It’s Monday morning at 8:00am and you arrive at an empty church. As you walk around to begin turning on lights, AC, and AV equipment, put blankets outside on the fresh cut lawn, and prepare for what is the culmination of 8 months of prayer, preparation, and planning. Soon the halls will be filled with laughter, singing, and running feet of children who for four days are in the care of our volunteers as they experience God’s great love. It’s loud. It’s exhausting. It’s controlled chaos.
It’s the most amazing week of the year.
LifeWay reports that 2.5 million children every summer participate in Vacation Bible School. That is 2.5 million reasons why we do what we do every summer. That’s thousands of families who are entrusting the church to pour God’s love into their lives in fun, engaging, engaging ways. Did you know that the majority of VBS families that St. Matthew’s teaches every year come from the community? We have youth volunteers who grew up coming to VBS at St. Matthew’s and excitedly volunteer their time each summer to give back.
One of the reasons that I have always loved directing VBS is the opportunity to create an immersive experience for kids to have a few hours outside of the ordinary. I had many people this summer in the weeks leading up to Hero Hotline what in the world the batcave had to do with the Bible. My cheeky answer would be ‘Absolutely nothing’ but after a quick smile I would give the real answer. It’s about those 30-50 kids who will spend 12 hours in our care. It’s to see the wonder in their eyes when they walk into the sanctuary and see a superhero headquarters like a comic book. It’s seeing Betty Lou Wanderer spending a morning in the craft station as a real life superhero of faith and watching the next generation be inspired by the older generation. It’s the ability to be engaged in our neighborhood and community in a very special way.
The thesis statement for children’s ministry can be summed up from two verses in Matthew 19: “One day children were brought to Jesus in the hope that he would lay hands on them and pray over them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus intervened: "Let the children alone, don't prevent them from coming to me. God's kingdom is made up of people like these. (Matthew 19:13-14 MSG). Jesus wants the little children to come. He was radical in his acceptance of marginalized groups. The kingdom of God is fully inclusive and expansive. It includes children and elders, rich and poor, healthy and sick, abled and disabled, quiet and loud. It’s messy, it’s controlled chaos, it’s exhausting…and it is the greatest family to be a part of. Seeds are planted. Roots are nurtured and tended. Lives are impacted and changed. In fact, close to 90% of American adults in 2018 report a positive memory of VBS as a child.
This year we welcomed 5 new VBS adult volunteers for their first full VBS experience. We challenged the families to help collect and fill 5 backpacks for our school supply drive benefiting Midtown. The families responded overwhelmingly and Pastor John was treated to a water balloon bath for their efforts. 3 youth volunteers from the community have expressed interest in participating with our youth group this fall. Countless seeds were planted and nurtured.
I sit here reflecting back on our 2023 VBS “Hero Hotline” and it feels like a blur. I am already dreaming about next year’s theme and devising plans for greater cooperation between ourselves and Paoli UMC (who are borrowing our decorations this summer) and the Early Learning Center. I know I do not have to sell the importance of VBS to our congregation. Every year our congregation steps up in new and overwhelmingly amazing ways to support this program. It is a cornerstone program of our ministry at St. Matthew’s and I am eternally grateful to be part of a church family that loves VBS.
Thank you. Thank you for your love for the children of our community. Thank you for your love for the families of our neighborhood. Thank you for your time, talents, generous donations, prayers, and support. The volunteers and I could truly not do what we do without the full support of the congregation. The impact of your generosity will cause ripples throughout the next generation because the community knows that St. Matthew’s is a safe place to encounter God’s love and grace in real and incredible ways. Thank you for allowing me to dream crazy dreams to bring wonder into the eyes of children and help them know that they are safe, loved, and wanted unconditionally.
There is so much ministry to happen between now and VBS 2024–but gear up, we’re going camping at Camp Firelight July 8-11, 2024. Even though our focus turns to fall and Back to School, remember to keep the families of VBS in your prayers—that the Holy Spirit would nurture those seeds planted in those precious lives and their families.