Geek of the Week – Gina McKean
To date I have left the naming of Geek of the Week to the VBS Publishing Team. They have done a phenomenal job of locating and honoring 20 people from as near as a few miles down the road from Nashville to as far away as South Korea. Watching the reaction of those honored as been great fun, especially as many proudly wore their exclusive Geek of the Week t-shirts to one of our VBS 2012 Previews in January and February.
For my first voyage into the expansive ocean of VBS Geeks I have journeyed to the Great State of Oklahoma where I have found two people worthy of this esteem honor. The first – Gina McKean – I will tell you about this week. For the second, I will let the suspense grow by waiting to reveal next Wednesday.
Gina is the Children’s Minister at Portland Avenue Baptist Church in Oklahoma City where she leads a large group of volunteers to completely transform the church campus to fit the VBS theme. I have heard that the church actually becomes a tourist stop during VBS week as people from the surrounding area stop in to see this amazing transformation.
Gina’s commitment to VBS goes far beyond great decorations. In addition to directing a morning VBS at Portland Avenue, she takes a group of volunteers to lead an evening VBS for a smaller inner city church in the Oklahoma City area.
For Gina, VBS is not a ministry that ends at the church campus, city limits, or even the borders of Oklahoma. Each year she coordinates a VBS for the Capital City Baptist Association mission trip, and has taken VBS to to both Branson and St. Louis, Missouri.
Gina shares her passion and love for reaching people for Christ through the ministry of VBS with others by serving on the Capital City Baptist Association VBS Training Team as well as the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma VBS Team.
Gina, we salute you as an honored VBS Geek of the Week! Thank you for all you do to promote the evangelistic vision and ministry of VBS.
how can u become geek of the week?
Here are 4 very short skits we have done to get teachers interested in VBS. Anyone is welcome to use them.
A:
Carole: Georgia, haven’t you been on several mission trips?
Georgia: Yes, Carole, I have been to Rome, Mexico, and Israel.
Carole: I know as you traveled and saw all the beautiful scenery you were amazed. Psalm 147 says, “Great is our Lord and of greaet power.”
Georgia: Yes, to think god created it, just spoke it into existence as well as all the rest of the world. What a mighty God we serve!
Carole: Yes, I heard a story the other day about Walt Disney. Disleyland’s first roller coaster ride was an idea born in the mind of Walt Disney himself during a 1958 visit to the Alps in Switzerland. After staring at the Matterhorn for hours, he sent a postcard of the mountain to his park engineers with two words scrawled on the back: “Build this!”
Georgia: Yes, anything we do is just a copy of God’s power. We have to trust that God is always in control and learn to rely on Him.
Carole: You know, that’s what our Vacation Bible School is about this year. It certainly would be great to have more people sign up to teach and help spread the word about Amazing Aviation Wonders.
Georgia: Yes, I think we better go home and see if we can talk to some people about setting aside the week of July 15th through the 19th to help others learn about God’s amazing power!
B:
Ticket Agent: Amazing Wonders Aviation. How can I help you?
Person #1: We need to book 3 tickets for flights 312 on July 15, 2012.
Ticket Agent: Oh, you will have a wonderful flight. Everyone who takes this trip says they come home completely different people!
This package will include worship rally at the hangar, Bible Study at Victoria Falls, missions under the Northern Lights, music at the Matterhorn, crafts at the Great Barrier Reef, recreation at the Grand Canyon, and snacks at the Paricutin Volcano.
Person #1: I can’t wait to begin! I have heard we will learn about God’s power over nature, circumstances, sin, death, and even over my life!
Person #2: Wow! No wonder people are different when they come home! Let’s get those tickets right now!
Person #3: I have heard they are looking for teachers to book tickets for this flight also. We’ll have to help spread the word!
C:
Reporter: We have with us today, Vera B. Swift, veteran aviator. Thank you for being with us at SBC.102.
Vera: It is good to be here. I have just been thinking about the flights I have taken in the past 30 years. If everyone could see the amazing wonders that I see, there would never be a doubt about the power and the infinite wonders of our God.
Reporter: Could you describe some of the wonders you have seen?
Vera: Oh, yes! As I have traveled the world I have seen the most awesome water falls at Victoria Falls in Africa, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, and Paricutin Volcano in Mexico, the Grand Canyon right here in the United States, and Matterhorn in the Swiss mountain range, and the Northern Lights in Iceland. They all tell about our amazing God and His amazing power!
Reporter: You know, that reminds me of our Vacation Bible School coming up in July. Our teachers will be talking about these v ery places and about how to recognize God’s power over all things. They will also explain the need to Admit, Believe, and Confess in order to become a member of the body of Jesus Christ and live with Him forever.
Vera: Now that sounds like a trip I would like to be a part of! Maybe I can help you find some teachers for your Vacation Bible School.
Reporter: That sounds like an excellent idea! Thank you for talking with us today here at
SBC.102.
D:
Carole: Hello, Linda and Fred. It is so good to see you. How are you doing?
Linda: Well, Carole, it’s good to see you too, but we are just a little bit down. We are missing some of our family a little bit.
Carole: That’s right. You got to visit them during Christmas, didn’t you? Where do they live?
Fred: They live in Germany.
Carole: So, you had to travel by plane.
Fred: That’s right.
Carole: Linda, didn’t you get to see some other areas while you were there?
Linda: Yes, we visited (and she decribed).
Carole: Well, I know I can’t get you back to Germany, but I can show you some Amazing Aviation Wonders where we will encounter God’s awesome power. During Vacation Bible School July 15th – 19th, we will have our worship rally right here at the hangar, fly to missions at the Northern Lights, travel on to music at the Matterhorn, work with crafts at the Great Barrier Reef, and be blessed with Bible Study at Victoria Falls, fill up with snacks at the Paricutin Volcano, and have a great time with recreation at the Grand Canyon.
Linda: I believe we will see lives changed as kids tour some of the world’s most marvelous natural wonders and encounter God like never before.
Fred: Yes,, as they explore Psalm 147:5, they’ll recognize God’s power over all things, trust that God is always in control, accept God’s gift of forgiveness,m celebrate that Jesus is alive, and learn to rely on God’s power.
Carole: You know one thing we need: Teachers! (Looking at congregation): You’re invigted to sign up for this exciting trip. Get your ticket today.
We used these at Siloam Baptist Church, Easley, SC. Hope they can be of use to someone.