Yesterday we concluded VBS. And every night of VBS began and ended with worship.
Though, I’m not sure “worship” is a big enough word for what happened.
There were lights. Loud music. Kids dancing on chairs. Snow falling from the ceiling. Kids screaming the words at the top of their lungs. At one point, I had to go find earplugs.
It was beautiful chaos.
And beneath all the noise and motion and laughter was something holy: kids learning that they are loved by God, that they belong, and that with God they are strong.
That was our VBS theme this year at Snowball Mountain: With God I am strong.
And all week long, I kept seeing little glimpses of why this matters so much.
Personally, my daughter was genuinely sad when the last night arrived. She wanted to know why VBS couldn’t last two weeks. I told her the kids might be ready for that, but the adult leaders were crawling across the finish line after four nights.
I loved seeing so many youth serving who were once the kids in the room. They remember what VBS meant to them, and now they are the ones leading motions, helping with games, welcoming younger kids, and creating the same kind of experience that shaped them. One senior boy at North Oak led games this year after years of helping in that area. It felt like a baton-passing moment. That is what new generations look like: not just kids receiving ministry, but young people discovering they have something meaningful to give.
There was a little girl who doesn’t normally go to church who, after the first night, asked her aunt if they could “go to Jesus.” She meant VBS. She meant church. And honestly, I can’t think of a better description.
At our Gladstone Campus, a dad was nervous to leave his six-year-old son, who has special needs and is non-verbal. Like any parent, he wanted to know his child would be safe, welcomed, and loved. And he was. He had a great time. And when his dad picked him up, he was excited and grateful that his son had been so fully included in the excitement of the week.
And then there was the God Sighting Wall at Gladstone, where kids answered the question, “Where have you seen God lately?” They saw God in friends, leaders, creation, and the energy of the week.
This is why VBS matters.
It is not only crafts and games and snacks and songs, though all of those matter. It is one of the ways we become a vibrant Christian movement in the heart of our community, igniting hope and meaningful change for new generations.
This week, hope looked like kids singing too loudly. It looked like teenagers leading younger kids. It looked like a child asking to “go to Jesus.” It looked like a nervous parent realizing his son was safe and loved. It looked like children learning to notice God all around them.
To every person who made VBS possible: thank you. Whether you were leading a crew, preparing snacks, teaching a lesson, running games, helping with check-in, decorating spaces, dancing through motions, cleaning up messes, comforting a nervous child, or quietly doing the unseen work that made the week possible — thank you.
Because of you, a whole lot of kids got to “go to Jesus” this week.
And they discovered that with God, they are strong.
Peace,
Matt
P.S. We’re finishing our Lord’s Prayer series this Sunday, and I’d love for you to be there. We’ll talk about the final words of the prayer and how they can give us real hope in our everyday lives.
