As the summer begins, it is the season of VBS for many churches. This has been a program that many churches have used over the years to reach out to and minister to children. Memories of songs, Bible stories, games, and (of course) snacks – especially the red Kool-aid and animal crackers flood people’s minds when they hear those three letters.

I have thought that VBS is a good thing in and for the local church for a long time. I will have to be honest that at times it has been a little redundant. It seems like for the most part it is the same thing over and over again… the same Bible stories… the same crafts… the same snacks…

One thing that has made me scratch my head at times with VBS is how different churches in the same community would use the exact same format and materials, but just at different times throughout the summer. I always wondered why these churches couldn’t team together and do it at one time, but I’ll leave that for another post sometime.

This week is VBS week at the local church where I have the privilege of serving as Lead Pastor. I was eager to see how this congregation did things with this event. Would it be the same as so many that I’ve seen before? Would it be completely different? Would it be something that was enjoyed or dreaded?

The joy of the children

The first thing that I noticed was that the children were really excited about VBS. We had 90 children show up the first night, and each one of them seemed to be ready to go on the adventure that is VBS. It was apparent to me that there is an expectation that has been set that this is one event that the children want to be part of in this area. I believe that speaks to the hard work that the church has put into it. You could see smiles and hear laughter all over our facilities as the children went through the various stations.

The clarity of the gospel

I do not know of another “event” in the life of the church where the gospel of Jesus Christ is put on display at the level of a child than VBS. Every little detail is about pointing children to Jesus and the wonderful gift that He has for them. Our church’s mission statement is “Pointing People to Jesus”, and that is the sole purpose of VBS at our church – pointing children to Jesus.

The church stepping up

This is the first year in a LONG time where I did not have a specific role to play in VBS. I am able to visit around with each of the groups in various stations as they do their thing. The reason for this is that men and women (older and younger) have stepped up and taken the reins to lead this ministry. All of the pastoral staff at our church have been freed up to be available for whatever is needed.

When I think about the role that is given to the pastors of a local church, it can be hard at times. Ephesians 4:11-13 tells us that the job of the pastors of a church is to “equip the saints for the work of ministry” not do it all for them. Each Christian has a part to play in the ministry of a local church. It is easy to fall into the trap and follow the world’s idea of “let the professionals handle it.”

VBS is an opportunity to see Ephesians 4:11-13 put into play. At our local church, the leaders are members of our congregation stepping up and using their gifts, talents, and abilities to make sure that the work of the ministry that we have been entrusted with gets done. It is a beautiful sight. If you are looking for a starting point on getting the congregation of your church busy doing the work of ministry, VBS could be one of the best ways of seeing that come about.

VBS can (and should be) a vital ministry of the local church. It can easily become just “another thing that we do” if we let it. I would encourage you to take a fresh, new look at VBS and the opportunity that God has given you to point children and families towards Jesus.