Vacation Bible School

Vacation Bible School is always a highlight in the life of any church. The VBS tradition goes back a long time as one of the most important ministries a church can provide for its own children as well as the children of the community.

Our VBS this year, “Power Lab” is no exception. Kathryn Storey and her VBS planning team have been working for months to make all the arrangements for an exciting week of learning Christian discipleship by creating a place where children experience the love of Christ through the example and attention of caring leaders.

Last Sunday during the 10:15 service I had a nostalgic memory hit me while we were singing some of the great songs out of the Cokesbury hymnal. I remember the many Sunday night services I was dragged to as a child. Since my father was the preacher I didn’t have much choice. Sunday nights were reserved for Cokesbury singing. Most of these hymns come out of the great revivals of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They are definitely songs from another era. But, in there day, they were contemporary hymns that enlivened the heart and helped the spirit to soar with the joy of community singing.

My memory, however, moved from singing the songs to remembering when the singing was over and the sermon began I would lie down and lay my head on my mother’s lap and go the sleep. And it was a good sleep. It was like being wrapped in a blanket of peace, comfort, security and love. Not only was I with my mother, but I was nestled among a people (a congregation) who knew me and surrounded me with their love and attention.

My reflection on this memory is that this is what the church is all about. It is the hope of the world, and our ministry to our children is that they grow up within a community of faith and love where trusted friends know them, call them by name, and surround them with their love and attention. The greatest gift any adult can give the next generation is the gift of a trusting heart that comes from seeing the precious child of God within them.

That is the heart of all children’s ministry. That is at the heart of Vacation Bible School. For all the lavish decorations, the wild and crazy music, and the extravagant games, it is all for one reason: To share the love of Christ with our children so that they will know the love of Christ for themselves for the rest of their lives.