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VBS – Vacation Bible School.

I was raised on VBS. As a kid growing up in the church, I looked        forward to those weeks of singing songs, doing crafts & hearing     stories about Jesus with other children. Besides attending the one at our own church, my mom & aunts marched us kids to a VBS, hosted by another church on Webster Ave. I will never forget Sister Signorelli, a female pastor in the 1960’s (seriously, unheard of), running a most fun & exciting VBS.

This is the annual church event that every church dreams will be their record breaking outreach to their community. And we always hope that. So do I. But this week I have been struck by something even more than this during our church VBS. VBS achieves even more within the confines of our own church body:

  • It builds unity. We are all working together to achieve a common goal.
  • It teaches us to work together. Besides having to be together, we must learn to work together to minister to our kids                effectively.
  • We get to know one another & our families. There is no greater honor than getting to know one another more deeply. There is no greater honor than to get to love the children of those you     attend church with each Sunday.
  • We get the joy of seeing those same children thrill to songs & stories about Jesus. The sheer excitement & life that springs in them as they learn songs & do motions & worship uninhibited before our God is overwhelming.
  • We have the privilege of knowing that we are leaving a lasting legacy.

Yes, we do VBS as an outreach. But perhaps we have missed the important factor that some of the outreach is also within our existing walls. In a day & age, when programs are scrapped when numbers may not be achieved, may we remember the words of Christ:

“Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” And He placed His hands on their heads & blessed them before He left.” (Matthew 19:14 NLT)

May we follow the example of Christ & always see the importance of ministering to our children.