Introverts at VBS

I got to help out with vacation Bible school (VBS) at both Holden and Grace this summer. Both groups did a wonderful job putting together a great experience for the kids and I was happy to participate. VBS is a very important ministry for Christian education.

As fun and educational as VBS is, it can be a little overwhelming for some of us, and Aubry Smith wrote a funny and insightful guest post about it for Adam McHugh's blog, Introverted Church. Here's an excerpt highlighting some of the pitfalls.

VBS combines some of the biggest hazards for introverts:

1) lots of people

2) lots of noise and encouragement for more noise

3) lots of new information via the VBS theme, schedule, new people, teaching, material, etc.

4) quick activity change with no time for processing

5) lots of singing, dancing, and other high-energy activities

I could tell which of my students were more introverted or slower processors, because I had to rush them from one activity to the next and they were never quite ready to switch when the time came.

All these same criteria apply to almost every church experience geared toward youth: Bible camp, mission trips, youth gatherings, and more. Smith also envisioned an "Introvert Fantasy Camp," her concept of what introverts would enjoy at church camp. It's pretty great...the key features are below.

1. Actual quiet time
2. Low-key worship
3. Processing time after the message
4. Separate sleeping quarters
5. Group time
6. No guilt for introversion
7. Excitement and volume don't equal devotion

This is right up my alley, and it would have suited me at any age of my life, including my childhood and teenage years. I know I'm not the only one, but I also know it's not easy to fit everyone's personality and learning style in large-group events.

VBS isn't so bad because it's only a few hours at a time. The mission trip I went on was a bigger deal because it was six days and five nights. There was very little downtime for processing and transition and very little privacy, even for sleeping. But if there's too much downtime, the extroverts get restless, and that can be trouble.

And, of course, many other learning experiences cater to introverts. Extroverts struggle to be still and quiet in "traditional" classroom settings, for example, which I certainly encountered during confirmation classes.

It's a tricky balance, and there are many more factors at play than just introversion and extroversion. But at least if we're aware of these different learning styles, we can work toward a mixture of activities to suit both, and we can be patient with the non-dominant styles in any setting.