Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.  James 5:17-18 ESV

Well, I can’t say Elijah had anything to do with our drought,  but the reservoirs around here were at extremely low levels. If rain didn’t happen soon, we would all be in big trouble.

The mantra of the day was “CONSERVE.”   Most people supported the efforts to conserve.  For instance,  water lawns only twice a week, get a low flush toilet, get low flow showerheads,  restaurants only serve water on request, and so on.  Laws were being passed and regulations adopted to limit the use of water.

Well, the rains finally came and came in abundance.  Then came flooding.  As the saying  goes, “Be careful what you pray for, you may get more than you bargained for,”

Today, looking at big brown areas of my yard, I decided it was time to go to watering every day again.   I am fortunate.  My yard has a sprinkler system.  It is on a timer so I can control when, how often, and how long the grass gets watered.  My yard is divided into four sprinkler sections so to have sufficient water pressure, I water only one section at a time.  I tested each of the four areas.

My heart sank!  I think the devil’s henchmen had raided my yard.    Nothing worked right.  There are 16 individual sprinklers, and they were all malfunctioning in one way or another.  Some sprayed this way, others that way, some produced just a dribble, and one was like a geyser because the spray head had broken off.  I began the long and arduous repair and adjustment process.

I recall the first meeting with the VBS team.  It was like each person was an individual sprinkler, going in all direction, doing their own thing.  Actually, they weren’t a team yet.   So, just as I had to redirect and or repair each sprinkler, I had to pay attention to the team, individually, and as a group.

At the first meeting   we  emphasized and continued to reinforce at every meeting:

1. Our focus must be on Jesus Christ. He will guide all our actions.
2. The need to establish standards of behavior for the team and the children.
3. The need for organization and the importance of everyone doing their job.
4. The importance of showing our love for the children and for each other.
5. That love translated into cooperation, facilitating, nurturing, and, at times, forgiving

Working toward a well-functioning VBS team is like patiently nurturing a green lawn.

The greening of the lawn and the molding of an effective team take time, but the results can be outstanding.

Don’t stop halfway and say that’s good enough.  A spotty brown lawn really shows.  So will the results of a poorly functioning VBS team.   Give it 100%.  The children deserve it. The team deserves it.

Does the Lord deserve less?

 

 

5 WAYS TO FOCUS A VBS TEAM

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.  James 5:17-18 ESV

Well, I can’t say Elijah had anything to do with our drought,  but the reservoirs around here were at extremely low levels. If rain didn’t happen soon, we would all be in big trouble.

The mantra of the day was “CONSERVE.”   Most people supported the efforts to conserve.  For instance,  water lawns only twice a week, get a low flush toilet, get low flow showerheads,  restaurants only serve water on request, and so on.  Laws were being passed and regulations adopted to limit the use of water.

Well, the rains finally came and came in abundance.  Then came flooding.  As the saying  goes, “Be careful what you pray for, you may get more than you bargained for,”

Today, looking at big brown areas of my yard, I decided it was time to go to watering every day again.   I am fortunate.  My yard has a sprinkler system.  It is on a timer so I can control when, how often, and how long the grass gets watered.  My yard is divided into four sprinkler sections so to have sufficient water pressure, I water only one section at a time.  I tested each of the four areas.

My heart sank!  I think the devil’s henchmen had raided my yard.    Nothing worked right.  There are 16 individual sprinklers, and they were all malfunctioning in one way or another.  Some sprayed this way, others that way, some produced just a dribble, and one was like a geyser because the spray head had broken off.  I began the long and arduous repair and adjustment process.

I recall the first meeting with the VBS team.  It was like each person was an individual sprinkler, going in all direction, doing their own thing.  Actually, they weren’t a team yet.   So, just as I had to redirect and or repair each sprinkler, I had to pay attention to the team, individually, and as a group.

At the first meeting   we  emphasized and continued to reinforce at every meeting:

1. Our focus must be on Jesus Christ. He will guide all our actions.
2. The need to establish standards of behavior for the team and the children.
3. The need for organization and the importance of everyone doing their job.
4. The importance of showing our love for the children and for each other.
5. That love translated into cooperation, facilitating, nurturing, and, at times, forgiving

  Working toward a well-functioning VBS team is like patiently nurturing a green lawn.

The greening of the lawn and the molding of an effective team take time, but the results can be outstanding.

Don’t stop halfway and say that’s good enough.  A spotty brown lawn really shows.  So will the results of a poorly functioning VBS team.   Give it 100%.  The children deserve it. The team deserves it.

  Does the Lord deserve less?

 

 

v 5 WAYS TO FOCUS A VBS TEAM

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.  James 5:17-18 ESV

Well, I can’t say Elijah had anything to do with our drought,  but the reservoirs around here were at extremely low levels. If rain didn’t happen soon, we would all be in big trouble.

The mantra of the day was “CONSERVE.”   Most people supported the efforts to conserve.  For instance,  water lawns only twice a week, get a low flush toilet, get low flow showerheads,  restaurants only serve water on request, and so on.  Laws were being passed and regulations adopted to limit the use of water.

Well, the rains finally came and came in abundance.  Then came flooding.  As the saying  goes, “Be careful what you pray for, you may get more than you bargained for,”

Today, looking at big brown areas of my yard, I decided it was time to go to watering every day again.   I am fortunate.  My yard has a sprinkler system.  It is on a timer so I can control when, how often, and how long the grass gets watered.  My yard is divided into four sprinkler sections so to have sufficient water pressure, I water only one section at a time.  I tested each of the four areas.

My heart sank!  I think the devil’s henchmen had raided my yard.    Nothing worked right.  There are 16 individual sprinklers, and they were all malfunctioning in one way or another.  Some sprayed this way, others that way, some produced just a dribble, and one was like a geyser because the spray head had broken off.  I began the long and arduous repair and adjustment process.

I recall the first meeting with the VBS team.  It was like each person was an individual sprinkler, going in all direction, doing their own thing.  Actually, they weren’t a team yet.   So, just as I had to redirect and or repair each sprinkler, I had to pay attention to the team, individually, and as a group.

At the first meeting   we  emphasized and continued to reinforce at every meeting:

1. Our focus must be on Jesus Christ. He will guide all our actions.
2. The need to establish standards of behavior for the team and the children.
3. The need for organization and the importance of everyone doing their job.
4. The importance of showing our love for the children and for each other.
5. That love translated into cooperation, facilitating, nurturing, and, at times, forgiving

  Working toward a well-functioning VBS team is like patiently nurturing a green lawn.

The greening of the lawn and the molding of an effective team take time, but the results can be outstanding.

Don’t stop halfway and say that’s good enough.  A spotty brown lawn really shows.  So will the results of a poorly functioning VBS team.   Give it 100%.  The children deserve it. The team deserves it.

  Does the Lord deserve less?