VBS Geek of the Week Cody Martin

Cody Martin is this week’s VBS Geek of the Week. He attends the 225 yr old Curtin United Methodist Church in Howard, Pennsylvania. Their website is curtinchurch.weebly.com.

1. What is your role in VBS? In 2011, I became a VBS helper and did odd jobs for VBS. In 2012, (somehow) I got to be the assistant director. And then, as of January 2013 I became the Director. I run the Sound System at VBS, take pictures, etc. Sometimes I think I do everything, but not really. 🙂

2. What was your “geekiest” moment?  Whenever I went to a monthly church board meeting in March 2013 requesting to do a fundraiser to rent a Ferris Wheel for VBS 2013. I told them I would shave my head and/or wear my Carnival Barker costume (fake mustache, too!) everywhere I went if the funds could be raised….

3. What has been your favorite VBS theme? Tough one, but it has to be Colossal Coaster World! I think that this theme took our church through the roof with the thrills and excitement. After a drop-off in VBS attendance in the past few years, we had our highest attendance record, yet!

4. You might be a VBS geek if….  For the 2013 VBS preview in Ridgecrest, I convinced 3 elderly women from our VBS staff and my younger sister to all pack into a sardine can of a car, go to North Carolina for the 2013 preview event (and did I mention I even convinced them to dress up in full costume with me? We went as a clown, Ice cream cone, a bumper car, a crazy tourist who loves roller coasters, and a Carnival Barker.)

5. What makes you keep doing VBS? I think it’s the enjoyment of making the week of VBS impact our visitors’ lives as much as possible. Seeing how the kids enjoy VBS is really something else. At this point in time, My sister and I are the only youth who regularly attend the church. I and all the other willing volunteers are struggling to get young people into the church. All I can say is to please pray for our church as well as the churches that are dealing with the same situation so that we can experience a growth of young people interested in Jesus.