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.