A conversation I had last night reminds us that we are in ministry not for ourselves but for those who don’t yet know Jesus – we discussed what I saw time and time again this summer at VBS – the kids don’t know the difference between Christmas and Easter…
VBS – I do it because it is fun, yes, but I help because it matters – it really matters…
VBS, what an amazing time to share God’s Word with both young and old… The conversation I had was also about how the kids who come to VBS are usually the kids who don’t get to church much because their parents don’t get there and because it is hard to bridge that gap between rowdy kids and solemn worshipping people (or at least people who just like order and quiet). At the beach boardwalk church this past Sunday – they had a summer area just for the kids. and at the Great Tabernacle church, they had a whole other building that housed kids that started service 15 minutes earlier…
Yes – if we don’t raise kids in the Word, how on earth will the Word be heard?
I was thrilled that a VBS volunteer, in 2 of my VBS experiences this summer, each brought their neighbor’s kids. What a tremendous way to foster love and this is also loving your neighbor! The kids loved it and experienced the AGAPE love of God thru the many volunteers!
The Word is IN IT to SHARE!
What is IN the Word?
Jesus.
What is OF the Word?
Jesus.
What IS the Word?
Jesus.
Jesus and His Gift and His Love and His Hope and His Message and His Mission.
Get IN the Word and get the Word IN and get the Word OUT!
Merry Christmas in July! and we just had Easter yesterday – and Good Friday and summer VBS fun!!!
A blessed week we have been having and celebrating = and all that good stuff!!!
I know that the blessing comes to all, and imagine the blessings to one little sheep – one little child – by the extravagant outpouring of LOVE to them. Imagine it to us!!!
I feel like that sheep too – exhausted but blessed – and one more night tonight.
Last night we enjoyed learning about Jesus and His Sacrifice of our sins – we watched a beautiful portrayal of Jesus going to the cross – and we got light sticks for shining HIS Light… (and the actor portraying Him was beaming ear to ear with a smile that could not be beat)
Jesus loves the little children so much! Jesus got us out of a sticky situation of sin and we made SLIME for the sticky situation in Imagination Station – and watched a demo of a sin snowball styrofoam dissolving in acetone nail polish remover – and we also made our own Northern Lights in water with a touch of hydrogen peroxide and glitter and highlighter markers that oozed out awesome colors.
Well, Merry Christmas in July! July 25th. No the calendar is not messed up – it is a movie reference and celebrated in pockets… And well, honestly we need to remind these kids what happened on Christmas and what happened on Easter. You would be surprised, I always am, that the kids mix up naming those holidays – they really do. We have a LOT to teach – and Jesus has a LOT to share – and VBS is one of the most fun ways to do that…
HOPE – if you need HOPE – TRUST JESUS!!!! Yeah – hope in our future is brightened to know that Jesus is already with these children and the ones to come – and with us too…
If we know in His Victory – we KNOW LIFE – we KNOW HOPE – share that GOOD NEWS!
It was probably the most important conversation of the night, as it will be all week. As the littlest cutie in my Imagination Station science and craft session blurted out in wondered questioning: “Jesus is Alive??? He died and is alive?” – “YES” I was able to affirm, avow, acknowledge and AMEN to… And my Holy Spirit jumped as excited as his.
And then he asked: “How?” I simply said “Jesus is God” and the littlest ones repeated amazed “Jesus is God?!!!!” YES !!!!
Amazing opportunity to affirm what we know, Jesus is always with us, Jesus is alive, and “When we feel alone, we can TRUST JESUS!!!”A blessing to know and teach.
The truth is that Jesus knows the praises that come from our lips as much as the concerns. And our Bible lesson was on how to live and know we are not alone like the one sheep left away from the 99.The fluffy sheep wool, and fluffy pretend snow was fun in our circle time.
More fun? REAL SNOW!! I brought out some of the ten bags I saved 6 months ago in my freezer. The amazement unreal! The joy real. Cool cold!!! We made fluffy photo frames too. “Jesus loves me, this I SNOW! (Know)…
Interestingly, my cat who passed away was named SNOWY… Interesting…
Earlier that day, and throughout the evening I explained, when asked by friends in the know, about the circumstances that led up to my cat Snowy’s rapid decline. The group knew she had passed but not the kids. I was surely able to praise the Lord for the Lord’s timing the night before, I had finished vbs and could rush home. We prepared the cat and ourselves for the next night, when we took care of burying the cat, and I said to my family, from dust she came and to dust she will return, but we always carry her with us in our memories and love.
With my cats passing, it’s strange to not have to look out for her each time you open the door. She was an escape artist. I’m slowly finding her items and tossing or saving. Will donate much after it’s washed. No, we are not getting another pet so soon. No need to do anything but take it day by day.
