Sky VBS Recap

In an effort to recap our first VBS at Missio Dei Church, I invited my wife Amanda to share her thoughts and insights as the director of VBS this year. 

Laughter. Excitement. Energy. Pure joy.

SkyLogoWithBckgrnd_HR_ColorIt only took one look at the smiles on the kids’ faces walking through the door to know that it was going to be a great week. Sky VBS was filled with so many memorable moments. From thundering songs with soaring actions to experiential Bible stories, parachute games, and lessons on life in Nigeria, each piece of Sky VBS was intentionally created to help kids experience the Gospel story and God’s love for them in a new and exciting way. At Sky VBS, we learned that everything is possible with God and that we can trust Him because of His great love for us. While the past five nights at Sky were truly a blast, it is my genuine hope and prayer that VBS was more than just a week of fun at church and that the kids who came were able to hear and experience God’s love for them in a new way.

Last night, Missio Dei Church wrapped up its first ever vacation Bible school. It took hours of planning and preparation to transform our church building into a high-flying place of fun in the clouds complete with a runway, a shadow box, and six foot clouds, but in only one short hour, our church was transformed back to its normal look leaving all of the experiences and fun of VBS in our memories. I pray that it was a life-changing, fun week and that the memories will last for a long time helping each child to remember that they can, in fact, trust God!

So what exactly took place at Sky VBS this week? Approximately forty children came through the doors each night. We began our time together at Up and Away Sing and Play where we: 

  • Sang fun songs with crazy actions
  • Talked about our God-sightings and how we saw God working and moving in the past day
  • Met the daily Bible buddy character who would help us remember what we learning
  • Heared from Flash Skyrunner – Sky VBS’s very only pilot in training
  • Witnessed a Sky High hint about what the Bible story would be about that night.

This was also the time where the kids would bring forward their offering money which will be used to purchase a swing set for the kids of Grace Gardens in Jos, Nigeria. More than anything else this week, I found great joy in watching the kids get excited about bringing their money up front. One mom even told me her kids felt a personal tie to the offering since they were learning about Nigeria each night. She commented that she had never seen her kids so excited about an offering before! By the end of the five nights, we raised $500 dollars. (Check out the video to hear the explosion of cheers as the announcement was made!)

We learned about trusting God all week. Each time the daily point was mentioned, the kids would finish it by yelling out, “TRUST GOD!” Their excitement was contagious. On Sunday, we learned no matter who you are…trust God. Monday’s theme was no matter how you feel..trust God! Tuesday we learned that no matter what people do…trust God. Wednesday’s theme was no matter what happens…trust God, and we wrapped up our week on Thursday learning that no matter where you are…trust God.

preschool tree house

From there, our preschoolers would head down to their Preschool Tree House for age appropriate Bible stories, games, and crafts tied to the daily Bible point. The elementary aged kids would rotate through three different stations: All Star Games, Sky High Movie and Missions, and Wild Blue Bible Adventures. Each one was carefully crafted to incorporate the daily theme through different fun activities.

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At All Star Games, kids were able to play parachute games, put petroleum jelly on their noses while they tried to make cotton balls stick to it without using their hands, and place blindfolds on their faces trusting that their leaders would guide them to the place they needed to be. Each game helped the kids to better understand what trusting God meant.

At Sky High Movie and Missions, our VBS friend, Chadder the Chipmunk, would make an appearance in a short cartoon clip tied to the Bible point. After discussion about how the Bible point applied to their own lives, the kids spent time learning about Nigeria, Grace Gardens, and our MDC missionary family, the Camiolas. They even got to make birthday cards that will be handed out to the women of Grace Gardens during their birthday celebrations. 

Finally, at Wild Blue Bible Adventures, the kids got to take part in the Bible story in a fun and experiential way. Here is a brief recap of the stories we experienced this week:

  • On Sunday night, the kids learned about the Roman officer who had faith in Jesus based on the story from Matthew 8:5-13. They marched like soldiers and learned what life might have been like for this man.
  • On Monday, the kids learned about Jesus bringing Lazarus back to life based on John 11. They were able to wrap people in “gauze” and learned about the burial rituals common to that day.
  • On Tuesday, the kids learned about Jesus being arrested and put on trial from Matthew 26:36-27:31. Even when people were mean to Jesus, he had faith that God was on his side.
  • Wednesday night was a special night at VBS with the presentation of the Gospel story—Jesus dying on the cross and coming back to life. (Matthew 27:32-28:20). The kids had the opportunity to experience what it might have been like for Jesus to carry the cross as they carried a cross down the hallway and back. They also were able to experience what it might have been like to see the empty tomb.
  • On Thursday night, the Bible story was about Jesus appearing to his disciples on the beach and making breakfast for them. (John 21:1-14). The kids were told to look for fish and experienced some of the frustration the disciples might have felt when their nets remained empty and then got to experience the joy of finding fish in a different spot. They learned the importance of Jesus appearing again to his disciples and eating breakfast with them, showing that he really had risen from the dead.

We ended our time together each night as a large group back in the sanctuary at Fly Away Finale. Here, we sang more fun songs and wrapped up our time together and what we had learned that day with some type of review activity. Wednesday was an incredibly special Fly Away Finale as we talked about the importance of the Gospel story and experienced the dawn of the resurrection morning with glow sticks.

It was truly a joy to be the director of Missio Dei’s first VBS. It took so many people to make our vacation Bible school come to life, and I know I could not have done this alone. However, more than anything else, I am thankful that we serve a risen, living God who showed up at VBS in a powerful way to work in the hearts and lives of the children AND leaders. In the words of our VBS song, “If there’s one thing we can count on, it’s that God will never let us down. We can trust everything He does; He keeps His promises we know because...the Word of the Lord holds true. We can trust Him. We can trust Him.

It is because of Jesus’ death and resurrection that our Christian faith is so unique. It is because of this that we can trust God, and it is because of this that vacation Bible school even exists. I pray that the joy of Sky VBS lives on in our hearts in the days, weeks, and months ahead!

 

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