Warning: This blog is calculated to offend a few people, though offense is often a first step in making necessary changes.

VBS ladies - I've seen them on every trip. They are great at organizing and like classroom settings. They can be a blessing, or a source of consternation if they're given too much authority and allow activities to supersede relationships.

Our long-term staff member, Jennifer Gonzalez (pictured here), is a good example of someone who has mastered the ministry, focuses on relationships and now serves as more of a guru to those who are learning their craft.

VBS ladies occasionally lose the forest for the trees along the way. Good with details, they miss the big picture. Schedules and curriculum take on outsize importance.

I call them "VBS ladies" because I have rarely seen a male in charge of organizing a VBS. VBS is a staple of mission projects because the children are quickest to respond, have the most free time, and the mom's are happy to have them out from underfoot.

VBS works well when the ratio of participants to children exceeds 1 to 10, requiring the kind of church-as-a-show approach favored in America. This necessitates the particular organizational skills that VBS ladies bring to the table. Crafts and skits and games can keep masses of children under control.

Of course what children want most is none of this. What they yearn for is eye contact, touch, and a personal connection that says, "Despite all indications to the contrary, you, my dear child, are in fact special."