A long time ago, I posted a list of my pet peeves. Today I have a couple to add to the list - all being VBS related.
1. Kids screaming when the lights go out in between scenes. This ONLY happens at Altamesa. I have been to the exact same type of VBS at 3 different churches, Richland Hills, Saturn Road, and Sugar Grove in Houston and no one dreams of doing this. Altamesa has tried different things to stop this phenomenon, one year succeeding by turning on a spot light and waving it all over the room to amaze the kids so much they wouldn't scream, but after the first year of that, it lost its allure and the screaming commenced. We've just accepted it as the norm now, but it still bugs me.
2. Clapping along with the music. Last night, the opening number was a medley of One and Boulevard of Broken Dreams. It was supposed to be very mellow and sad because Moses was alone in the desert and sad, until about 4 bars into One, everyone started clapping with the music, making it absolutely impossible for me to hear the background music and keep on beat and totally ruining the mood of this song. I guess we all of a sudden were happy that he was alone or something. On Night 1, they made an announcement at the beginning saying not to clap with the music, but forgot to make that announcement last night. You could make the announcement on nights 1, 2, and 3, and forget on 4 and they would clap on night 4. I'm hoping the video won't show TOO much of an expression change on my face...
3. Youth Groups. Only during VBS is the youth group my pet peeve, but they are always solely responsible for numbers 1 and 2, so they have to make the list. They start the screaming and consider it an honor when they are responsible for the clapping. And the worst part is, if you tell them not to, it only fuels the fire even more and you are assured that the screaming will be louder and the clapping even more off beat than usual. Gilkey - get control of your hoodlums (all of whom I will start loving again on Thursday morning when VBS is over!)
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5 comments:
Yeah, those youthies have short brain spans so you have to remind them every night NOT TO CLAP and then sit by them making sure your message was accepted. ARRRRRR to the clapping and to the adults who clapped, shame on you because common sense should take over!
As you said, it has gone on forever. That is not going to change any time soon. It is something we all have to deal with. I look at it just like a sporting event. Would you expect an annoucer at a baskeball game to ask the folks in the ends of the court to not scream, wave their arms, and towels when a player is trying to sink a free throw? As your predecessor once said, "You have to rise to the ocassion". You should be happy the kids like the songs enough to clap along. We have had songs in the past that were real snoozers.
The bottom line is...
Who are we doing this for???
We wouldn't have this problem if we didn't invite people to the performance. Lock the building then perform in silence.
I feel it's to their benefit to get the message and clapping through the words and especially in a song that is not meant to be peppy does not benefit them in the way we want. There is a time for fun and a time for fun and you can have a great time and learn a lot without the clapping. That is just me, we do it for the kids, but the kids need to hear it and understand it too.
Is this serious? VBS is for kids, right?
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