Vacation Bible School

I'm not really sure which children's ministry committee came up with the idea of calling the original intensive summer fun bible program "Vacation Bible School," but I'd like to have a chat with them. It's certainly anything but a vacation for all of the volunteers! Also, it more closely resembles a zoo than children in a church building. Crazy stuff, seriously. I think that I heard my name called tonight more than this entire summer put together. Not kidding. If I had time to enjoy it, I might've felt special, but I was too busy running around fulfilling the requests or answering the questions that followed my name. It sounds like I'm complaining, but just between you and me, I thrive on that high-stress, busy, chaotic atmosphere...at least for the first 30 minutes. Overall, the first night of VBS was a hit, with only a few minor glitches- like 200 kids instead of the 120 we planned for. Just another example of how God shows us his power and that we are never in control. I bet he chuckled tonight as he watched us scramble to accomodate all of the kids. They are so precious, and I'm incredibly fortunate to be in such a great place with such energetic children and willing teen and adult volunteers.

Several different things that happened tonight at VBS are in tough competition for the highlight of my evening. First, Grant Boone*** and his mad crazy dance skills on the auditorium stage. Call me crazy, but I don't think pelvic thrusting is allowed, even at Highland. Better than that, though, was him flexing his muscles and talking about his "guns" on stage to a bunch of 3-10 year olds. I'm interested to hear how many kids went home and told their parents that Teacher Grant had a gun at VBS. Second was the youth minister walking around with his baby in one of those baby pouch things that you wear like a backwards backpack(called a Snugli, I recently found out,) with that baby kicking his legs and smiling like I'd never seen. I saw him at least three times tonight, and he was smiling every time. Third was Barrett, who feels the need to give me a jump hug every time he sees me (which I love) and fourth was talking to the boys that were in my third grade Wednesday night class, Devin and Drew (also known as SpongeBob and SuperDrew. Seriously, every time I see him, I have to ask him who he is.) I absolutely love the relationships that I've built with these kids since I really started working with them last Fall. I feel so incredibly blessed.

Coming into this summer, I honestly did not feel like I would ever be capable of handling my own children's ministry, and therefore felt that I would probably end up teaching. I still don't know what I'm going to do, and while I am no doubt still incapable of handling a children's ministry on my own, this summer I have gained the experience and the confidence to know that I could definitely be a "real live" children's minister, with a little (or a lot) of help from God and volunteers, and that's SO exciting!
 
***Correction:  Grant Boone was not actually "pelvic thrusting," that part was more joke than correct, although I stand by my story on the rest of it.  And yes, it was definitely one of my favorite parts of the night.