What are your earliest memories of Bible School? I was in Kindergarten, or at least that is the first one I remember. Our stories, crafts, snacks and games were all done in the classroom.
I do not remember much other than I felt loved, I wanted to go back and we made popsicle trivets. How many of you made popsicle trivets in Bible School?
The other thing I remember about the result of this Bible School is it began a journey for me which eventually led me to be a Children’s Minister and the opportunity to share the Gospel with children across the globe. All because a church invested in VBS and a teacher invested in me, a hyperactive, talkative kid who needed to know about Jesus.
So why should we do Bible School?
- VBS brings energy to our church. It brings energy to the children, our teachers, our teens and even those who are not helping.
- Last year 2.5 million attended VBS nationwide.
- Last year 155,000 unchurched families connected with a local church who would have not connected otherwise across the nation.
- 70,000 people made professions of faith across the nation.
- Over 1,300 kids responded to Gods call into ministry or missions across the nation.
- In a single week the kids at Eastern Hills Baptist Church receive 17.5 hours of intense focused Bible Study. That is equivalent to 7 months of ministry.
I look at our teens and see the passion they have for working with boys and girls. For the most part, these teens have come through our Children’s Ministry. Many of our teens are now helping to lead our classes and counseling children on how to accept Jesus as their Savior. They gave up their sleeping in for 2 weeks prior to VBS as we decorated and now showing up even earlier to work in VBS.
Bible School is worth it! It is worth our time, it is worth our effort and it is worth the cost. Thank God we have a church that loves boys and girls enough to reach the lost, and teach our kids about the great God whom we serve.
Our Church Mission Statement is to Follow God, Reach people and Teach others to do the same. Thank God that Bible School encompasses all these points.
Thanks to everyone who has worked so hard to make all of this happen. There is no way to thank everyone who helped in Bible School, but I do want to thank Jacob Myrick and Sara Golden for leading our youth in such a fantastic way! By the way, in case you didn’t know, Sara and Jacob are our two summer interns. They both grew up at Eastern Hills and are a product of a church that put children and youth as priority ministries.
I also want to thank Chris Sullivan for the spectacular videos, slides and crazy antics during our Opening Celebrations each day.
Also big thanks to Chad for all he does from moving furniture to cleaning up after sick children.
Finally a shout out to our church secretaries for picking up so many extra duties and covering for all the ministers as we work in Bible School.
Pastor Greg