At work, I only told one person and in that conversation, I was super careful in choosing my words as they are someone who lost a child a number of years ago. I remember that timing too. The Lord is to be praised even we don’t understand. And surely one day we will see the Lord face to face for knowledge and comfort. We all best take day by day to process and pray and praise. Loss comes when it does, whether we are prepared or not.
At VBS, we could talk briefly about loss, aloneness, and avow that Jesus is already with us. I often look at this craft I have from last Easter: “there is no gloom in the tomb – Jesus is risen today”…
Yes, Jesus is alive and walks with us. Jesus comes for us. Psalm 139 reminds us we can never flee from His Presence.
Sunday was a fitting time to get a sticker that said “You are enough” – I thought You Lord are enough! Thanks for blessing me!
Well – what a wonderful day one at VBS – EGYPT – and the whole day down here at the shore – my first vacation bible week is here both working at VBS and resting with friends at the beach.
VBS “Egypt” about Joseph’s travails from Prison to Purpose, day one on Monday. “GOD GIVES US HOPE” – My friend and I walked into the VBS not knowing all to expect but we were pleasantly surprised at the ways the Lord had been there setting up and putting things in place – and came with a wealth of supplies. Well, the people were super awesome and very giving – and the decorations were adorable and well laid out. I helped at first putting up the registration tent – whew hot to start the day. And then settled in to be the “Family Leader” – we became family Rosetta, and we ALL (teen helpers and multiple other staff) travelled together from station to station. We could not have had better kids – wow – awesome. Opening celebration was fun with music, family time where I led discussions and showed a tiny beach ball for the inflated HOPE and deflated despair emotions. We as a family also learned our first scripture: “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to good (thumbs up) and not disaster (thumbs down), plans to give you a future and hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 (this has been a repeating scripture every day for me and a few friends like for a couple weeks – so good!) – I knew this coming into VBS – with a car full of VBS-adaptable supplies and stickers for my family crew of kids – and adapted to just assess and immerse myself into the calling. “Feed my sheep” as an “encourager” is called to do.
Then our “family” travelled to hear the story of Joseph – amazing actors so giving and sweet as Joseph and the prison guard so perfect (and picked last minute, wow). We learned that Joseph was in prison because he didn’t “want to be the boyfriend of a woman already married”. And Joseph showed us a basket with lights – and when we had HOPE the lights shined – and when we had something bad it was as if the basket would cover the lights – but the lights still shined through the holes in the basket – that is us – we are to shine too! We did a cheer for Joseph – “Let’s go Joseph!” then clapped our hands in the classic cheer – clap clap, clap clap clap. Then we were off to the marketplace and visited making a jeweled collar.
Then yummy Egypt snacks to try – dates and grapes and the sugar cookies – yum and served by the sweetest people. Then back to the marketplace to the hieroglyphics leader (my friend whose sister has the house down here) – where we stamped our names in the symbols – cool!. Then outside to games! There the kids wrapped each other in toilet paper as mummies – fun! It was challenging but they did! Then they had “shepherd races” going from mat to mat with canes. Wow these kids were worn out!
Back at family time, we reviewed our stories of the day – and one girl remembered that i promised to read Joseph’s story again – and I did – from a colorful bible that was found in a closet at my old church – given to a friend, Miss Bonnie, who loved children (of all ages) and taught them. This story of Joseph and us having hope is good fitting as I know Bonnie is in Heaven with Jesus and we have that HOPE too. Heaven as our plan and HOPE. Well, as exhausted as the children were at the closing celebration singing, I know that VBS day 1 was an amazing success. Please continue to pray for the children to hear the messages, take them to heart, and enjoy. And for the leaders and volunteers to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
After VBS, we drove the 2 blocks down to the beach front and had LOBSTER ROLLS – yum – while sitting on the boardwalk in the shade – then hit the dollar store (dangerous and fun) and then got our swimsuits on and travelled the short distance to the beach for a couple hours before the rain came. It was still warm and tropical and the water was certainly warm enough – but rough. Today we will plan more beach just after vbs (keep us away from that dollar store lol). Then walk around (weather permitting) a local farmers market and beach town nearby. BLESSED.
I didn’t have my phone (broken) but I remembered that I still have connections – and really even though I would take everything – we/I needed/need nothing but our self (myself) and God and HOPE (and a swimsuit for the beach). BLESSED!
(please continue to pray for my cat back home – not eating – barely drinking – thanks. Through modern technology computer phone call last night and then this morning, my daughter sent an encouraging photo of the cat at the bathroom faucet drinking – yay! Oh my God gives us HOPE !!!!)
I revisit yesterday in my day 3 vbs prep scriptures, the Centurion who believes in Jesus and asks for healing for His Servant without Jesus physically travelling, we marvel at the HOPE, the faith in the centurion, a gentile, knowing God-power and knowing the lack of his worthiness and yet that Jesus is the Way. That’s an attitude for us as we see day 4 scriptures for VBS (yes, for each kit of Group, Day 4 is Jesus’s death and resurrection). Our attitude EVERYDAY should be of HOPE.
