FBC Winters LOVES VBS!

As I have told you before, one of the most rewarding aspects of my job is being privileged  to hear and read the great stories and reports of churches witnessing and experiencing transformation through the ministry of VBS. Here is one such story:

“I have a wonderful report for FBC Winters (California) Amazing Wonders Aviation VBS this year! We had a total of 69 children attend AWA VBS in June, which we conducted as a 5-day, 3-hour evening program. The kids had a ton of fun, of course, but the most exciting news is that 20 children were saved during VBS this year. Praise The Lord!

My volunteer staff of 55 workers and I really enjoyed the aviation theme this year. We’ve all been flying high for Jesus ever since, along with plenty of the VBS kids. With prayer and staff evaluations guiding me, I decided to extend 2012 VBS with a weekly summer VBS program, held on Wednesday nights for eight weeks. The attendance of this ‘pilot’ project was also a success, with an average of 15-20 children attending each week.

This has lead to a new ministry at FBCW for elementary age children – Wacky Wednesdays! There has been a ton of support from the FBCW congregation to get Wacky Wednesdays up and flying. A unanimous vote at our church business meeting to approve this new ministry, hundreds of dollars in designaed donations, snacks provided by our church food closet, and a talented volunteer teaching staff have Wacky Wednesdays taking off! Now, every Wednesday night from 6:30 – 7:30, the children of the Winters community have an opportunity to worship The Lord at an abbreviated VBS-style evening program. All because God’s good and faithful servants have once again come together to do His work.

FBC Winters LOVES VBS!

Sincerely,

Julie

VBS Director”

Julie, to you and the thousands of leaders (faithful servants) who make VBS possible – THANK YOU!

Happy Quiznos Day!

We are privileged at the LifeWay office in Nashville to have an employee cafe  that is open for breakfast and lunch. The cafe is convenient (especially on rainy days), nutritious, competitively priced, and usually quick.

While the menu varies, most days are pretty much the same with a salad bar, pizza station, grill, and meat and vegetable station. It is good. It meets a need. It is safe and predictable.

But occasionally, on a day like today, it is Quiznos Day at the Cafe! Let the party begin!

On Quiznos Day you get to the cafe when they open the doors or else you stand in a line that snakes out the door and into the lobby. All it takes is one person to return to their office floor with a Quiznos sandwich and the word spreads. People shout the news down the hall. People talk about it in the elevator. People who never step foot in the cafe run with haste trying to be the first in line.

Is it that Quiznos is so much better than the daily fare? No, not really. It is just different and makes lunch seem a little more special.

Vacation Bible School is like (or at least can be like) Quizos Day. Most churches offer great Bible student 52 weeks of the year. It is not that the Bible stories and study offered during VBS are better than those offered each Sunday. They are just different and as a result seem just a little more special.

To all of you who love VBS like to make it special, a very Happy Quiznos Day!

VBS 2014? Really?

Believe it or not, LifeWay’s VBS team is already thinking 2014!

Now you know why I am constantly in danger of post-dating checks a year or two in advance! Seriously, scheduled online payment of my utility bills only to receive past due notices on them all. It seems I was living a year – a hazard of all VBS Groupies – in advance and dated payments with the wrong year.

At any one time I am collecting VBS reports from the previous year, responding to VBS questions from the current year, planning VBS events for the next year, and dreaming VBS for two years away. This is truly the best job in the world!

Now, to the real topic of this post – VBS Missions Rotation.

As many of you are in the midst of VBS 2012, and as we begin planning for VBS 2014, I am interested in how you use LifeWay’s Missions Rotation resources for both preschoolers and children.

• If your church does not include the Mission Rotation, why not?
• If you do not use them during VBS, do you use them at another time or in conjunction with another ministry? Explain.
• If you do use the resources, what do you most like about them?
• What would you like to see changed?
• How do you incorporate the suggested hands-on mission project?
• How could the hands-on project be more effective for your church?

You can respond here or send your comments and suggestions to me at jerry.wooley@lifeway.com.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Front Yard, Backyard, and All Around the House!

From my years as an older teenager and young adult, I remember being involved in several VBS-type ministries known as Backyard Bible Clubs and Big A Clubs. These clubs were a simplified or scaled-down version of VBS and were an effective way of reaching families – many of which would never attend an event on a church campus.

During all the years since, the concept of Backyard Bible Club (BBC for short) has survived mostly in connection to mission trips. But a new wind is blowing, and the concept of BBCs is experiencing revival all across the country – especially by larger congregations that have a regional influence beyond an individual neighborhood or community.

Once it was thought that BBCs were staffed by a couple of people and primarily attended by a dozen or so kids who lived within view of the designated yard. This trend is changing as more and more BBCs are becoming evangelistic outposts for entire neighborhoods.

Recently I had the privilege of visiting a BBC not far from my own neighborhood. Four years ago the Club registered approximately 12. The next year, 20. Around 40 the third year. And this year – drum roll please – over 60 kids and adults descended nightly on the front yard, backyard, garage, and bonus room of the Nashville area home of Vicki Hulsey.

While Miss Vicki (all polite Southern children refer to their female neighbors as “Miss”) generously opens her home for the annual BBC, she has extended the evangelistic potential by gathering the children and their families throughout the year for other neighborhood activities and parties. Her home has become a true outpost of Hermitage Hills Baptist Church.

This story is phenomenal so stay turned for more.

For now I would like to hear your BBC stories. You can share them here or send them to me at jerry.wooley@lifeway.com.

In 2013 we are introducing Backyard Kids Club as a new component to Colossal Coaster World. We will be telling you more about this exciting ministry resource in days to come. So again, stay tuned!

Foto Friday…product testing!

One of the joys of my job is getting to test some potential VBS products and promotional samples. Not all of the samples become actual VBS products and some change from what we initially see to the final product. Occasionally I get my daughter to help me! So, with that said, enjoy!

These are just a few samples of things we looked at. They may not necessarily become a promotional product.

My daughter testing some glasses. Do you think they are TOO big?

What do you think about my new glasses? TOO flashy?

I gotta run to catch the next ride! ! !

Rhonda and Carol “modeling” some sample shirts.

EDIT: the shirts are prototypes for the leader shirt. It will be solid color (not the 2 tone. ..believe me, we were surprised when that one came in!) with the coaster car coming down into the pocket. As for the material, they are actually very breathable and a light material. Also, don’t worry, will have the t-shirt too!

Finally, I missed posting Rhonda’s theme park photo from last week and I wanted to make sure you had to opportunity to enjoy her family at Sea World! What a bunch of nuts! lol!

Have a blessed day!