VBS Changes Lives

I have been a VBS director many times over the last 25+ years, but this year I found myself amidst a challenge like never before. This financial woes known to so many also hit our church this past year, and several budget cuts were necessary. All ministry areas felt the crunch, but none as severely as VBS.

Early in January, our Children’s Director contacted me with the news.

“Lynette,” she started, “I don’t know what we are going to do. Our VBS budget not only got cut, it was eliminated. I think maybe we should just not do VBS this year.”

I could hear the disappointment in her voice, and could very well understand the defeat she was feeling.  You see, we did not lose a few hundred dollars.  Our church has long stood behind Vacation Bible School, and has given generous financial, physical, emotional, and spiritual support.  Now we felt as though all of that support was gone.  We lost $6000.  (By the way, we are a rural church of about 500 people.  Six thousand dollars is a LOT of money!)

My response was quick and sincere, “Great!”

Her reaction was just as quick and sincere, “What?!?!”
Continue reading ‘Immeasurably More’

Last week our VBS ended. It is always sad to me to see a wonderful week end, but I know that people are affected by what they learn.  We had 212 kids at VBS on average and most of those kids do not attend our church. Our church is a newer congregation and is surronded by communities of young families. We realized a couple years ago that most of the families did not attend church on a regular basis or have a church home. Summer VBS is one thing that we started to try to get them to come see and attend church. Continue reading ‘What a great week!’

I want to say VBS is worth it! This past Sunday our church kicked off recruiting for volunteers for our summer VBS. Yes it was Easter Sunday, but it was a great time to announce the dates and start the recruiting with many visitors attending.  As I sat at the table and had people sign up, I had a young man in his 20′s come up and asked if I remembered him. I laughed and said that at my age if I can remember how to get home I am doing good. We laughed and he started to tell me about coming to our church about 10 years ago. He remembered that I and another lady were his classroom leaders at VBS. He told me that his Mom only let him come with his next door neighbor friend who attended our church and only for VBS.  He told me of how they had moved away and how his Mom raised him and his sister and how he always remembered our church.  He is now married and has a child of his own. He and his wife were visiting trying to find a church in the area since they were moving back to the area for a job. What was so great about this? He told me his Mom had become depressed and had many boy friends in and out of the house. He had no idea (at that young age) where his dad was. Continue reading ‘VBS is worth it!’