Dear VBS Volunteers, Thanks for "Babysitting"

A pastor of a megachurch in town indicated that his church will never have a VBS because they don't offer a "babysitting service." Now, I don't know a lot, but there is one thing I do know - never say to your wife, OR to your friends who may tell your wife, that you're "babysitting" your own children. THAT can get you in trouble BIG TIME. But what about dismissing VBS because you're not into babysitting? Let's look into this claim a bit more.

Yes, I realize there may be some burnt out moms looking for a break and sending their kids to a neighborhood church for two hours a day for one short week in order to get caught up on housework or perhaps even read a book. So yes, I guess one could lay the claim that perhaps that burnt out Mom is "taking advantage of" the church's hospitality.

But let's turn our attention to Mom for a second. Perhaps this is not something immediately thought of when thinking of VBS, but what a ministry the church can provide to her just by giving her a break. She probably needed it. And she probably was impressed by what her son or daughter brought home with them each night from VBS.

And what did they bring home? Songs praising God. Memorized scripture verses. Bible stories so well absorbed that they could be retold. And smiles on their faces - on the kids and maybe also passed on to Mom who just got a well deserved break.

And who knows - perhaps by next year, that Mom will have become one of the volunteers herself.

So thank you all you VBS volunteers for the sacrifice and service to the Lord in dedication to teaching the children the things of God, so that when they get older, they will not depart from it! I had the privilege of being at VBS most evenings, but not as a volunteer, and I can attest that all the hard work that went into VBS paid of in the form of instilling the Word of God in those kids in a very fun and energetic way.

Not to mention the evening our pastor had an altar call and 50 kids walked down the aisles and knelt at the altar and asked Jesus to come live in their heart, including one of my own.