Vacation Bible School

Vacation Bible School is two weeks behind us and I am still on the high! We used Group's Avalanche Ranch curriculum two consecutive weeks at the two campuses. Sharing the planning, the workload and the resources was a wonderful new thing for us.

This was the first year that we had a VBS planning committee. In the past one volunteer has directed the entire week. A group of 5 from each campus worked together and shared this year's load. The committee had a mix of paid staff and volunteers. I can't imagine getting it done without a group of creative and committed people. Last year's director (who stepped aside this year) wants to join the committee for next year. Now that says a lot!

There were some amazing God moments during the VBS where we saw His provision and His protection. There were also some gripping moments where we saw the enemy trying his hardest to put an end to what was happening.

I'm sort of a new fan of VBS. As a weekend program person, I always saw VBS as a big drain of time, money and people for just a one week event. There is a glamour surrounding a week like VBS that you just don't have during the year-round schedule of Sundays and Wednesdays! I think I was partly jealous of that. I also felt that the outreach mindset of VBS was a farce as the huge majority of attenders were from within the church.

BUT NOW...I know that having our own church kids for an intensive week is a huge asset to our ministry goals. We can get things done that just don't happen during an hour on Sunday or Wednesday. I saw that my own children were significantly spiritually impacted by their experience.

And I think that the best way to really make this an outreach is to train our people to be inviters. Signs, flyers and newspaper ads cannot surpass the potential of our own people bringing unchurched friends. That will be a goal for next year!

There's a lot more to say about VBS, but summer is halfway over and we've got a fall to prepare for!