For the past five years, I’ve been in charge of our small church’s Vacation Bible School program. We generally have one hundred children registered and about thirty volunteers. It’s my job to recruit, to organize and to make the magic happen.
The crucial volunteers are those who lead the seven stations: snacks, games, songs, drama, theater, crafts, and closing program. We also have indispensable volunteers who run a parallel preschool program which runs at the same time.
Most of my volunteers have returned from year to year, but this year? This year is killing me. First, my drama people said they had conflicts. (One is teaching summer school. One is working on a project.) I replaced them with a talented high-school student who just tonight called and said a huge, exciting opportunity came up for her to fly to Houston–it’s school-related, though I confess to missing some of the details because I was doing my grocery-shopping on-line when she called and I was distracted by the fact that she’s abandoning me.
The youth pastor (who occasionally reads this blog and let me say what a fine young man he is!) originally said he’d be gone the whole week. He later amended that and will only be missing two out of the five days due to his commitment to be at camp that week.
Oh, the high school student I mentioned who was going to be my drama person? She was also my song person. Now I have to find two people, or three, to take her place.
My theater person couldn’t help this year. (Her teens will have jobs and she has to shuttle them around.) So, I recruited a new person . . . but now I’m going to ask her if she’d prefer to do the kitchen and then replace her with someone else who volunteered for the theater. Confused yet?
The kitchen person from last year hasn’t returned my calls. (She’s left the church since last year and I heard she got married.) A volunteer stepped up on Sunday, but she called today to say she has a scheduling conflict, too. (Her daughter’s going to graduate school, moving that particular week.) So I need to shuffle again and see if I come up with a replacement . . . which I think I can do.
This afternoon, my preschool director called to say she won’t be there the last two weeks. Her great-aunt is turning 90 years old and the birthday party can’t be any other time.
So, let’s count. I’ve had one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight people tell me no this year.
And that’s just the core station leaders. I still have to recruit sixteen crew leaders for the easier job of guiding small groups of children from station to station.
Ack! Only four weeks to go . . . my materials haven’t yet arrived, my volunteers are dropping right and left and I can only be so many places at one time. I am capable of doing all the jobs necessary, but until I perfect cloning, I simply have to find more people to help. The first year I ran the program, I sang the songs, did the drama, and taught the closing program, all while seven months pregnant. But even I can’t be in two or three places at once.
Meanwhile, the church ladies have gone crazy making Mexican flowers out of tissue paper in response to my request on Sunday morning. I’ve been getting phone calls asking where to put the finished flowers . . . I might not have a functional program come July 10, but I will have eight thousand tissue paper Mexican flowers in which to drown myself.
Actual Unretouched Photo 
Oh dear… too funny about the flowers though!
Mary
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Well, I hope you survive!!! Are you sure you are sane and thinking clearly?
At least the mexican flowers will give you something to daze at during your glazed stare at the end of all this….hehehe
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We’ve been begging for weeks trying to find a co-leader for our once a week after school program. It starts back up in the fall.
I’ve found through my own experience that it’s hard sometimes for new people to step up when the same group has done things forever.
Many times I’ve volunteered and felt like the odd person out. They all know what they’re doing and I felt in the way. If a person is a little shy to begin with, they may back off.
I’ve begun volunteering for scut work though. Anyone can slice oranges although the first time I did it they told me they did it differently.
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Yikes! I’m so sorry this year is particularly stressful. I hope people step forward and offer to help in more practical ways than making truckloads of tissue paper flowers, nice as that is. Our VBS theme is Fiesta too (you mentioned it before).
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I’m curious as to the difference between the “drama” and “theater” stations.
I hope some qualified volunteers appear to assist you, Mel.
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And I thought I had problems.
I had a teacher saving empty milk cartons for me – for one of the crafts. She had enough saved, but the school janitor threw them away! And of course, school is now over.
I feel your pain. I laugh at it too, sometimes. And then feel guilty.
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I totally understand! I’ve been there many years in the same spot. Just remember when it finally gets here, it will be the best VBS yet! God works in mysterious ways you know!
I’m just trying to figure out how to do a one day camp with around 10 volunteers…
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Put it in God’s hands – it will all come together. I’ll pray for your success for this year!
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Oh no–I’m smiling after reading your post….I feel guilty! I’m smiling because my job IS working with volunteers also. Actually–it is my volunteer job to coordinate volunteers! I hate the word NO–And I hate the fear in my stomach that pounces when the deadline approaches.
I know I don’t have to remind you–but give it to God! Keep working like crazy–but give VBS to God–He loves those little children! They may just enjoy rolling around in all of those tissue flowers for a few days! Put a hose outside….spray them as they roll! I’m sure there’s a spiritual lesson in that event–somewhere!
God Bless you as you search for these volunteer bodies…to minister to these children’s hearts!~
Diane
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I too am curious about the difference between the drama and theatre stations.
I wish you luck and blessings as the week approaches.
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This might be an epidemic. We are having the same problem for our VBS too. We’re doing the Fiesta too, so maybe it’s the mexican theme. It’s like an “legal immigrant walkout” for all things sounding as if it has to do with things of Hispanic nature. Or something like that.
The really bad thing is that it’s the kids who will miss out on it.
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Good Luck with the re-recruiting!
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I’m the type of person to get up in church and thank all the people for making flowers but since there aren’t enough volunteers to pull VBS off it’s been canceled. We’ll try again next year. I know it sounds childish and you can’t do it too much, but the first time people really start stepping up…. ha ha ha! Good luck!
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All things work together for good…it’ll work out. Our VBS is a huge production every August and Michelle, the head of it, seems to take everything in stride. And there are always announcements that she needs volunteers around this time of year. It’s hard work but it sure recruits a lot of neighborhood kids who don’t otherwise come to Sunday School. God bless you in your outreach.
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Now you’re making me feel bad. I’m one of those kitchen people at my church. But Meeeellll I just dont want to do VBS this year. I want a break.
Wanna know something really bad? The assitant pastor that ususally heads up VBS is moving to Bend to start a new church. This will be the first year we are going to do this without him. Now, of all times, they need everyone on board. But…..help…I want a break. Our VBS runs between 200-300 kids.
Oh what to do; what to do.
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I second Leslee, my FIL was a full time pastor for years and their philosophy was always that if the congregation thought something was important, than the congregation could get it done. I remember the day they just casually announced that there would be no more Sunday school because no one seemed to care enough to make sure it happened, and it for sure wasn’t his job, his job was preaching, so the kids would be welcome to stay in the service with the grown-ups. Well, after everyone found out that he wasn’t in fact joking, there were several vonuteers to teach Sunday School, people who until then had not thought to do anything besides sit in chairs week after week.
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