HOPE in Jesus and asking Him for His Power – it’s a fulfillment of the HOPE of the world – Jesus under direction from God, not shying away, fulfillment of the scriptures, and the Way of our forever forgiveness too. Jesus accomplishes all this, and we are blessed to share this HOPE, the LIGHT, the JOY with the world, especially at VBS. We need not shy away from this amazing opportunity to share Jesus in the Way!
Jesus is the HOPE, then, now, and to come.
The Bible lesson we know, the prophecy may be new to many, that Jesus fulfilled his coming (see the Isaiah 41 scripture quoted in Matthew 12), and that Jesus will come again. We are not done yet! More Jesus Joy is in our Faith Future! This is what VBS brings to the next generation and reinforces for us.
Jesus is our JOY in this Journey! SING PRAISE!!!
Amen
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God’s Chosen Servant – Matthew 12:15-21
[After healing a man,] A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill. He warned them not to tell others about him. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory. In his name the nations will put their hope.”
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Isaiah 42:1-13 NIV
The Servant of the Lord “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”
This is what God the Lord says— the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
“I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.”
Song of Praise to the Lord Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who live in them. Let the wilderness and its towns raise their voices; let the settlements where Kedar lives rejoice. Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them shout from the mountaintops. Let them give glory to the Lord and proclaim his praise in the islands. The Lord will march out like a champion, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies.
I can tell that my mindset is SWITCHING GEARS – to VBS mode!!!! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love getting to this point of the year, the VBS planning meetings. I am SO excited – I was thrilled when I heard about VBS coming back to my old church, the first time since covid era. Trust me I already read the materials well beforehand. I’m SO EXCITED!!! These are great Jesus stories of love, care, hope… Especially that Jesus calls our unique selves to Himself.
And last month I almost started ordering supplies before I even got signed up into my choice of station leader position: Imagination Station, combining science experiments and crafts. But I held myself back, because I am not in charge of this VBS, one of the “seasoned” helpers. Yes I led VBS for 7 years but this time is in a different season with all of us seasoned folks in a new mix with new folks and we need to LET the Lord put it all together HIS WAY.
Not phoning it in but being “called” to help… Vacation Bible School is the LAST place for any of us to have a “been there done that” attitude. WHY? Because this is a new situation for each person at a new season in their life and especially new for the children young and old who will learn the lessons new and anew.
Remember each day is new, let alone each year, so YEAH each VBS is NEW. There are no broken records of Scripture, each time we hear even a well-versed Scripture, it’s NEW to our situation at that moment. More important it is NEW to the student and the intended ears to hear.
My lessons learned in VBS year after year, and especially last night? The Holy Spirit moves unhindered and fast and fresh.
As I scoped out the room of chairs, 10 minutes late, I sat in the back to be quiet and listen. I noticed for myself that the troubles of the day faded away… I was amazed and thrilled (quietly sitting there to start) because these were the veteran seasoned vbs-ers who showed up. I was moved humbly to see that we were with two FRESH FACES of grown up VBS-ERS from my era of teaching. I remember them both at preschool and elementary age. They were quite grown up now. I found a photo for one, almost 10 years old now, in an old email to her grandfather, for the now teen sitting immediately in front of me, one whom I encouraged last night in this new era of VBS, explaining the stations names and the bible stories this year.
We help with an unchanging God to keep us growing. These new VBS helpers (40 yrs my junior) are our future in sharing the Lord well after we are long gone… And oh I am excited to see more teens now near adults coming to help this year too! (and maybe I can get my kids to help again too this year in some capacity, yay!)
Yeah! I know we are to step IN to VBS and to step OUT of being in the way of His Way. We need to let the Lord have HIS say with our lives and our time. And when it comes to faith, we should not have to rely on “our way” or having “my say”. Everywhere, and especially in VBS, we are to be supportive being used in the Lord’s Way. Hooray! It should be this way = HIS WAY!!!
Amen and I hope you get to help in a VBS this year in some Holy Spirit Way!!! BLESSED YAY!!!
“Whenever I’m afraid, I put my trust in You.” Psalm 56:3
It was probably the most human and Godly thing Jesus did, SLEEP. I’m sure He ate, we know He pained at the walk to the cross, got angry, wept tears… And the daily activity that both shows His humanness, getting tired, AND His Godliness, trusting God our Father had everything under control, was an ability and necessity to SLEEP.
In our VBS story of Jesus calming the waters, we play-acted with tarps as a boat and water, using some of the crew to run around and be the loud storm, and the other half the scared disciples trying to wake Jesus. Was it just thinking that the disciples were to trust things, Jesus slept through the storm – or was it Jesus was just SO TIRED and/or this was the only opportunity to rest? I wonder if it was a natural storm or one cooked up by the creator in chaos of the world to shake the situation.
