Dramatic beginning but victorious ending

Last week we held Vacation Bible School at our church, St. Augustine Evangelical Bible church. In the weeks leading up to VBS class lessons were prepared, volunteers were sought, roles were assigned, craft materials were purchased and jerseys were printed. The Saturday before VBS we walked the streets surrounding the church, giving out flyers to families with children, and the Sunday before we hired a car to go around with a mike to invite the children to come out. 

The songs chosen for worship had
lyrics that reinforced the theme

We borrowed the theme "God's Family" from Ekklesia Word ministries camp which was done over the carnival weekend. With this theme we taught the children that God made them in His image unique and with a special purpose in mind. He placed them in families so they could have relationship with one another, but sin came into the world so God's plan for families were disrupted. However, Jesus came into the world in the form of man to rescue us from the death penalty of sin, and now we have an opportunity to live a life transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Aunty Jacqui teaching the 10-12 year olds

On the first day of VBS we were ready. We arrived early to set up our classes and spend time in prayer before the children started arriving. However, ten minutes before the start, we heard a loud "POP!" and then we lost electricity. A teacher who was outside said there was a backhoe working on the street moving dirt, and most likely they were responsible for pulling down the lines. We made a phone call to T&TEC and they promised to send an emergency crew out, but we had no idea how long it would take for power to be restored. 

Paying close attention in Opening session

We were depending on electricity to run the multimedia to teach the children the songs; teachers needed internet to show some of their videos for their lessons; some of the teaching areas were dark, but the show needed to go on. We played some games with the children, taught them one simple song that still reflected the theme, then sent them to their classes. Miraculously, the A/C units continued to work so we were not uncomfortable. A six year old prayed to open VBS and in his prayer he asked that the power be restored soon. It was restored one hour later, so we thank God for answering the prayers of the little ones.

They thoroughly enjoyed their craft sessions

On the second day of VBS we arrived at the church to discover there had been a break-in. Thankfully the perpetrators were not able to get inside the building, but they somehow were able to maneuver a huge tool kit that had all the equipment we needed for our craft stations, and two fully stocked first aid kits, all three of which were donated by members of the church. We were shaken by this incident, but we refused to allow it to stop the work God was going to do at VBS that week. We got additional security for the duration of VBS and the men of the church came out to make sure we felt supported and safe. We knew that something great was going to happen because of the opposition, and it happened the very next day.

Teens class practising their item for Closing Ceremony

At the end of the third day of VBS, the teacher for the Teens class reported that two of the young ladies from his class decided to surrender control of their lives to Jesus Christ! I was especially grateful because, for one of them, it was her last day of VBS for that week, so it was wonderful that she made that decision on that day. On the last day of VBS, two more teenagers surrendered their lives to Christ. This is what makes all the work that goes into planning and executing a VBS worth it all - seeing the fruit of the Word being borne in the lives of the young people.

We use the craft to draw them in, and we use the Word to keep them

One unique feature of VBS at St. Augustine Evangelical Bible Church is our missionary corner, where we tell the children stories of how missionaries are working in different parts of the world to tell people about Jesus. Each day we 'visited' a different country to hear these missionary stories and by the fourth day, four children raised their hands when asked who wanted to become a missionary. As a church that is heavily focused on missions, we are trusting that God will raise up the next generation of missionaries from this generation.

A missionary from CRU sharing her experiences

At our Closing Ceremony, it was wonderful to see parents from outside of our church family in attendance. A very clear presentation of the gospel message was shared, and the parents were challenged to be an example to their children by accepting Christ for themselves, and then teaching them the Word of God. It is our prayer that every seed of God's Word that was planted in hearts of the children who attended VBS last week would grow and produce good fruit that will last from eternity.

Praising God for progress

In September 2023, for the first time in the 18 year history of Bible Club, we were presented with a scenario which we had never experienced before. It was clear to us that our young boys were being influenced by the gang culture that is so prevalent in society, and existed right in our community as well. We knew that if we didn't take action soon, Bible Club would no longer be a safe space for children in the community to come to learn about developing a relationship with God through the principles we teach from the Bible.

Praying with the children at the end of Bible Club

I had no expertise in this area, so I called in someone who did. Cassio Anthony, also known as Gen-Ex, has a powerful testimony of how God delivered him from a life of drugs and gangs, and he now has a ministry called Gospel on d' Go where he goes into communities and shares his story along with the gospel, and many lives have been turned around through it. He came and shared his story with the older children, warning them about the consequences of following the gangster life.

He had their full attention

A couple weeks later, the children attended another session that he facilitated in a nearby church, where he shared about anger management strategies that included practical tips they could use to diffuse potentially volatile situations. That week at the end of Bible Club while awaiting transport to go home, a massive fight broke out amongst four of the boys, and the two teachers who were present struggled to get the children under control. Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt. Gen-Ex was called in again to speak to the perpetrators and reinforce the message of not choosing violence. He offered to do a Life Skills program with the older ones, which was conducted between January to March 2024.

The turnout to these sessions were the biggest ever

Using a variety of teaching techniques, he taught through various modules such as embracing self-talk, anger managership, citizenship and volunteerism in an effort to ensure that a solid foundation of positive values were laid. Their Bible Club teachers continued along those lines last term, challenging them to not allow others to define them but for their identity to be found in Christ. I am grateful to God for the improvements that have been seen in the children's attitudes over the past two terms. Those who were quick to lash out when provoked are exhibiting more self control. It is easier to get the children to settle down and listen when instructions are being given. They still have a long way to go, but we recognize the positive progress that has been seen, and we look to God to faithfully complete the good work He has started.

Receiving his certificate at the end of the Life Skills program

We also give glory to God for the progress seen with the children who have been coming to Homework Club. One of them really struggled with his school work during the pandemic and was kept back a standard because of his decline. His mother asked us to speak to him so we encouraged and prayed with him and continued to do work with him twice a week. We were elated to find out that he passed for one of his schools of choice last week Friday! There are two other children who have been coming consistently that have improved their performance compared to when they started coming, so we thank God for that.

Focused on their school work

Please continue to pray for our children. There are so many negative influences in their immediate environments that are competing for their attention. Pray that they would choose wisdom and make good choices instead of following bad company. Pray that they would stand for what is right rather than giving in to what is wrong. Pray that they would choose to please God instead of giving in to temptation to sin. Pray that the seeds of God's Word which are planted would produce much good fruit that would remain.

Working with the youngest ones