What Makes VBS Special

So maybe what makes Vacation Bible School special are the teachers.

VBS at Ridgway First Baptist Church is right around the corner. We’ll start on Sunday, July 17, and go through Thursday night, July 21. Friday will be our family night. Let me take this space and invite you to bring your children (ages 4 through grade 6) each evening. Or bring your grandchildren, or your neighbor’s kids or whomever you can find. Go out among the highways and the hedges and compel them all to come. We’re planning a light meal at 5:30 every night and VBS will go from 6:00-8:00.

Oh, and don’t miss our Kick-off Party event / registration night! It will be Thursday, July 14, from 5:00 – 7:00. This will be a great opportunity to come and meet some of our VBS workers, enjoy some popcorn and Sno-Cones, hotdogs on the grill, and fun activities. We’re borrowing our association’s Party Trailer, which also includes a large jump house for the kids. Last year we nearly got everything set up for our event when the rain began to fall and we had to close up shop. We trust the Lord will give us a fantastic evening this year.

In an earlier column I mentioned some of our workers in areas such as music, snacks, recreation and crafts. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for all who assist in any way. And even for those who can’t come, many give faithfully to the mission of the church to help promote ministries like VBS. I say thank you to all.

Now I want to recognize those who have volunteered to teach. I think there’s a special bond that develops very quickly between teachers and their students during VBS. It’s amazing how love works like that.

Parents, I want you to know that our teachers have already been praying for your children. By the time VBS rolls around, they will have spent many hours reading and studying the Bible stories, preparing lesson plans and activities, and decorating their rooms to create a warm, friendly environment for your children. Our teachers, and all of our workers, truly care about your children, and we trust that the love shows clearly in everything we do.

That love is the reason we do this in the first place. And it’s not even so much that in love we want to do something nice for the children, but it’s more like a compulsion. Seriously, putting together a week of Vacation Bible School takes a ton of work from a lot of people. It’s a huge time investment. It’s a significant financial investment. If we weren’t compelled by love to do it, we probably wouldn’t. Or if we did without love, then our efforts would be worth nothing.

But love is a tremendous motivator! And the love I’m talking about is the love of God that reached down from heaven and somehow touched our hearts. God in His great mercy put His love on display in sending Jesus to this earth. We want to pour that love into others.

And it’s not like any of us were worthy of it. No, we were sinners in rebellion against God, hostile to Him. We were His enemies. And not only that, but we as sinful people were incapable of doing anything good to merit God’s love.

That’s what makes His love so captivating. God loved this world so much (and that’s you!) that He willingly, mercifully, graciously gave His one and only Son, that whosoever (that’s you again!) believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. Think about it – life and death are on the line, but in Christ we can have ultimate and eternal victory! That’s a message worth telling over and over and over again. It’s a message we’re compelled to tell. We love to tell the story of Jesus and His love.

And so, we invite you to come and be part of our Vacation Bible School this year, where your children will hear the good news of salvation in Christ Jesus.

Here are our teachers, and I hope I haven’t left anyone out! 4’s-K: Becky Mitchell, Aimee Sparrow, Carrie Abell, Tara Funk. Grades 1-2: Becky Seely, Kristi Seely. Grades 3-4: Amy Gallion, June Siler. Grades 5-6: Helen Abell, Marsha Moye, Derek Catiller. And roaming the field and filling in any gaps will be VBS Hall of Famer Theda Miller. Maybe they’re why Vacation Bible School is so special.