I know that people are often frustrated that people “just use VBS for daycare”—but if we think about it, that is also a real need, and meeting that need is a real ministry. Daycare is expensive and people’s dollars are very stretched right now. And parents are always a little stretched for time: kids take a lot of attention and energy, and we can ease the way a little for the parents while making the kids happy at the same time.

The curriculum I’ve selected is science-focused: Wild Wonder. This is one more kind of seed that I’d like to plant: that science and God are completely compatible. There is a popular prejudice in certain communities that religious people are anti-science, and we can plant some seeds in young children (and hopefully their families as well) that that prejudice is just not true. God, who created the world and all of its processes, delights in that world, and delights as well in our discoveries of how things work.

And finally, VBS is a little bit of an experiment for us: we’ll see how we do in terms of pulling together enough volunteers for a project like this one. If it’s sustainable, we can continue the practice next year.

Grace and peace to you as you go about your week, and I’ll see you in church!

Becky

Prayer

Holy and compassionate God, as we look around, we see such a variety of needs. Move our hearts, that we might pull together and focus on addressing even just one at a time. Help us to sustain our awareness of your continued work in the world, even as we recognize that you ask that we participate in that work. Bless our upcoming VBS. Help us to keep it right-sized, and to view it as a kind of outreach that works in many ways, and help us to participate in showing your love for all of your creation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.