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| What is your opinion on using competitions and related prizes, rewards and incentives to motivate children during your Vacation Bible School? Like...competitive Contests with prizes to see who brings the most friends with them to VBS. Or competitive games and activities. >Some leaders embrace these tools as ways to boost attendance and create excitement in their VBS programs. >Some leaders believe competitions, with prizes, rewards and incentives have a negative impact and have no place in Vacation Bible School. >Others find themselves on the fence wondering if the benefits outweigh the potential negative effects. Where do you stand? What's your opinion? |
Lisa B from NC |
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| | I've found that doing Group's Easy VBS for the past 7 years that our kids have so much fun and enjoy it so much that they really don't want to miss a night. I've had kids who are not members of the church make their parents call me to see when VBS is so that they don't miss it. I think that if you are handing out Bible Buddies every night as part of your VBS -- they kids really want to collect all of the Bible Buddies and you are not "rewarding them for attending" but giving them a reason to come every night. I also think that encouraging kids to share VBS with their friends just because it if fun and they want their friends to be a part of it -- reinforces that we want to share Jesus' love with others because it is so wonderful and we want our friends to be a part of Jesus' love too .... and Jesus is putting our names in a raffle to win something. Deborah in Texas |
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| I think some very good responses about rewards have been posted in a similar thread (To Reward or Not?). I am sure most opinions remain the same even when it comes to VBS. I still believe, like is said in my post (#17139) that rewards can serve as encouragement if done properly.
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| A bribe is something used to motivate someone into a negative or immoral action. An incentive motivates someone to do something they should be doing anyway. I believe in incentives, not bribes, but at the same time we should NOT have to motivate people to do what the word of God tells them to do, but the reality is we DO. Our hope and prayer is that those in our care will grow to a place that they no longer need incentives but are motivated by an internal conviction of Faith. Incentives can be a tool to help us reach our ultimate goal.
Bill Love
Pastor of Children's Ministries
Grace Community Church
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| Well said Bill. BLove (1/10/2008)
...at the same time we should NOT have to motivate people to do what the word of God tells them to do, but the reality is we DO.
We certainly DO, even our own children. Just think of it, if we as adults need motivation from time to time how much more children. If done with the right attitude, purpose and limits we can and will witness as children (in Bill's words) "...grow to a place that they no longer need incentives but are motivated by an internal conviction of Faith." 
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| | I am probably more competitive than most, but I do believe there is a time and place for everything. If you follow the directions with the games in "Groups" VBS competition will not be an issue. No score is kept and no one is made to feel better because their team finished first, etc. The games are a learning experience - fun - but a learning experience. That is why the debriefing is so very important. I do have a competition for say for offering, but no one wins anything, except the organization we are donating our daily offering to. What we do is very strongly encourage the children to EARN thier offering for each day through helping at home. We talk a lot about how we are to give back to God. The competition is between the girls and the boys and the group with the largest offering wins. Here is the catch. I represent the girls and another minister in the church represents the boys. The loser gets a pie in the face, kisses a frog or something of the sort. Everyone is always a winner in that there are always 2 pies, frogs or whatever and the kids have fun. You can get carried away with prizes, incentives and such. If used where you really don't have losers they are fine.
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| | I agree. We always do a boys vs. girls offering contest. I think this year we are going to use slime and slime either my husband or I (depending on if the girls or the boys bring the most money.) The fun in this is that everyone wins because it doesn't matter who gets slimmed, the kids will love it. I do however think that in a different setting, it is good for there to be a winner & those who don't win the game. I think we shelter our kids from disappointment much too often and that they don't learn to deal with lifes upsets. We can't always win in life and that needs to be a life lesson as well.
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| | The challenge with using competitions to motivate kids to sing louder, bring in more missions offering, or bring friends is that it sends the wrong message. Is a "which side of the room can sing louder" competition really worship? Will my daughter develop a heart for the needy because the girls raised more money for missions than the boys? Will you cultivate a passion for outreach by making the pastor kiss a pig because 10 new kids came to VBS? Those things are really fun and memorable, but in the end they don't accomplish what we hope. And way too often the competition or rewards "system" takes away time, energy, and focus from the real message of the program.
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