VBS 2010 Preamble Report

Vacation Bible School is around the corner and I am the Camp Master once more. It is a joy to be able to serve the Lord in such a small way - I pray that this joy will remain over the years to come. :)

Here is the article I wrote for the church bulletin:

Vacation Bible School 2010 Preamble Report

“BE OUTSTANDING - Standing up for what is Right!”

The theme of our VBS, “BE OUTSTANDING”, is a call for the children to stand up for what is right; that is, what is right in the eyes of God. Often times, we find ourselves caught in situations where choosing what is good to God seems foolish because so many of the people around us choose otherwise.

What do we do with peer pressure? How should we respond to the truth claims of the Bible?

Lessons include a thrilling learning journey through the events of world history, past and present, and the biblical account of the life and death of Jesus Christ. We will explore how Man, in his limited and sin-flawed capacity, has lacked the knowledge and moral compass to reliably determine what is right, resulting in the false truth claims of Evolution, the Nazi regime, the disbelief at the idea of manned flight, and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Just as the crowd today was wrong in so many things, the crowd in Jesus’ day was wrong about Him.

This year, the VBS has been specially tailored for both Christian and non-Christian children. The Christian child will be challenged to live a life pleasing to Christ, to love God rather than the praise of their peers, while the non-Christian child will be shown the reality of the Saviour and their overwhelming need for Him.

VBS 2010 will also attempt to integrate the theme into all activities, reinforcing the lessons and hopefully making them more memorable. This is something new and we hope to be able to achieve this in a meaningful and fun way through songs, games, art & craft and the finale night presentation.

Pray for the children to come, so the lost can be saved and the Christians can be edified.

Pray for the volunteers as they labour in the harvest and pray for more to step forward!

Pray for the committee members, that we will not just plan well but also pray well.

VBS 2010 Camp Master

Daniel

Our Vacation Bible School (Repost)

Here's an old article I wrote for my church bulletin back in 15 Nov 2009... 

 

OUR VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

John 10:16 (NKJV)
"And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd."

Reminiscing of our Vacation Bible School in years past is a delightful thing. As a young helper, I recall being such a playful rascal; playing more than helping! I got through the nights with as little sleep as possible while conquering the morning sessions with catnaps in-between (sometimes during!) activities. Then when I did work, I remember trying to get the children to listen as speakers retold wondrous stories and lessons from the Bible. Of course, there were the fun times, struggling to motivate "shy" (only on stage) children to memorise their scripts so their parents can understand the skits on Finale Night.

Today, our VBS has seen some interesting changes. Now we have day camps with just one stay-over night. This year, we are doing everything in-house; all speakers, teachers and manpower are from Grace B-P Church. A puppet show replaced the traditional skit last year. In addition, we have had chocolate fondue parties, barbeques, post-VBS outings and more.
But have things really changed? I think not.

For the children still manage to exhaust the helpers' energies, the children still get to listen to the precious Word of God, and the children still perform for their parents on Finale Night. The children remain the heart of our VBS and through this multifaceted ministry we have an opportunity for Gracians to labour in service to their Saviour, a place where the lost child may be found by the Good Shepherd and an avenue to extend the saving grace of Jesus Christ to the parents. Finally, the VBS is still a part of Grace B-P Church. It belongs to us.

See the words of our Lord in John 10:16. We are the sheep who have been called by the Shepherd but there are yet many outside the fold. What shall we do? Hear the urgency in His answer - "...them also I must bring".

So come forward and help in any way you can - we still have room for more. Keep our VBS and her helpers in prayer - we need wisdom and strength for the planning and operation. Pray for the salvation of souls, both of the children and the parents. May God give us a passion to serve Him with a heart for the lost.

Daniel Tan
Camp Master
VBS Committee 2009

It is interesting to look at old (in this case, not THAT old) article and see my atrocious writing...