Tag: vacation bible school

Hey friends! Guess what next week is??!! VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL!! WOOHOO!!! So naturally today’s motivation was an easy pick for me. Why is vacation bible school so important? You know where I’m with this…let’s talk about it.

I have been a part of Spring Creek’s VBS for…years now. Honestly, I can’t remember how many years and honestly it’s unimportant. I always tell Kathy to put me where she needs me and she ALWAYS needs me as a storyteller. I’m going to be honest here and tell you this always puts me out of my comfort zone. I want to make sure I convey the story correctly and in a way that particular age group gets it. And those kids have GREAT questions!! Which I absolutely LOVE because that means they are engaged. But it stresses me out because I don’t have all the answers! 😂

But every year, before VBS, I get stressed because I want to make sure my part is done 100% and those kids enjoyed what I talked about. So before I begin studying the story I am assigned to, I have to remember what these kids are getting out of VBS every.single.year.

First, it’s a much needed summer engagement for kids. All year during school, a lot of focus for these kids are on academics. During the summer, they have time to allow their brain to soak in stories of the bible without the stress of school. And because these kids are doing this away from school, they are able to build relationships with others. These relationships can be long term with the community. These kids get to meet ALL KINDS of wonderful and knowledgeable people just because of VBS!

How do these kids soak in more during VBS versus attending church?

If you have never been to VBS, you need to come. Yes, even YOU as an adult. VBS is HIGH energy. These kids dance, sing, make arts and crafts and sweat buckets outside while playing. They do ALL of this while learning about Jesus. It’s not sitting in church, having to be still and focus. Side note- there is NOTHING wrong with that but if you’re a kid, it might seem…boring. Sorry Pastor Scott! I love your sermons! Even the stories they learn…listen. The volunteers at Spring Creek make story time ah-maz-ing with how life like they make it. Last year, we crawled into a whale as I told the story of Jonah. It even SMELLED like fish in his belly 🤢.

In today’s world, these kids really need VBS (for the record, I feel like every generation says this about the new generation). But kids today have to compete with things I didn’t have to compete with when I was their age. The societal pressures are different. Technology is great and…not so great. These kids literally have access to EVERYTHING at their fingertips. As much as parents try to restrict or parent their kids, the kid has to make the decision to obey because it is just that easy to not obey.

VBS gives them the why behind obeying. The Bible stories equip them with making good decisions on their own because they see and feel the love of Jesus! VBS offers them a safe place to not compete with those who are not like minded. They can unplug, connect with others and grow in their faith. VBS offers an opportunity to create moments that these kids will carry with them for a lifetime.

If you are not volunteering with VBS this year, THAT’S OK!! You can STILL be a part of VBS. How? Be a recruiter and a prayer warrior! Tell every parent and child you see about our VBS. Remember. It’s free. We feed them. We wear them out. They learn all about Jesus. This is YOUR opportunity to show them the church is a place where they belong and their lives can be transformed by Jesus. All because you stopped and spread the word.

Love you all and see you next week!

Jennifer

Details about VBS:

Motivational Monday June 3, 2024

By Jennifer Robbins

On June 4, 2024

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

Today is the DAY! What day is it? VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL STARTS!! Woohoo! I cannot begin to tell you HOW much goes into this every year. So much preparation goes into this and it feels like every single church member plays a part. Kathy Huggins puts on quite a show and we couldn’t do it without her. She is the mastermind behind it all! So of course, this week I want to talk about kids!

Now I know some of you reading this immediately said, “ This doesn’t apply to me because I don’t have little kids.” Well, actually…that’s not correct. This isn’t JUST for parents. It’s your job as a christian to lead any and all to Christ. This includes children. Now, let me be clear, it IS the parent’s duty to raise their children in the church but as a congregation we are there to support them. So as a parent or congregation, how do we lead a child to Christ? Let’s talk about it.

First, kids are going to make mistakes. We all do. But in order for children to put their faith in Jesus, they need to understand some basic truths. One of these is recognizing their sin. How can they stop a behavior if they don’t understand it’s wrong? And it’s on US to teach them. We can show them this with scripture. They need to understand they are going to mess up (Romans 3:23). They need to accept the consequences of their actions (1 John 1:9). But no matter what, God loves them whether they fail or succeed (Romans 5:8). And only God has the power to change their heart (Ezekiel 36:26). You see, WE don’t have to have the answers because it’s all written out for us to follow! We just need to know where to find it!

Second, kids need to understand the significance of Jesus’ death and resurrection. I know this seems obvious but because it is so obvious, it sometimes gets skipped. Sometimes we assume they know this significance. When you have a child that you showed grace to, this is an opportunity to relate it back to God sending His only Son to forgive our sins (John 3:16). Jesus taught us how to live and to know His Father. He died on the cross in our place. And he defeated sin and death through His resurrection and he lives!

Lastly, it’s important for us to teach children that God is close to them. Now, don’t creep them out with this statement. But what I mean here is how important children are to Jesus. It’s so important to remind kids that they can talk to Jesus any time. He is literally just a thought away because He never leaves them (Hebrews 13:5). Jesus came to Earth to die and rise again for us to be closer to God (1 Peter 3:18).

I know some of you read this and thought, “I don’t think my child can comprehend this.” At the end of the day if you lead them by example then this will naturally fall into place with conversations. And even if you don’t have kids or small kids in your house, you can still show them Christ in everyday life. Which, if you think about it…this what we do in Vacation Bible School!

So this week, I would like to encourage everyone to specifically pray about children or just a specific child. You know and understand the needs around you. Pray for kids to come to Him. For them to feel like they can ask questions even if they are hard! Please pray for us during VBS. Please pray we can have fun while delivering, encouraging and enlightening young minds to His love.

See you soon and love you all,

Jennifer