Amazing VBS

What an amazing week!  Nearly a thousand children and 2oo incredible volunteers transformed Grace Church into a south Louisiana swamp wonderland.  Clyde, our VBS mascot, was a huge hit (all 25ft of him).  Lady Katie and the Bayou Roux rocked the praise and worship, Moses and Pharoah captured the imagination of each boy and girl.  Chadder and Fraider kept the kids on the edge of their seats, while games kept them entertained.  They were refreshed by the great team working in the snack area and wrapped up their experience each day in a finale session.

The week demonstrated to me the power of focused children's ministry.  There's so many great things that happened that it's impossible to capture all of them here.  Like all endeavors worthy of effort, VBS requires extensive planning and preparation to accompany the vision.  Great job Brenda and the senior leaders, Tameka, Wendy and Veronica.  You built your team's, trained them, prepared and motivated them.  Your passion for doing great children's ministry was clearly evident.

I pray that more people would slow down for a moment and consider the next generation.  What are we doing to equip, empower and release them to make a difference in their world for Jesus Christ?

Be Blessed

Countdown to Croc Dock

35 hours and counting...  This year's Croc Dock is going to truly be amazing.  What a great opportunity we've been given to share the heart of Christ with those He calls the "greatest in the kingdom of heaven."  This year's theme, "a place where fearless kids let God's light shine," is a reminder to me of the awesome responsibility we have to train up the children of Grace in the ways of the Lord.  It's often easy to gauge our success or failure with data.  In the children's ministry world that data is often related to budget or attendance or even the number of volunteers in the ministry.  But, I wonder if that's how God measures success.  

Ecclesiastes 9:10 states "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might."

Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the ways he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.

Lord, it's my prayer that this year's VBS would truly reflect these core scriptures.  Let our success be measured by our efforts to lead children to you.  Please bless all those who are giving so much to ensure every opportunity is made for children to grow closer to you.  Amen.

Be Blessed!

We're in the final preparations for another amazing VBS experience.  This year's theme, Crocodile Dock, will encourage kids to live a life without fear.  We're expecting 1,000 kids and we're believing that this will be a catalyst to help raise up a generation of young people who are strong in their faith.

It's a huge investment, but the reality is that kids are worth it.  So, THANK YOU to all of you who are working so hard to ensure the best VBS ever and THANK YOU to all of you who are praying for us.  

Ahhh, it's good to be back online.  I took about a month off to prepare and then travel to Africa for an amazing ministry adventure.  Since coming home I've been trying to process the incredible experience and compartmentalize my feelings and what all I learned.  Suffice to say I still haven't completed the task, but I feel ready to resume this blog.

This has been a great week of ministry for the Xtreme Team.  The Wednesday night team did a wonderful job, as always.  Unfortunately a couple of our leaders were out ill, but hand it Sheryl and her crew, they didn't miss a beat.  Mrs. Mary on Saturday night did a great job also and all those who served today really made it a special day for the kids, great job with worship Garry! 

I've begun talking with the kids about Africa a bit.  I shared a slideshow and then began asking questions in each service this week.  I had a great answer to a question I posed last night.  The question to the kids was, "if you had a million dollars, what would you do with it?"  The 1st and 2nd graders are so cute...& honest.  Their answers were things like, "i'd buy a new video game," "I'd buy a lifetime supply of candy," etc...  The older kids were trying to tell me what they thought I wanted to hear, "I'd donate 1/2 to charity," "I'd give 1/2 to the church," etc...  Then, an older student said, "I'd buy a mansion for the poorest man in the world."  This interested me.  I asked him to describe the poorest man in the world and he said that the man would have no home, no food and no clothes.  

I met this man...in Tanzania.  Around 70 years old, no home, no food and very little clothes.  The only problem is, i wouldn't describe him as poor.  No, he didn't have the comforts we enjoy here, but I don't believe he would want them.  I don't believe he would want to live confined in a box (box), it seemed he enjoyed the freedom to sleep under whichever tree he wanted.  He wouldn't like air conditioning and would probably be ill from it.  He'd always eaten fresh food, never processed or injected with chemicals.  And, most importantly, he depended on Jesus for provision.  What a novel thought..."it's easier to get a camel through the eye of a needle than a rich man into heaven."  God is a jealous God.  This man had God first in his life and only in his life.  He loved Jesus and told everyone he met about this great God of provision and life.  What a beautiful faith.  Be blessed by his example, keep Christ first and be a blessing to all.  "To know him and make him known!" (As written on the wall of Unreached Peoples Mission, Itigi, Tanzania).