VBS 2014: THE STORY OF DAVID
After weeks of prayer, preparation, and planning, our Vacation Bible School is finally upon us! The basement has been transformed into the world of ancient Israel thanks to the hard work of a team lead by Jeff Bigler. Exotic food, reminiscent of that ancient world is ready for the tasting in bakery (lead by Kathy Green and Rhonda Rodak, helped by a host of others). Donna Turley and Juliana Sowinski have prepared engaging and creative crafts to help bring us into the ancient world. Another crew will be responsible for leading singing with the shepherd. A small army of adult and teen team leaders will guide the kids from station to station. Several people will be helping with registration, and a many others have helped behind the scenes. Denny Green is our faithful and fearless director.
Our theme this year will be the story of David. Incredibly, the Bible gives David high praise—it refers to David as a “man after God’s own heart.” There is definitely a lot we can learn from someone like that! What a story to tell! We will be telling the story of David in four parts this year. The first part of that story (told by Sally McDiffit) will be the story of “David, Before He is King” that will look at moments in David’s life like his encounter with the giant Goliath. On Tuesday the kids will hear the story of “David, the King of Israel,” which will cover some of David’s best victories, told by Susan Biesel. Jessica Sowinski will tell the story of “David, a Man Who Had Hard Times,” that will grapple with some of David’s lower moments. Kay Sowinski will bring the story to a close by telling of “David, a Man of Song and Prayer,” exploring the thread of worship and prayer that extends through all of David’s life. These teachers put in a lot of work to prepare, so be sure to keep them in prayer and encourage them as you can. We are confident God will bless their efforts!
The adult program has been a huge success over the last several years, and we are confident in God that we will continue to grow and be challenged by our time together. While the kids are engaged in various activities and stories downstairs, the adult will have a chance to come together for fellowship and dwelling the same stories about David. The great thing about the adult portion of VBS is that it gives us an opportunity to invite parents who bring kids to learn as well. This year, we will be lead in our stories by several talented men from our extended area. Terry Lafferty (who preaches for the North Hills church in Pittsburgh) will be kicking us off by telling the story: “David, Before He is King.” John Wright (preacher for the National Road church in Wheeling) will be continuing the discussion by telling us of “David, the King of Israel.” On Wednesday, we have the privilege of dwelling together with Scott Judge (Jamie’s brother, who is entering ministry) in the story of “David, a Man Who Had Hard Times.” Finally, Dean Miller (who preached for the Hartville congregation) will be closing our study on Thursday by considering the story, “David, A Man of Song and Prayer.” Pray for these men and our hearts as we study together, and look for folks who might be open to an invitation to join us.
Vacation Bible School is great for many reasons—not least of which is the way we come together for a common purpose. There is something energizing about us all working together in God’s mission. Throughout this week, keep working, keep praying, and keep inviting. God will do the work of transforming hearts for his glory. How amazing that we get to play a role!