BAM!… and just like that, dozens of children hear about Jesus. How cool is that? You know, in the fickle modern times that we now live in, some churches are still able to pull off awesome VBS events. First Baptist Church of Medina is one of those.
I was blessed to be invited to join them on Friday (yesterday) to fill the “missions” time slot. A dear sister and former colleague, Cindy Pool, contacted me and asked me to come and share about my missionary service and add in a Gospel push for the day. I was pleased to do just that, using a favorite CEF tool… the Wordless Book. To give a little more context to this article, Bro. Randy Pool is Cindy’s husband as well as the lead pastor at FBC Medina. All of us have past service ties to IMB, International Mission Board. Now, back to our story…
Due to my position with CEF, I hear and see information about churches and how they are engaging their communities in the summer with either traditional or non-traditional VBS activities. Trying to do this in a post-COVID world is not easy. Some larger churches, and I mean in numbers and resources, can sort of power their way through difficult times using sheer willpower and money. Other churches with less manpower and resource availability, have even quit trying to provide summer ministry opportunities to the children around them. Personally, I can see how discouraging it could be to try and pull off a summer event when you simply do not have enough volunteers or resources to do it. So, I am NOT throwing stones at anyone. Nope.
However, when a church can manage to do it with a smaller congregation, and do it with energy and excellence, that is a powerful statement to the public. It is like sending up a Gospel flare, saying… “Hey! We are still alive and willing and able to serve.” Obviously, I do not know all of the circumstances surrounding FBC Medina’s standing in the community, but I can verify that this summer… they had an awesome VBS and did put a lot of effort and energy into it. If they conduct other ministries like they did this event, well… I believe the community should and will take notice. I pray that God will fill their barns, so to speak, with blessings – pressed down and overflowing!
I have a few pictures below to show some of what I witnessed, but not all 🙂 I wish I could show the larger group shot because there was a stage FULL of workers and children. However, I do not have proper permission to do that, so maybe another time. To the staff and congregation of FBC Medina, thank you for the lovely opportunity and may God richly bless you all in the days ahead… amen.
