Being a VBS Worship Teacher is never easy. It is physically demanding as much as it is talent demanding. It takes many hours of practice and a whole lot of commitment. However, if we are doing it right, Worship is very effective and impactful for the children. Here are 7 tips from our experience of being VBS Worship Teachers over the years.
1. Be Prayerful
Always begin our ministry with prayer. Set a regular time for everyone to pray together. Ask God for strength to lead the children to worship Him through music. Pray for the children.
2. Be Bold
The urgency of the Gospel cannot be understated. So, be direct to share the Gospel with the children. Tell them that:
we are sinners,
God is love and saves us from sin,
and the ABCs of Salvation
This could be the one and only opportunity for you to meet the children, so don't wait, be bold!
3. Be Fanciful
Use a little imagination to make teaching the moves interesting. E.g. imagine you're shooting a ball as far as possible, calling someone, searching for your toys, knocking somebody. Some children may not show interest in dancing, motivate them!
4. Be Helpful
Teaching a few groups of children continuously can be tough and tiring. So work together with your teammates by taking turns to lead. Delegate your roles: one to explain the lyrics, another to teach the moves and another to demonstrate with music. Make good use of Traveling Teachers by encouraging them to participate too. When everyone plays their part as a team, you can go a long way.
5. Be Careful
Take care of yourself as much as you take care of the children. Take breaks to refresh yourself with water. Do it with the children. It is okay to rest - you can go further with a little rest.
6. Be Playful
Have fun! It's okay if the children cannot follow the moves exactly. What matter is that the children have fun and to get to know Jesus better through music. Give them verbal and visual clues, e.g. telling them to mirror their teachers.
7. Be Resourceful
Make good use of breaks and pauses with some side activities: have some fun warm up activities, play Simon Says and etc. You can also play instructional video on screen before the VBS starts. It serves as a good warm up without needing teacher's supervision.
Again, it is important to remember that the goal is to engage the children in music so we can bring the Gospel to them. Prepare well, practice often. As you lead children in worship, make sure you are worshiping too. Now, gear up, get ready, GAME ON!
Written by Bro. Tan Yaw Wai & Sis. Corrina Sim
20 August 2019
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