VBS Isn’t Over Until the Debrief is Over
{ July 28th, 2008 }
By: Patricia Meyers, founder of www.ChildrensChurchStuff.com
VBS is over – except the debriefing. There are few things that will save you more headaches with your next VBS (or any event) than taking the time to debrief. It is a simple process that reaps huge rewards.
Begin with yourself. Take a few minutes to review every aspect of the event thoroughly. You don’t have to share all of these thoughts with your team, but be open and honest in this private session.
Next, get together with those who helped lead the event. Keep the meeting casual and light. If someone has something strong to discuss, ask that they meet with you privately. You do not want someone to get hurt after putting in so much time and energy. If there are negative things to discuss, handle them carefully and gently. They need to be faced, but it doesn’t have to be brutal.
Proceed through the event chronologically. Keep the conversation logical and business-like; it will help it remain upbeat, and it is just about the only way to make sure things don’t get overlooked. Cover everything from the parking lot to the dismissal and all points in between.
With each segment, review:
1. What went well? Not-so-well?
2. What did the kids love? Not like at all?
3. Was the event effective? In what ways?
4. Did it meet your intended objectives? How so or how not?
You may find you spent a lot of time and effort – and perhaps money – on something that carried little impact. And you may discover that little something extra ended up carrying a HUGE punch. As you review the points, you will get better acquainted with what your group enjoys and what is really not necessary. WARNING: This is not to be a fluff determiner. The kids will surely enjoy the prizes and the games, but do not be swayed by that. Think about things that truly impacted the kids.
Individually, and as a group, you must be honest. Did you go over budget – why? Did you stay on schedule – why or why not? Are you hanging on to a part of the event that no one likes but you? These kinds of questions are hard, but they must be answered.
Finally, finalize your thoughts and file your notes immediately. Don’t think about them over a stretch of time. Type your notes, if possible. It will be easier to read when you begin planning your next event.
Debriefing is brilliant! Next year when you begin planning, you will be so glad you spent this time now. Congrats on a fantastic VBS. VBS 2009 will be here before you know it!
July 30th, 2008 at 8:11 am
This article was very helpful. I find that most people don’t want to look at what didn’t work ,for whatever reasons. This is great.
July 30th, 2008 at 9:33 am
Thanks for posting this article. I completely agree, doing proper evaluation make the whole process better and more efficient the following year.
It also gives you the freedom to try new things. This year we added “family dinners” to our VBS. It worked out to be a good feature, but for much different reasons than we imagined. What we learned will make it a better experience next year.
Thanks for this post
July 30th, 2008 at 11:41 am
Don’t be too quick to assume all VBS programs are over by now. This year we do not finish until August 1. We have our VBS late in July each year after all the kids’ ballgames and the county fair are over. Then we can get enough workers and kids to attend.
Your article was helpful for me even during the week of VBS. We are doing an ongoing assessment.
We also use VBS materials that are donated to us by two other churches from the year before. So we are always a year behind. As director, I am pleased to find craft material still available in your catalog for the previous year’s theme. Please continue that practice.
July 30th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
It is very humbling reviewing what worked and what didn’t. There are a few things I would encourage everyone to do: to get a true commitment from everyone have the pastor come to a organizational meeting to have the volunteers realize they are respected and recognized. And the other thing I would do is make sure every station has read through their materieals and have all their supplies a couple weeks before vbs week.
September 2nd, 2008 at 8:09 am
I love your ideas every year. Our only problem is that we have an early VBS in March during the Spring Break at school. So getting your ideas at the end of February really cuts it close and sometimes we just can’t use your items because we would get them to late. Since you already know the themes for next year, couldn’t your catalog at least come out in January?? I so like your ideas better than Lifeway or Oriental Trading.
Thanks.
September 4th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
We spend a lot of time in development of new products each year. We take time to make sure the craft goes with the theme and/or lesson. We also make sure that it is the best quality we can possibly give you at the best possible cost. However, I’m excited to say that we are hoping to have the majority of new products on the Web site by the beginning of January, and the catalog will be out much earlier this year. Hopefully it will be in your mailboxes by February 1 or so!