Vacation Bible school was always a highlight of the summer as a kid. I was free from mom and dad for a few hours, I played games, sang songs, ate snacks, and heard Bible stories, all in a fun environment. Whether we went back in time, traveled to outer space, or hung out at Son Country Farm, for a few hours every day, we belonged to our class and spent a few really intense hours doing lots of fun things.
The Bible stories weren’t just words in a book; they came alive at VBS. Sunday school leaders weren’t John and Jan anymore; they were Joseph and Ruth, telling us personal accounts of God’s wonders. The hallway was a spaceship, the classroom was an orchard, and we went adventuring. There was always a fun adult who got to know you, and spent time with you, and a cool teenager who knew your name. And let’s not forget all the friends we made! Even if they didn’t regularly go to your church (or you didn’t regularly go to theirs) you had a friend you would see year after year.
As a child, I never realized how many “hands and feet” it took to create the experience. Being a teen helper opened my eyes to the amount of work that went into VBS. I discovered coffee that year, and exactly how much sugar and creamer I needed to make it worth drinking. We teens would get there early and gather in the fellowship hall to drink coffee and eat bagels, or whatever else was handy – we weren’t picky. But we worked hard, and we felt the love and power of God in those rooms and got a taste of ministry.
As an adult, VBS is even better. I see now how it brings the community together: the fellowship of the ice cream social, the laughter of water night, the joy of crafts, the wonder of science, the creativity in decorating this House of God. The hands and feet that create and enjoy VBS are many, but the heart is so much more. We don’t just bring God to the community: we throw open the doors, roll out the red carpet, and have the sacred honor of bringing the community to God. What better way to spend a week in the summer?
VBS True North is July 14-18. I hope you will join us in whatever way you can.
Volunteer to help: Click Here OR Register your child(ren) to participate: Click Here
Blessings,
Mary Schneider
VBS Director