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For as long as I can remember, I’ve been involved in VBS in some way. I have been in VBS since preschool but the earliest thing I can remember is going to the market during the Jerusalem themed week.

Every year, the theme changed and that’s part of what made it so exciting. It was like every VBS was completely different each season and it made the experience better overall.

As I went from a participant to a volunteer, the role was different but I still felt very much a part of VBS because I was involved in the day to day activities.

The experience was something that reinforced what I had already learned at Sunday school and other church-related activities I participated in.

VBS is something that I’ve looked forward to each year as a child and it’s something that I still feel is important to me since I get to spend time with children and grow as a leader.

It's cool to grow relationships with kids on a personal level and watch them become more confident. They begin asking and answering questions and as a leader, it's extremely rewarding to watch them mature and transform.

We all have dreams, right? 

At MCC, our dream is simple; mutual transformation for the glory of God.

I have another dream too.

I dream of a revival spreading through our local middle and high schools with MCC youth group kids on the front lines, battling it out in prayer and with Jesus’ love.

I dream of a church where the years between the 6^th and the 12^th grades are a time to learn what it looks like to take up a cross daily and to live a life worthy of our calling.

Here’s the cool part: my dream is coming true!

I think that as a church, MCC has traditionally underestimated its youth and bought into the lie that young people in our church are capable of no more than avoiding doing drugs and shoplifting.

We’ve believed that spiritually, it’s good enough for our youth to just “stay out of trouble”. What garbage!

You see, there’s a reason Satan has taken the time to feed us this garbage- it’s because he fears God’s plans for these kids! He fears their passion and their willingness to throw off traditionalism to ask “why?”, and with good reason. I’ve been blessed to see the capacity of 15 mid-highers when they see something they want to change and it’s powerful!

So what can we do to invest in Christianity’s next generation? Here are some ideas:

• We’re looking for a fun, youth-oriented man to join our leadership team.

• If you have some life experience you could share, we have a HUGE need for people to take on a middle or high schooler in a discipleship relationship.

• If you’re a ministry leader, look for ways to open up student leadership positions. Show some trust in a student, and allow God to work through them.

• Anyone and everyone can invite the 6th-12th graders in their lives to join us on Thursdays at 6:00 PM for weekly Youth Group.

There are a thousand opportunities and ways to harness the potential of the youth at MCC that I haven’t even thought of yet, but you know your needs better than I ever could, and we’re always open to suggestions, so keep dreaming with me!

In the Spring of 2016, Ellen felt like God was calling her to contribute something to the MCC family that had been her church home for just a year. 

Although she had attended both Catholic and Lutheran churches, she considered herself a new Christian.  After years as a nurse, always on-call, she didn’t feel like she was able to commit a huge amount of time to ministry, but she knew that she wanted to serve somehow.

And like He often does, God opened a door!

Ellen heard about the need for a volunteer at the Farmer’s Market held in MCC’s parking lot. She thought, “I love Mountain Christian Church, and like talking about tomatoes, so I thought it would be a good fit!”

She was a little nervous on her first day volunteering. She asked Pastor Frank, “Do I have to sing? Do I have to dance? What should I do? I’m not sure if I’m ready to be a witness for Christ yet!” Luckily, Frank’s response was that she just needed to be herself!

Isn’t that what God calls us to do; to be genuine, honest and available? As we allow relationships to grow, we find that by being available, we have the chance to share the Gospel.  

You see, the Farmer’s Market ministry isn’t about tomatoes, farmers or selling honey. It’s about building relationships, it’s about building community, and most importantly -- it’s about allowing God to use you when the time is right!

Each week before serving at the Farmer’s Market, Ellen lifts this prayer up to God, “Guide my hands, Lord. Lead me to those you want me to speak to. Holy Spirit, open my eyes and my ears that I would be aware of how you might use me today.”

What would happen if we each lifted up that prayer every day? Imagine the ways that God would use us; if we only made ourselves available.

In the end, Ellen said that it was the Farmer’s Market Ministry that has grown her as a Christian……not the other way around!

It’s easy to enter into a new endeavor thinking we are going to completely rework it, rebuild it, or change it; and then before you know it, it transforms you! That’s God’s work in us.

Look for Ellen, and other MCC volunteers, at the Cedar Crest Farmer's Market beginning June 7th in the MCC parking lot!

One of the greatest privileges in this life is watching God’s pursuit of someone.

Mandy seemed too cool for VBS.  She was just visiting for the summer, living with her grandma who happened to be the neighbor of a family that attend Mountain Christian Church.  The kids in the family had spent quite a bit of time with Mandy and had invited her to join them for Mountain’s VBS. 

Things didn’t exactly go off without a hitch.  On Day 1, Mandy seemed overwhelmed by all the music and dancing (and possibly, all the adults pretending to be spies), preferring to stand in the back and watch. 

On Day 2, she wouldn’t even participate in the games. 

On Day 3, I asked all the volunteers to pray for her; and on that day, she participated only in the craft time…and loved it.  While creating something, Mandy opened up to me about her love for art.  Suddenly, she couldn’t stop talking. 

