VBS: God's Provision and the Ministry of Presence
Jun 29 4:03 PM

VBS: God's Provision and the Ministry of Presence

Jun 29 4:03 PM
Jun 29 4:03 PM

Nicole Barker has been a part of MCC's Vacation Bible School for 10 years. She's seen the best of VBS and been challenged by VBS. She's seen awesome teachers, awesome children and an awesome God who always provides and who is constantly reaching out and drawing near to those who love Him, seek Him and many times to those who are hearing His name for the very first time! This is her end of year review after VBS 2013.  

The theme of VBS 2013 for me personally has been GOD’s Provision. God has been providing every step of the way. In the beginning we needed to put a team of VBS workers together, and God kept bringing people to us wanting to help with VBS. Our biggest ‘hole’ was a Preschool Leader – a very BIG job!

I was ready to take Preschool out of VBS, but Val suggested we wait to see what God would do. Sure enough, a perfect Preschool Leader volunteered, and worked hard to get her plans together in a week.

GOD gave our workers fabulous ideas! Registration became a ‘Ticket Counter’ to ‘purchase’ tickets for “Joe’s Time Travel Adventures”! A ‘silly idea’ about drawing pictures became a week long art class creating a Keepsake book that shares the Gospel for each child to take home.

We needed a helper to ‘shadow’ a specific child. We had a young lady attend MCC the morning that we announced the need for VBS workers, and she volunteered.

At one of our meetings, we shared the need for a ‘shadow’ helper. She called me a couple of days later saying that she could not stop thinking about the little boy. She talked with the mother, and a Match was made! The little boy related to her in a very special way. They will continue their friendship even after VBS is over.

The week leading up to VBS we had a guest at our planning meeting, and she said, “I can do that!” to all of our last minute needs! What a burden she took off of us!

The day before VBS started our last ‘holes’ were filled: a couple of Tour Guide Assistants and other helpers. Every day we had a small ‘hole’, but I was never worried; I just waited to see who God would bring. On Thursday a dad came to VBS. He had taken the day off of work to be at VBS to observe and to fill in wherever he was needed. We needed some awnings put up quickly because it looked like rain; he was there to get them up. Then a Tour Guide Leader had to leave early because her child became ill. The dad took her group and carried on beautifully! WHY would a dad be at VBS ‘just because’? Because GOD was providing!

I needed a substitute for the Tour Guide Leader for Friday. I asked someone and she was unavailable, but she suggested someone else. That person agreed – and is the mother of the Tour Guide Assistant for that group – one of my last minute Assistants! GOD put mother and son into the same group from the very beginning.

We had a last minute idea to purchase t-shirts for all of the children. GOD provided the screen-printer AND volunteers to coordinate the tie-dying. The bill for the shirts was over $800, and only half of the money had come in. The t-shirt coordinator was worried about the difference. What do you suppose God did? Yep, He brought in all but $40 to cover the bill. The t-shirt coordinator was ready to write a check for the difference, but I challenged her to wait and see what God would do.

And that does not include the small things: someone had acetaminophen for a worker who was getting a migraine; someone else had a thermometer to check the temperature of a little one; teens cleaned up trash after a bear visited the dumpster – more than once! (and I didn’t hear a single complaint!) Tour-Guides were patient and flexible when things didn’t go exactly as planned; Children attended who had never heard the name Jesus except as a curse word; they had never heard of Noah’s ark or Moses! These children heard that Jesus died for their sins!

What a pleasure it was to watch GOD provide for the little ones to hear HIS GOOD NEWS!

To GOD be the Glory!

How have you every experienced God stepping up to meet you, moment after moment, day after day? Have you seen and recognized His hand in your life today? How he provided when you least expected? Be watching, He does it ALL the time and we get to see it if only we have the eyes to see!

 

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