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?!?!”
I explained that without a budget we were no longer confined to work within the limits of our checkbook. We were now free to let God be the director of our 2010 VBS and that was exciting because He is able to do immeasurable more than we could ask or imagine and He alone would get the glory! (Ephesians 3:20,21) She “got it” and we were off and running! Every part of our VBS was placed in His hands!
Now, we did not see record attendance, but we secured all needed supplies, volunteers, financial help, spiritual and physical strength needed AND THEN SOME!!!! All of our needs were met and our cup was over-flowing well in advance of our August VBS. We reached more new families than ever before. We had the best attended ADULT vbs study ever. We had more “rookie” volunteers. And we raised more for missions than in any previous VBS.
Hero Headquarters provided a wonderful backdrop for our season of trust. We found that not only can we all be heroes for God by Doing the Unexpected, Taking Action, Stepping out on Faith, Saving the Day, and Standing for truth, but that there are many, many unnamed heroes right in our own midst. God truly is our Hero!!
Thank you, Standard Publishing, for a great theme, but to Him alone goes all the glory!!
Lynett-IN.
Thanks for sharing this great story! t’s good to be reminded that God always provides a way for us to do the things He wants us to do–even with without a budget.
AMEN! Thank you so much for sharing this post!
Little is much when God is in it.