When We Are Weak… He Is Strong!

Hey, this is Rhonda. My “day job” is serving as the Editorial Project Leader for VBS at Lifeway. But, in my “other life” I’m a pastor’s wife. God’s plan for our family for over 30 years has been ministering in small churches. (So when people ask if we consider the needs of small churches, my answer is a resounding, first-hand “Yes!”) 
I am happy to get to share our VBS story with you. A few weeks ago I didn’t know if there would be a story, but God knew what was coming!
We were cruising toward VBS time when the bottom seemed to drop out. With less than a month before VBS, two of our key VBS workers had major surgery, one other leader was put into the hospital, and the director came down with strep and mono! In the whirlwind that followed, God blessed in ways we couldn’t imagine. At less than a week before VBS, all the key teaching positions were filled, some by folks teaching a Bible study class for the first time. My “comfort zone” position has always been teaching one of the children’s Bible study classes, but I became fill-in director. And as God is so faithful to do when His children are willing and obedient, He blessed us over and over all through VBS.

In addition to helping direct, I also taught the preschool music rotation. It was a blast! They did great with “Good Things” and “Gonna Ask Jesus.” But the most requested was our “silly” time with “Stop and Go” (which they called Crazy Driver). I’m hoping all the videos never make it to face book. Apparently I really got into it!
I could write a whole blog about each person or teaching team who helped kids connect with the Good News about Jesus this week, but our recreation team were a prime example of how everyone at VBS is a Bible teacher. They first caught my eye during our church’s VBS training – big, burly guys huddled over a set of rec cards and talking about the daily Bible content cards first and ways to reinforce the daily Bible lesson.

During the week, these guys, who all work hard running their own businesses, arrived early and engaged the early arriving kids before time for the meal. (We started with supper every night instead of snacks.) As each group of kids arrived for their scheduled rec time, they were asked specific questions about their Bible story or Bible verse. They played the games with the older kids or the preschoolers. Their smiles, patience, and faithfulness were amazing examples of Godly men for the kids at our VBS.

I am thankful to God for our Rec crew, the Bible teachers who helped kids know how to become a Christian, the hard working kitchen crew who feed all of us all week, and those who taught in any capacity. But most of all, I am thankful to God. All of us at Rock Springs agreed, it was all God!
Oh, and for those who remember my post from a few weeks back, of course we ended the week with a little pool time!