Vacation Bible School is an important ministry to Calvary’s children and other children in our community. Lola, who was baptized yesterday, is evidence for that claim. She shared that she accepted Christ during our “Colossal Coaster World” VBS several years ago. The 2017 edition of VBS is right around the corner – June 26-30. I hope you will keep today’s blog post focusing on VBS handy and use it to pray for VBS in these weeks of final preparations as well as during VBS week.

VBS theme verse:  He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. (Colossians 1:15-16)

 
Here are suggestions for getting started in prayer:
 
The theme of VBS this year is this: When we gaze up at the vast and beautiful universe God created, we learn how great and awesome He is. When we realize what Jesus did for us by dying for our sins, we learn how personal and loving He is. Pray that every child will understand, remember, and respond to these lessons.
 
Ask the Lord to prepare the hearts of the children who attend VBS to learn about Him and respond to Him.
 
VBS requires many willing hands. Pray for all the VBS workers, but especially for the team leaders who have been hard at work for months. They are: Diana Aksel, Valerie Dyer, Jamie Gilbert, Marisa Hamilton, Berta Juarez, Kristy Lopez, Jeanne Martelle, Mark Newport, Paula Porter, Linda Robins, and Kim Sams.
 
Pray that the leaders and workers would not focus on the details of how things look or how things go but that they would view their service in VBS as an act of worship.
 
Praise God for the success of the supply drive. Pray for provision of funds to purchase enough evangecubes to send one home with each child.  (In case you don’t know, an evangecube is a small cube with a picture on each face that is used to review and share the gospel message.)
 
Praise God for all the adult and teen workers who have signed up to help. A few more adults are needed to work as class guides or in the nursery.
 
One purpose of VBS is outreach to our community. Ask the Lord to show all of us whom we might invite.
 
Pray that every aspect of VBS would be child-friendly and Christ-centric.
 
Pray that children will understand the gospel message. Acknowledge before the Lord that He is the one who works in children’s hearts; He is the one who saves. Pray that we adults will do our part faithfully, explaining and living out the gospel, and trust God to do His work in His time.
 
Pray that children who have already accepted Christ will grow in their faith during VBS week.
 
Pray that VBS will help children develop a heart for the physical and spiritual needs of others. They will have the opportunity to donate baby supplies to Serenity Christian Services, which places children locally in foster homes, and to learn about the lives of people in Poland in the Missions room.
 
Pray that the children will be able to focus, exercise self-control, and keep from distracting one another during teaching times.

Pray that children will share what they are doing and learning at VBS with their families. Pray especially for children from unchurched families. Ask the Lord to use this VBS experience to draw these families to Himself. Pray that they will attend Calvary some Sunday and feel warmly welcomed.

Dozens of our junior and senior high students are serving in VBS by helping with worship, drama, games, and classroom time. Pray that they will have a great, positive impact on the younger kids and that they themselves will learn from the Lord during VBS week.

Ask God to bless every worker with good health and ample energy all week long, June 26-30.

Pray that every VBS worker will radiate the love and joy of the Lord in every circumstance.
 
In Christ,
Carol Gilbert
Calvary Community Church of Brea