VBS Offering 411

Hello folks,

I wanted to pass on to you the final numbers from the VBS pennies and Unity Service Offering. We had $90.00 collected in pennies and the donation has been sent a to world vision for mosquito nets for the entire amount. Each mosquito net costs $18 and protects a whole family. That means the VBS kids will help protect 5 families in Africa – well done!

The Unity Services offering totaled $347.35. We tithed $35 to the Junction's Back to School program that will be held on Friday August 12, 6:30-8pm and the Junction Community Center.

The remainder of the Unity offering will go to support VBS for 2012. Let us continue to pray that the kids in the community come to know the love, grace and person of Jesus Christ!

On behalf of the Community VBS commitee I want to say God bless you for your support and prayers and we will do it all again in the summer of 2012 - it will be here before you know it!

God bless,
David

Bare Necessities - Prayer

This is the fianl segment in the series "Bare Necessities" that examines what are the essentials of the Christian faith for kids at VBS.

God blessed us with cloudy skies for our annual Unity Service and temperatures were not too hot. It was a blessing to sing to the Lord with the kids and enjoy the local pastors spin on the kids Bible lessons.

After the snacks, the games, the Bible lessons, the lame jokes by the seal, and the Unity Serivce we are left with a vital bare necessity for VBS - prayer.

Prayer is the breath in the body of Christ's lungs. As involuntary as breathing is to our natural bodies let prayer be so to our spiritual bodies. Let us pray for the kids who attended VBS and live in our community. Let us pray that God would reveal himself to them and that they would give their hearts and lives to him. Let us pray that when they have a need this school year the Holy Spirit will bring to their minds the VBS Bible lessons. Let us pray that when things are going well for them they will remember to praise the Lord with the songs they sang at VBS.

Pray for the direction for Community VBS. The adult volunteer pool has shrank in our area, the last three years we have had a declining number of elementary kids in College Corner, and calendars are getting filled up into the first week of August (school orientations, soccer,etc). Together the result is we may need to think about a different month/week for VBS or a one day outreach on a Saturday. The important thing is to pray that God would show us how to reach kids in our neighborhood.

The kingdom of God is one that expands. kingdom people do not build walls and "hold the fort" but their mantra is "onward Christian soldier!" How we move forward to bring light to children in darkness requires that we pray for his strategy and battle formation for next year and the years ahead.

Finally, while praying for the kids, the people and plans for VBS offer up to God a prayer of thanksgiving for giving us another VBS and Unity Service!

Sun Setting on Sonsurf Beach

Hello folks,

The sun is setting on our 2011 VBS. We have the Unity Service ahead on Sunday as we celebrate VBS with the entire body of Christ. As I was looking back over the last three days I thought things went really well.

The registration team had sign-in and t-shirts down to a science.

Our youth helpers were well trained and did a great job.

I heard good reports of children sharing prayer request at snack time.

The report on games was that kids got wet and they were very happy with that!

The Bible stories were simple but powerful. Just as you would expect from an awesome book like the Bible!

The praise team rocked the Grove and the kids loved their stage time on Wednesday night.

I enjoyed watching a father share with his son how to do the sound ministry at VBS.

I heard a couple of reports from parents about their kids singing the VBS songs like crazy at home and kids on a mission to gather pennies.

I heard a leader say a little girl remembered her from last year's VBS. That is a pretty good memory for a small one who doesn't go to church and VBS is the closest they get all year!

I saw many new faces and lots of adults talking and laughing.

I saw kids dancing before the Lord of all creation as the trees blew in the evening breeze.

God blessed us with good weather and It seemed like each night the weather got nicer. I enjoyed just looking up through the trees to the blues skies.

What about you. What did you see or hear that encouraged you and let you know that God was blessing? I would encourage you to take some time and tell God thanks for all he blessed you with during VBS. Ask him to bless the kids and give us a great Unity Service.

Thanks to all of you for making VBS a blessing to the kids and to our Lord and savior Jesus Christ!