Final Night: What if church was more like VBS?

Last night was the final night of VBS.  While running the multimedia booth with Paul for the main sessions this question popped into my mind, “What if Sunday morning church was like VBS?”  What would that be like? 

Worship in the Opening Session

 

PARTICIPATION:  Worship would be radically different.  Everyone would raise their hands, clap, dance and sing to the music.  There would be hand motions to every song and a smile on every face.  There wouldn’t be any complaints like, “why didn’t we do the music from First Church’s VBS”, but everyone would be excited because this was our music.   It wouldn’t matter that we did the same songs from the previous week because everyone loved last weeks music. 

VOLUNTEERISM:  Everyone would do their part in making service happen.  Everyone would have a function.  Whether it singing, teaching, or anything else to make the service happen, volunteers would be there.  So much so, the church staff (the ministers) would just be a supporting role. 

Darci helping with crafts

 

OUTREACH:  Friends would be encouraged to bring friends, not because of number but because church was such a great experience.  Friendships would form and Christ would be shared with all who come. 

Those are just a couple of thoughts of what church would be like if it was run like a week of VBS.  The last week has been a blast.  It’s been a pleasure to serve alongside a great staff of volunteers who are 100% dedicated to Christ and dedicated to sharing Christ with the children of Crosspoint.  It’s been a pleasure to spend time teaching, singing with and photographing your children.  I hope everyone has enjoyed VBS as much as I have. 

If you are interesting in seeing more photos from Crosspoint Christian Church‘s 2010 VBS program, you can visit my Picasa Web Album by CLICKING HERE.  You can also download full resolution pictures at this site as well.  Listed below are the links to our VBS mission videos as well so you can learn more about Haitian Christian Mission on what they are doing in Haiti. 

Sunday Night Mission Video (Introduction) 

Monday Night Mission Video (Soccer) 

Tuesday Night Mission Video (Education) 

Wednesday Night Mission Video (Medical)

VBS: Wednesday Night

Last night I had the privilege of teaching the kindergarten class. The story was the Parable of the Talents found in Matthew 25. I opened my lesson with a small activity the asked the kids to sit back down in their chairs and to open their Bibles to Matthew 25. The volunteers helped the kids find the passage and I tried to continue with my lesson.

Some of the kids in our kindergarten class at VBS

There is one small problem with looking up a Bible passage with kindergarteners. These kids are going into kindergarten in the fall and most of them cannot read. What makes the whole situation worse is the were using pew Bibles to look everything up. No pictures or fun drawings. So rather than enhancing my lesson, the Bibles them self became a distraction. Rather than listening to the parable of the talents, the kids were flipping pages and playing with the Bibles. It was a teaching disaster.

Anyone who has taught children has done something like this before. You think you have a great teaching illustration, a great activity and some creative idea to bring the story/lesson to life. Then it turns on you. The very thing designed to enhance the lesson has now become a distraction.

This problem doesn’t just occur when teaching children, it can happen when teaching adults too. When we present Jesus Christ we always need to be mindful of our audience. We need to think through what will engage them and what will distract them and what is the best way to present the person of Jesus Christ in all his glory.

“I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.”

1st Corinthians 9:22b

So here’s a question for all the VBS and children’s ministry volunteers, what’s been your biggest teaching disaster? Leave your story in the comment section below.

VBS – Day 3

Grace throwing a water ballon at a VBS volunteer

 

There are two sides to our walk with Christ.  One side is a serious, respectful and contemplative side.  We should fear God, bow before His feet and realize that we are sinners.  Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”.  This is a humbling statement.  Christian life requires self-sacrifice, dying to self, and even times persecution because of our faith.  This is the serious or “adult” side of our faith.     

The other side to our Christian faith is filled with praise, thanksgiving, joy, excitement and FUN!  Where scripture is very clear about the serious side of our faith, scripture is just as clear about the positive side as well.

 

“Shout for JOY to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music”                     -Psalm 98:4  

 

“Sing JOYFULLY to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him.”            -Psalm 33:1  

 

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his JOY went and sold all he had and bought that field.”             -Matthew 13:44       

 

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your JOY may be complete.”            -John 15:11     

 

“And the disciples were filled with JOY and with the Holy Spirit.”      -Acts 13:52     

 

Jesus said, “And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”          -Matthew 18:3     

Some of our preschool kids experiencing what it is like to live in a tent.

 

Joy cannot be separated from our relationship with Jesus Christ!  Joy, excitement and fun are essentials to our faith!  Last night of VBS was a night of FUN!  Whether it was dancing and singing praises to God through the worship, throwing water balloons at the adults, walking through a tent (to experience what it is like to live in Haiti), or playing dead bug in the gymnasium while it was pouring down rain.  The kids had a blast. Being filled with joy and experiencing genuine Christian fellowship is one of the greatest attributes of being a Christian.  Knowing that we our saved and living a life of joy with other brothers and sisters in Christ is what church is all about.      

 

So we have two more nights of FUN at Vacation Bible School.  We will have fun to honor Christ and give thanks for the wonderful sacrifice that He gave for us all!      

Everyone singing during main session