Summer is the season for camp. Hot, sweaty, jumping for joy excitement all week long! There is nothing quite like a week away at camp where the fun is huge and God’s love is lavish. If you have ever been to camp, you get it. So when I was asked to be a co-director for Vacation Bible School this year, I had to say yes. After all, VBS is basically summer camp at church! Using my gifts and passions, serving alongside other believers, living out God’s love for our children, and passing along a completely contagious kind of joy sounds like an incredible amount of fun to me.
Now that summer is in full swing, VBS is just around the corner—but it’s been a long time in the making. Over the past several months, IBCers have been organizing, planning, and preparing for lives to be changed and big fun to be had. And now that the planning is winding down, there’s only one thing left to do: show up! Doors will be opened, kids will be welcomed, lessons will be shared, worship will be led, and our mission will be lived out. We will love, laugh, praise, snack, and grow in faith together. And we’ll be tired. So tired! But in return, we’ll get a front row seat to watch lives transform. Honestly, I can’t think of anything better.
Why do we do it? Because it takes a village. Or, in this case, a congregation. So many times I’ve stood in the Worship Center during baby dedication and committed to encourage and help grow the faith of our children. For me, volunteering at VBS is one of those amazing opportunities. And while most of you may not be physically in the building with us next week, you can join with us to support VBS in one very tangible way: through prayer.
Will you pray with us? On Monday, nearly 400 kids and their families will walk through the doors of our church, many of them for the first time. Pray for fun, for safety, for relationships, but most importantly for the love of God to speak life to each and every person in the building. I know God has big plans for the week, and I can’t wait to see what he does.