We DO live in a broken world. For all it’s beautiful ways, there’s still brokenness – (and I’m not just talking about the fun breaking of water balloons, which we used again (now that’s a miracle invention!) as items in our parachute storm play) – but brokenness in our lives, attitudes, and lack of peace.. . Brokenness showed interestingly intensely to me yesterday admiring the pollen and sunflowers outside my house. The small bees were attacking each other, maybe stealing the pollen, it was aggressive and sad. There seemed to be enough pollen for them all, but the three bees just tugged at each other like the little kids fighting over a toy. Brokenness.
Well, I found some peace in sitting outside the camping tent (both prop and games storage tent) in between sessions. And that kind of peace is but a fraction of the peace that Jesus promises us- to trust in Him now – and to live in Him forever.
It’s a piece that storms will come up, but Jesus will wake up, command them to stop, even scold us for not trusting. If Jesus could trust BOTH the Plan (and the Play-out of it all happening) AND trust forever and a day of God’s Sovereignty and control, and still be human in a broken world, then we too can just rest a moment in peace.
Peace… get it, hold it, give it, love it.
Amen
PS – the blue jello snack they had was the best ever… I’d eat up that sweet water and sweet calm of Jesus anyday!
PPS – someone saw me inside after our outside games and said: you look like you have been thru the ringer out there in hot weather – but honestly it was shady enough, calm enough, and peace enough for me… Summer is for loving it!
That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” Mark 4:35-41 NIV
Tis the month of summer and VBS is my favorite way to share the love of Jesus, to share what I know about God’s Word, and especially HIS LOVE! This is at my friend’s VBS – with great organizers and volunteers – oh the love of the Lord exudes from these folks! I love VBS and love to see my VBS friends.
If you have never volunteered for a VBS – I urge you to do so – the real real Holy Spirit in mega proportions shows up in the kids and volunteers – Jesus is there!
It’s also so much fun to do projects! This 2 day VBS is my chance to do science projects in Imagination Station – one day Zacchaes and Jesus and one day Peter and Jesus. Here is my write up (editted now) that I was able to share – along with “experiments” of planting seeds – and one last Holy Spirit experiment of yeast and hydrogen peroxide and dishsoap to show the change of heart that Zacchaes had was like a chemical reaction when he encountered Jesus – and Zacchaes’s heart overflowed.
From the handout with the seeds:We are all able to plant the seeds of friendship and faith at VBS and everywhere. We can share our knowledge of God and ask God to water the seeds of faith in each other. We can plant that seed of knowledge of: “Jesus loves me”, especially to our friends and family by letting them know that “Our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God” Romans 5:11.
Seeds grow (both the physical seed and those of faith). Just like seeds growing and changing, we are also growing in friendship with Jesus, He helps us improve and be better friends with all others around us.
Talking intro (roughly) just before we planted seed (physically and of faith):
So we’re starting to learn about one of the great friends that Jesus made from a man named Zacchaeus. Jesus knew Zacchaeus would be up in the tree. Jesus certainly already knew everything about Zacchaeus and the crowd that day was surely busy, packed, and it’s not like today where young people and today young at heart climb trees for fun, that wasn’t really Zacchaeus’s expected behavior- not for a professional businessman. He must have been really excited.
Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus. He had to reach up to get a bigger view- let me get our crew leaders here to help me make a tree from these tubes and long cardboard supports. Use your imagination to see Zacchaeus up in this tree but know that Jesus KNEW that tree would be there, KNEW the seed was planted many years before to make the tree available for Zacchaeus to decide to act when he got interested in Jesus.
This weekend at VBS, we are learning about Jesus being our friend, and how Jesus gets close to us, how Jesus recognizes us and meets us where we are. I have some beautiful plants here that are like miniature trees, Do you recognize them? (Start with seedlings then pots of sunflowers) This is Imagination Station so you might need to imagine how tall this was going to grow.It should get taller than me. Here are some more seeds of all sizes – they are all unique aren’t they – like us..
Well, we are HayDay farmers this weekend, aren’t we? And we are friends of Jesus too. And when we become friends with other people, it is like we are planting seeds of friendliness, of sharing, of love, of joy. And here’s a phrase we use all the time in talking about Jesus- that we plant seeds of faith. Then God sends the water to help those seeds sprout and grow. And we hope that people have good soil and the seeds take root, and are willing to hear how Jesus wants to be their friend.
So we are going to do an activity – and plant seeds of three sizes – sunflowers, radishes, and peas. I hope that you think about each seed and think of what it could represent – perhaps a radish seed is a smile you could give someone, perhaps a big seed is forgiveness you give someone – each seed a friendship action.
Debbie Upper 