I Go The Joy Joy Joy....

From The Desk of a Geek:

I've Got The Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy Down In My Heart.....(Where) Down In My Heart

Summer time on the church grounds is an exciting time, rather there are 40 or 400, the sights and sounds of churches all over the world doing Vacation Bible School is a tradition like none other. Sort of like baseball's World Series, hockey's Stanley Cup, or Pendleton County's Wool Festival.

What images pop into your head when you hear the words Vacation Bible School? Do you have fond memories, or are you wondering what is VBS? 

VBS stands for Vacation Bible School, and it is a summer church outreach focused on giving kids a fun and creative place to learn about the Bible and to build relationships with churches and other kids in the area.

If VBS has been a great experience for you as a child or adult (or both!), you are probably smiling. Some may think of VBS as "old school" or not an event for your style of ministry. You might think VBS is OK, but you feel pressure because you need an event that sets your church apart from others in your area.

Many people may wonder what the purpose of Vacation Bible School is and if it's still relevant. The answer is actually very simple: the purpose of VBS is to minister children in the church, create outreach to the surrounding communities, and to create evangelism opportunities. This purpose is supported by a creative theme of Bible study, activities, worship, and even time for some tasty snacks.

If you are not sure VBS is for you, here are a few things to consider.

Vacation Bible School has come a long way since the days of popcorn crafts and Bible lessons taught using a felt board. Today’s VBS aims at reaching children using twenty-first-century methods and approaches. Music is filled with more contemporary sounding songs. Children are able to follow along with other kids on DVDs and streaming videos, learning the songs and movements.

VBS is still a time for children and youth to connect with each other and with the Bible. It is still a time for the church family to be involved in a fun week of learning, activities, and celebration during the summer. Even though it has undergone significant changes, some things remain the same. VBS benefits not only the children who participate but also the churches that offer it and the adults and youth who volunteer to teach and lead it.

Adults can decorate, teach, shepherd children, prepare snacks, send invitations, send follow-up cards to visitors, work with publicity, and pray. 

As adults in a church spend time together to plan for and lead VBS, they build community spirit, make new friends, and work together for the benefit of both children they know and children they don’t know. Their investment of time and energy makes their church stronger and more vibrant; a beacon in their communities.

VBS can be a short-term event with long-term results.

With a typical five-day time frame, VBS offers a chance to pull out all the stops and create an unforgettable experience. Research shows connections made during VBS results is salvation discovery of church prospects and potential workers for other ongoing children's programs. 

Also, it is not uncommon for a leader to volunteer to help for "just one week of VBS," and feel God's tug on his or her heart to work with kids permanently.

VBS is a special event that creates memories that help lock Bible truths in a child's heart and mind for a lifetime. Birthday parties and other special events have themes that use creativity to evoke feelings of excitement. Games, food, decorations and fun all link together in a total package. 

VBS does the same thing. When we connect with kids through this ministry, the biblical truths that permeate all aspects of VBS also connect with their hearts and minds.

The biblical content built into the curriculum lays foundational truths that help kids understand who Jesus is and why they need a personal Savior. The relationships you develop with kids and their families can provide many opportunities to not only show the love of Jesus, but to share the truth of the gospel.

Lonnie..

From The Desk of a Geek

From The Desk of a Geek 

Escape 

Earlier this week, I talked about the different places, and people I encounter on my pest control route.

Well today I was fortunate enough to encounter another place on a road from Georgetown to Sadiville. 

Now to some the image below isn't very mysterious, or romantic like a train, or covered bridge, or a Victorian style home, but this simple, country cemetery spoke to me as if I was meant, or destined to pass it by.

I'm sure you’ve heard of "Christmas in July" playing on the Hallmark Channel.

You know those sappy Christmas love stories we all secretly enjoy..!!

Well I would like to share with you 

"Halloween In July."

Alfred Hitchcock tells of a story of a murderous woman who, once condemned to prison, vowed she’d never be held captive and would surely find a way out.

She studied her surroundings and soon took note of a gravedigger, whose job it was to cart away deceased inmates for burial in the plots just beyond the prison walls. 

He was old and moved slowly, as his eyesight was badly impaired by cataracts. She approached him one day to bribe him into helping her escape.

Her plan was simple: When the death bell tolled, heralding the death of another inmate, she would make her way to the morgue and climb into the coffin with the deceased. 

He (the gravedigger) would then wheel the coffin to the plot, bury it in a shallow grave, then come back after dark to release her. All this in exchange for the money to have the cataract surgery to restore his sight. The old man agreed, and together they waited for their opportunity.

Time passed, when suddenly the woman heard the death toll. To her ears, it was the sound of freedom bells chiming.  The scheme went just as planned. She waited an appropriate amount of time, slinked her way to the basement, and slipped quietly into the morgue. She felt her way through the dark room to the coffin laid out on the cart. Opening the lid, she crawled inside and pulled the lid shut.

Soon she felt the cart moving. She could almost taste her freedom. Moments later she felt the thud as the coffin was lowered into the ground. She heard the dirt as it hit the lid. Then silence. She waited in anticipation. Minutes turned to hours with no relief. Panicked, she struck a match, surveying the situation. To her utter horror, she discovered that she was face to face with … the gravedigger!

Alfred Hitchcock’s murderous inmate had foolishly placed her life in the hands of an unreliable deliverer–one with no more power over the grave than she.

So, in whose trust have you placed your hope of deliverance?

Just make sure that when you strike your match your deliverer isn’t in the grave with you!

“Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” 

(Romans 7:24-25)

Lonnie....