Last week I had the opportunity to visit two VBS's in rural Nevada and California.
Walker Baptist Church is a small church in rural California. Several years ago two missionaries began coming to the church to help with VBS. Today the missionaries still come to the church, and the kids are excited to see them. Each day the kids are given a paper with a memory verse on it. Their job is to memorize the verse and say it to 10 different people before the next day. The kids get into the activity and the Word is hidden in their hearts.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
VBS Is A Time To Draw People to Your Church
G and L first visited Fellowship Community Church last year during VBS. They had a great time, so when they got a call this year telling them about VBS, they were excited to come back!
On Saturday after VBS Fellowship had a carnival for the kids who came to VBS and also for the community. G and L had fun playing all the games and during that time Mom was able to talk to several church members. A few weeks after VBS, G and L showed up at church. I don't know if they will come back, but that is just one example of churches using VBS to reach their community.
On Saturday after VBS Fellowship had a carnival for the kids who came to VBS and also for the community. G and L had fun playing all the games and during that time Mom was able to talk to several church members. A few weeks after VBS, G and L showed up at church. I don't know if they will come back, but that is just one example of churches using VBS to reach their community.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
More VBS
What happens when unchurched kids collide with church at Vacation Bible School? A lot of fun.
The kids from Kids Club come from low income families in a local apartment complex, but they have one thing in common. Each Tuesday volunteers from South Reno Baptist Church come to their apartment complex for a great time of games, Bible study, snacks, and other activities. On another night of the week, tutoring ministry teaches these children who may not even be able to read, to discover the joy of learning.
South Reno invited the Kids Club children to their VBS. For many of the children it was an opportunity for a great time, a good meal, and many lessons about Jesus. Throughout this week their leaders have prayed that they would learn more about Jesus' gift for them.
Bringing the unchurched into a church building is not always pretty. Unchurched kids don't know our songs (come to think about it, that's what makes VBS great, no one knows the songs until VBS starts), our rules, or our church culture. Yet, we have the opportunity to change the lives of the kids who walk through our church doors.
South Reno gets the kids registered and offers a smiling face and love to the kids. The mostly white church opens their doors to children from mostly Hispanic backgrounds.
Bringing the kids to church isn't always easy. They don't have the money to buy t-shirts like the other kid's parents and church members have to drive them to church and back home. It's not a far drive, but it is a little out of the way for many members.
Why does South Reno go out of their way to reach these kids? Because they recognize the need to go outside of the church doors to bring children inside.
Granite Hills Baptist Church has a passion for VBS. Volunteers from youth to senior adults all get together to make the week a success. The churches' format allows plenty of time for reflection. The kids go to a rotation, then come to Bible Study for awhile, then leave for another rotation. After the next rotation the kids come back to Bible study. This seems to give the kids time to process what they learn before coming back to wrap up the study time.
VBS begins at 5:30, and most volunteers don't have time to hurry home and fix dinner, so the church provides dinner for volunteers. Teachers can sneak in for a quick meal after dropping kids off at rotations, and rotation leaders get a little free time during the night. The 3rd-4th grade class was amazed to learn that their teacher wasn't always a Christian and didn't meet Jesus until she was an adult. One boy in the 5th and 6th grade class decided that he was ready to ask Jesus into his life and to be his Savior.
The kids had a huge water balloon war and enjoyed getting everyone wet! A nice jump in the bounce house was a nice touch also.
The preschool class had a great time learning about Zaccheaus and were totally interested until one of the kids shoes "broketed." AFter that 15 other preschoolers had to gather around to see the shoe. The teachers did a great job of getting the kids back together and beginning a game of "hot potato."
We are three weeks into summer in Nevada and 8 VBS's have happened so far. I am thrilled to hear the stories from your churches!
The kids from Kids Club come from low income families in a local apartment complex, but they have one thing in common. Each Tuesday volunteers from South Reno Baptist Church come to their apartment complex for a great time of games, Bible study, snacks, and other activities. On another night of the week, tutoring ministry teaches these children who may not even be able to read, to discover the joy of learning.
South Reno invited the Kids Club children to their VBS. For many of the children it was an opportunity for a great time, a good meal, and many lessons about Jesus. Throughout this week their leaders have prayed that they would learn more about Jesus' gift for them.
Bringing the unchurched into a church building is not always pretty. Unchurched kids don't know our songs (come to think about it, that's what makes VBS great, no one knows the songs until VBS starts), our rules, or our church culture. Yet, we have the opportunity to change the lives of the kids who walk through our church doors.
South Reno gets the kids registered and offers a smiling face and love to the kids. The mostly white church opens their doors to children from mostly Hispanic backgrounds.
Bringing the kids to church isn't always easy. They don't have the money to buy t-shirts like the other kid's parents and church members have to drive them to church and back home. It's not a far drive, but it is a little out of the way for many members.
Why does South Reno go out of their way to reach these kids? Because they recognize the need to go outside of the church doors to bring children inside.
Granite Hills Baptist Church has a passion for VBS. Volunteers from youth to senior adults all get together to make the week a success. The churches' format allows plenty of time for reflection. The kids go to a rotation, then come to Bible Study for awhile, then leave for another rotation. After the next rotation the kids come back to Bible study. This seems to give the kids time to process what they learn before coming back to wrap up the study time.
VBS begins at 5:30, and most volunteers don't have time to hurry home and fix dinner, so the church provides dinner for volunteers. Teachers can sneak in for a quick meal after dropping kids off at rotations, and rotation leaders get a little free time during the night. The 3rd-4th grade class was amazed to learn that their teacher wasn't always a Christian and didn't meet Jesus until she was an adult. One boy in the 5th and 6th grade class decided that he was ready to ask Jesus into his life and to be his Savior.
The kids had a huge water balloon war and enjoyed getting everyone wet! A nice jump in the bounce house was a nice touch also.
The preschool class had a great time learning about Zaccheaus and were totally interested until one of the kids shoes "broketed." AFter that 15 other preschoolers had to gather around to see the shoe. The teachers did a great job of getting the kids back together and beginning a game of "hot potato."
We are three weeks into summer in Nevada and 8 VBS's have happened so far. I am thrilled to hear the stories from your churches!
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