Not Your Normal VBS Story?

A 22-year-old guy…dancing and jumping around with a bunch of kids…wearing a tiger bandana and tiger ears…having the same amount of energy as the kids…listening to VBS music in the car for months…spending his personal money on VBS materials instead of going out with friends to eat out…studying and praying for VBS instead of looking for a job, and even turning down some offers just so he can do VBS…committing to doing 2 VBS’s in one week...investing in younger students so they can lead VBS. This doesn’t sound like a normal 22-year-old guy.

I’ve heard so many VBS stories. According to LifeWay Research, in 2017 alone there were 65,301 salvation decisions from VBS. So what makes my story stand out? I really don’t know. 

My first VBS was in 2001 at Cleveland First Baptist Church. A family friend told my mom about this thing called “VBS” and mom signed me up. That’s where it started. Each and every summer many kids look forward to vacations. I always, and still, looked forward to VBS the most. Why would a kid look forward to VBS more than a vacation? 

I would always look forward to getting there on the first day of VBS and seeing what our theme was. I remember them clearly. I also remember learning so much about the Bible. Music was always a favorite class of mine. The music was filled with Biblical truths. I learned sign language from doing the motions to the VBS songs. I remember the fun crafts. I remember the themed snacks. There was one year where we sat on the floor on mats like some of the people of Japan. Recreation was always filled with fierce competition. It was during VBS that I developed a passion for missions. In 2001, my dad went on his first mission trip. As a kid I wondered why he would leave mom and me for a week. It was in missions class that I learned that people went to other countries to tell others about Jesus. It was in missions class that I learned about something called the Great Commission. As a kid, God used missions class to plant a seed, a seed that would eventually grow into the passion I have for missions today. 

In 2007, I made a decision during VBS that would change my life. No matter what the theme, every year we talked about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We would then talk about how we could have a relationship with God by trusting Him with our lives. There would always be an ABC song, some of which are still stuck in my head, that explained how we could respond to the Gospel. June 6, 2007 was the day I asked Jesus to be the Savior and Lord of my life. I actually prefer to celebrate this birth date rather than my real birthday. 

My last VBS as a participant was in 2009, at the end of my 6^thgrade year. It wouldn’t be long before I was serving. My first year serving at VBS was in 2010. Since then, I believe I’ve done a little of every task you can do at VBS. 

I continued to do VBS even when I moved churches in 2017. It was during that year that I did my first “double.” For the last two years, I’ve served at both Cleveland and Gardendale’s VBS in the same week! It’s crazy!!! Who would do that? When people ask me how or why, I answer, “The Holy Spirit.” What else could give me the strength to endure 2 VBS’s in one week?

On the first day of VBS 2018, I was serving at Gardendale First Baptist Church and the lead teacher I was helping pulled me aside and told me that I needed to be leading this class next year. Me? Out of all the people she could have asked, she asked me. I prayed about it and by the end of the week, I knew that come VBS 2019, God wanted me to be a lead teacher. In June 2018, I started praying for God to give me a team of young people that I could invest in and train. My goal was to help develop them as leaders. I didn’t want or need to be doing everything while they were on the sidelines. I wanted them teaching, serving, and leading. Two of my team members went to Guatemala with me in July of last year. I observed how they served and was truly impressed. Our kids team invited me to a VBS conference in Nashville in January. I learned so many valuable skills on how to become a better leader. The lord has truly blessed me with a wonderful team for VBS 2019 at GFBC. 

I say “Yes” to VBS because I want to be a part of someone’s salvation story. I want to share the Gospel with as many kids as possible. I want to plant as Gospel seeds as possible. I may never see the outcome of what God does this year at VBS in this life. But it’s worth it!

Tonight begins my 19^thconsecutive year of doing VBS.  There are probably thousands of other stories similar to mine. But what if? What if my VBS story is not so normal? What if my passion for VBS and sharing the Gospel with kids is not so normal? Could VBS have been the launching point that God used to lead me to something I never even considered? What if I’m on the brink of finding out? Whatever the result, I know this for a fact…my life was changed on June 6, 2007 and my relationship with Jesus Christ is what defines my life. He has done and will continue to do incredible things in my life as long as He’s number 1 and I’m number 2.