There are so many stories I could tell about VBS. But one stands out in my mind. The first night there was a young boy who was unwilling to come inside. In fact, he was down right determined to stay exactly where he was. The boy has trouble with things that are new and large and loud and VBS is all those things. As I walked to the parking lot I said a quick prayer, asking God to give me wisdom on how I could help this young man. The second I got to the door I could see that God had already answered my prayer. One of the boy’s leaders was right there with him. He wasn’t pressuring, he wasn’t bribing, he wasn’t forcing. He was just hanging out with him – giving the young man exactly what he needed. It took a while, but the boy eventually came inside. Some nights he was right in the middle of the action – even getting on stage to play a game. And some nights he hovered in the back of the room, more comfortable just watching from afar. But every place he was, his leader, Tim, was right there with him – just hanging out.
Our vision for VBS is that every child who comes would know that God loves them. The way that happens is through the volunteers. When a child feels loved and accepted by an adult, it is easy for them to believe that God loves and accepts him, too. Thank you, Tim, for loving and accepting our young friend. And thanks to all you VBS volunteers out there. I saw God’s love pouring out of you each and every night.
Jennifer – thanks so much for sharing this beautiful story…I always love hearing you guys say that your goal is to create an environment that makes it easy for leaders to hang out with kids. You do it year after year – good job!