Worthwhile, Amazing, and Humbling
The hours, days, and weeks creating and preparing decorations, curriculum, and activities for Vacation Bible School were taught and consumed in just a few hours over the course of three days by 50+ volunteers and 50+ kids.
This year, we added a local mission project, New Day Women’s Center, teaching our kids that part of being a disciple of Jesus means following Him by loving and serving others.
And it was worth it.
It was all worth it to see the kids’ eyes light up when they entered the building and saw all of the decorations! It was worth it to help shepherd kids each night through stations where they learned a Bible story and Scripture. I watched as volunteers helped the kids with science experiments and object lessons in “Imagination Station.” Along with an opening, closing, and fun games and snacks, every night of VBS was packed with activity.
And it was amazing.
It was amazing watching so many adults having fun leading the kids. To the adults, it may have seemed like they were just walking a group around to make sure they get to where they need to go. It may have seemed like just reading some words from a booklet. It may have seemed like just pressing some buttons in the tech booth or putting out snack on a table. But what the adults were doing was discipling the next generation of Christians. This is important work! We were serving Christ Harbor families and the kids of our community, but ultimately, we are serving God!
And it was humbling.
I was humbled by seeing a stage full of kids praising God and excitedly walking up to empty their money into a jar to be donated to New Day Women’s Center.
Not only did the kids learn God is our Creator but also God is Love, and God is Forever. We talked about God as an intentional and masterful Creator, who lovingly made each part of creation, including us. We talked about God sending Jesus to take all of our sin on himself, and He went to the cross to show His love for us.
In one of the sessions, kids took a moment of prayer and then dipped a finger in red ink to symbolize their sin and imprinted it onto the cross. We showed how when you ask God to forgive you of your sins, He wipes them away by cleaning the fingerprints from the cross.
And it will be a sweet departure.
Tonight is our last VBS night together, and it will be a sweet departure because I know that the kids are leaving here with life changing lessons, songs, and scripture. My prayer is that kids find confidence in the fact that they are crafted in the image of God on purpose and for a purpose. I pray they know that by choosing to be friends with Jesus and surrendering to Him to be Lord of their life, they will live with God forever. I pray that God will continue to use Christ Harbor as a place where kids discover the life-giving truth of God as the creator who knows everything about them and, through Jesus, a promise of being with Him forever.
Thank you, Christ Harbor family, for allowing and supporting an adventure for kids to explore the nature of God and His goodness.