you have any guesses?\u201d Treat every encounter with a new group of kids as if it\u2019s your first time through the content. Because for them\u2014it is!<\/li>\n
  3. Listen well.<\/strong> I love hanging out with children at VBS, seeing their curiosity blossom, hearing their observations on the Imagination Station projects and how these relate to life. Kids share amazing things\u2014sometimes funny and sometimes surprisingly deep\u2014and it always keeps me on my toes. I want to be a good listener and find ways to affirm that what they say matters both to me and to God.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    A final tip\u2014a freebie! My best advice for anyone leading at VBS is to have fun. I\u2019ve been leading at a Group VBS<\/a> for 15 years and for me, it\u2019s the most fun I have all summer. \u00a0Be silly. Laugh a lot. Don\u2019t get stressed about stuff that doesn\u2019t matter anyway. Think like a kid. See this as a little window of opportunity to share joy and excitement for God and the surprising things he\u2019s created. Make it awesome!<\/p>\n

    What\u2019s your favorite role at VBS and how do you best engage kids? Let me know in the comments below!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Want to a be huge success at VBS? Want kids to be excited about coming back the next day\u2014and see them growing in their faith? Here are three simple secrets you can try right away. Be genuinely enthusiastic. I start off each Imagination Station by calling out \u201cDid you bring your imagination??\u201d Then I invite kids to tell me if […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52,"featured_media":442,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-401","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-vbs"],"yoast_head":"\n3 Secrets to Engaging Kids at VBS - Group Children's Ministry<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Want to a be huge success at VBS? Want kids to be excited about coming back the next day\u2014and see them growing in their faith? 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