it's been fantastic!
and they use such awesome curriculum.
here's some info on it here.
this is the second year i've helped and i cannot say anything bad about the program at this local church (not my home church).
the music is incredible... the games are super fun... the people are all enthusiastic!
and best of all... they invite anyone to come... they do not close the doors to any children.
the first night we already had over 350 kids...
tonight, the 3rd night, i think we were closer to 400.
it's amazing!
and i have to stop and pinch myself and remember that there are so many unchurched kids here.
so many of them have never been able to hear the gospel before.
i just take for granted that my children know the story of Jesus and His death and resurrection.
i tend to forget that a lot of children have never in their lives heard it.
and that just blows me away!
blows me away that they can come to VBS for fun and games...
and leave with the best news and hear the most amazing true story...
they can leave knowing Jesus!
tonight in the bible story time, they acted out the story of when Jesus prayed in the garden of gethsemane and then was arrested.
it was powerful.
the lights were low, it was quiet, serious.
all week long the kids learn of some thing that we shouldn't worry about... and "TRUST GOD" is added to the end of it.
the main message of tonight's theme, "no matter what people do... TRUST GOD!"
the bible story teachers were asking the children to think about people they've been hurt by.
and then saying that Jesus was hurt by people too... just like them.
the kids were impacted, i could tell.
to tell you the truth... i was impacted!
this story isn't just for the kids... it's for everyone.
we all need the precious grace of Jesus!
it's like i know this story so well that i forget how incredible it really truly is!
i kept thinking to myself, what if everyone i knew and loved...
everyone that i come into contact with every day.
even people i don't know that well but live in my community, go to my church, kids go to school together with mine...
what if all these people suddenly turned on me?
what if i was truly ALL alone?
no one was there for me.
i just kept thinking about Jesus... and everything He went through.
can you imagine being whipped in front of everyone you know?
spat on?
a thorny crown shoved on your head 'til you bled?
and you were completely alone... no one there to help you.
no one there to give you a hand.
i don't have that... thank goodness.
i do have great and amazing and supportive people in my lives.
but when i do feel pain from people...
when i feel rejected and scorned...
when i'm let down...
i know that my saviour felt the same thing.
He felt it tenfold.
He can identify with me.
i can feel confident that He knows exactly what i'm feeling.
and here's the great part...
i can go to Him with this pain in my life and know that He will NEVER let me down.
He went through all that pain for ME!
for YOU!
how amazing!
i cannot WAIT to share the rest of the story with the kids tomorrow night!!
one little girl in our group came up to myself and my co-teacher and said that the story was sad and sorta scary.
it gave both the co-teacher and me an opportunity to say, "you know what? there is the happiest of endings to this story!! just you wait! come back tomorrow and you'll see!"
God is writing the story to these childrens' lives and i'm honoured to be a tiny part of it this week.
who knows what God will do with the seeds that are planted at VBS.
there's just one thing we need to do... TRUST GOD!
2 comments:
Caleb's doing the same vbs program this week and is loving it-- so amazing that you had such a fantastic turnout at your program!
It was truly an AWESOME week! Such powerful Bible stories! Thanks girl, for leading a "crew" with me for the past two years! Can't wait until next year!
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