Vacation Bible School (VBS) is a big deal at our church. We’re not a particularly large Missouri Synod Lutheran Church, regularly worshipping about 325. But we go all out the week after Father’s Day each June and open our church to our community for fun, games, Bible teaching and great food.
We’ve averaged 180 children so far this week and today after my gig with the pre-VBS children of teachers group, I sat in the back for the opening. We’re using a beach theme this summer and the music is reminiscent of the Beach Boys: engaging, easy to learn and full of life. The pastor played the guitar and was backed up by the youth minister and two high school girls. When the music started and the hand motions began, I sat up straight. Was that who I thought it was smiling, laughing and waving her arms widely? And who was the other girl?
I was so surprised, I asked someone, who confirmed my eyes were working fine.
Except my eyes weren’t seeing well at that point because I was crying.
I’d never seen the one girl so animated before–that’s why I didn’t recognize her. She’s a quiet, pretty girl carrying some burdens. Our church loves her and has reached out to her, but she always seemed a bit aloof to me until today.
And there she was, bouncing on the stage and leading the singing. My heart leapt with joy to see her so happy.
The other girl stopped by one day several years ago, looking for a volunteer slot for a school requirement. The church secretary, who is good about finding spots for kids, had something for her–a task that caused her to interact with the church kids her same age. She’s been coming to youth group for quite awhile now and sang with gusto this morning.
And this is what I love about our church and VBS. The kids attend as students until they reach junior high, and then they volunteer. As teens, they help in class, act in the skit, play music, walk babies, serve food, laugh through recreation and when it’s all over, gather together for lunch and an activity of their own. This year we have forty-nine teens volunteering.
My own daughter attended as an elementary school student, acted in the play, worked the sound board, and helped with recreation until last year when she graduated from high school. She took my slot as the recreation director for the older kids and has been running relays and blowing her late grandmother’s PE whistle ever since. She’s a natural and the kids love her.
Once you hit college age, you’re one of the adults and you can work in the craft department, take a class or hang out with the nursery babies. It doesn’t matter how old you are after that–we’ve got great-grandmothers churning out the food in the kitchen.
Isn’t that part of the role of VBS? To teach us about Jesus, of course, but also to provide us with opportunities to share that love with our community, serve one another and simply fellowship?
I can’t really tell you right now–my eyes are misting up yet again.
Michelle, your church sounds so much like my own. Since coming to faith 35 years ago, we’ve worshiped with the same Body of believers. Our kids grew up there and I’ve served in every imaginable capacity: VBS, Sunday school, women’s ministries, etc.
Like you, I loved it when the teens took over more and more of the responsibilities for VBS. In serving others, they learned to lead and to experience the joy when others asked Jesus into their hearts and lives.
Now MY eyes are misting over as I pack the last of the boxes for our move to Prineville, 150 miles away. We’re off on our “last great adventure” before the Big Move to glory, and we’ll be watching for opportunities to share His love with our community there.