On Day 4, I caught Mandy dancing and singing along during music time. 

And on Day 5….

On Day 5, we had an excellent Bible teaching about how the Holy Spirit comes to live in our hearts and fill our lives.  We’d spent the previous 4 days walking through the gospel, step by step.  The teaching for Day 5 was the culmination of it all.  Afterward, while we were walking down to game time at the basketball court, Mandy asked about the lyrics to a song we’d been singing all week:

“God is the real deal…not a figure on the wall”

“What does that mean?” she asked.  “How is God different from Buddha or saints or anything else?”

I about jumped out of my skin, I was so excited.  We spend so much time telling kids stuff. She was asking.

What ensued was one of the best conversations I’ve ever had with anyone about who God really is, why He is different from all other gods, and how having a relationship with Him is possible.  Yeah—I told her how much He loved her too.

During snack time, I asked Mandy if she’d ever read anything out of the Bible.  She said she didn’t own one, as she’d only been to church a few times.  She was pretty thrilled as I set out a number of Bibles for her to choose from to take home for her very own. 

We talked over the importance of seeking God in His word, as He has revealed so much of Himself on those pages.  I wrote a little note on the inside cover and gave her a few suggestions on where to start.  Her ride arrived shortly after, but when she was almost out the door, she turned back around and ran to give me a huge bear hug.

The woman who drove Mandy home that day said that she’d spent her time in the car asking the other kids about their favorite Bible verses so that she could look them up and mark them in her Bible.

I don’t know where Mandy is now or what she is doing; but I do know that God was after her that week. 

It struck me that every piece of the VBS program…the music, the crafts, the teaching, the games, the snacks, the donated Bibles, those who invited her, and those who drove her, were all used by God to draw her heart to His own.  Every single volunteer had a hand in God’s pursuit of Mandy and 80 other kids that year. 

Could there be a greater privilege than to be used by our heavenly Father to open a child’s eyes to the truth?

Now, I must fully disclose all the facts: VBS is work.  VBS costs.  If you are to lend a hand in any capacity for VBS, you will sacrifice time or money or energy or sanity all of these and more. 

However, the transformation that is wrought during that week (and don’t think that I’m just referring to the kids) is so much greater than the cost that it is not worthy of comparison with it. 

And I’ve said nothing of the parents we serve and the ways in which entire families are impacted that week.  Have I told you about my friend who only started coming to Mountain Christian Church because her son attended VBS? 

How we had the privilege of witnessing her coming to accept Jesus as her savior months before she passed away?  Well…a story for another time. 

Would you prayerfully consider being a part of VBS this July?  Come experience the privilege of being a part of God’s pursuit of these precious kids in our community! 

I can say this with confidence: you’ll never be the same!

Visit our VBS page to learn about how you can get involved!

 When a fellow church member asked me several years ago to volunteer at Care Net Pregnancy Center as a counselor, my first response was “No … I can’t possibly counsel a pregnant teen … I have never even been pregnant … How can I possibly help?” 

My hesitance was reversed when I learned that Care Net provided training for volunteers.  I then realized that if Care Net was willing to take a chance on me, I would be willing to serve.

You see, my serving through Care Net has brought me full circle. I can look back now and see how God has transformed me throughout my walk with Him. How God used my past experiences to shape how I now serve Him.

When I was 17, with no gospel foundation, I took a friend for a pregnancy test.  She was not in a stable relationship, she was young, and she was afraid. But after she tested positive, I, in all my youthful wisdom, I “counseled” my friend to have an abortion. 

By God’s grace, she absolutely could not.  And now, 35 years later, I’ve witnessed my friend’s devotion as a single parent and I am blessed to know her beautiful daughter.

I stand in awe of God’s plan for my friend and for me, knowing this could have been a very different story. 

Care Net has thousands of stories about women and children whom they have loved, served, counseled and stood alongside.  Stories like Jenny’s:

“Jenny” was 15 when she came to Care Net for a pregnancy test.  The test was positive.  While a CN Advocate talked with Jenny about her plans to continue school through the pregnancy, Jenny’s mother arrived at the clinic unexpectedly.  The Advocate assisted Jenny in sharing the news with her mother. 

Despite the mother’s ‘worst nightmare’ fears, our Advocate was able to describe what Jenny and her baby’s future could look like: “In three years, Jenny will be walking across the graduation stage with your 3-year-old grandchild to pick up her diploma; can you picture that?”  After a moment’s pause, Jenny’s mother slowly smiled and said “Yes. I can.” Today, Jenny is continuing her education and continues to benefit from Care Net counseling and resources.  As Jenny’s Advocate told her mother, “Your daughter is NOT going to let this stop her from achieving her goals and dreams; God has a plan and a future for this child.”   

My story is full circle.  From a naïve 17-year-old, full of false wisdom, to a dedicated servant of the Lord, assisting young women to make Godly decisions in the place I was least prepared to.  How has God used YOU where you least expected it? 

For more information about Care Net and volunteer training, please go to http://carenetabq.org/