Peter Witkowski Evangelism, Summer Camps, Vacation Bible School

The State Of VBS 2015

State of VBS 2015The dragon flies are deflated, the posters are rolled up, and the sanctuary….well…looks like a sanctuary again. VBS 2015 is over. But the legacy continues.

Despite having to adjust to some big changes (switching curriculum, and replacing meals with snacks) FBCE had a great VBS.  I actually think it may have been one of our best VBS’s ever. We hosted over 250 kids and averaged about 201 kids each night, including 60+ kids who rode the bus. Our kids also raised $413.80 for IMB missionaries! And if you subtract the bus team’s one bumpy night, you could say most things went phenomenally well.

VBS Attendance 2015The kids seemed to enjoy every aspect of VBS. They were wowed by the craft team’s projects. (Finger painting is pretty cool.) The kids embraced the music, rocking the choreography. And, they were all about doing relays during game time. The kids also gave snacks a resounding thumbs up all week! (Who doesn’t love cheese puffs, Rice Krispy Treats, and popsicles?) By the end of the week, the kids where even getting on and off the bus with ease. All in all, VBS 2015 was a phenomenal success. God has been good to us!

But our biggest accomplishment was not organization. Our biggest accomplishment was teaching and living out the gospel. All week long, our teachers did a great job preaching the gospel. Each night, the kids left knowing that they were sinners who had access to a savior. They also left each night having experienced the love of Chrisvbs 2015 Class Roster Sizet. All the kids were warmly welcomed, encouraged, and loved on by our adult leaders. After the closing ceremony on Friday, I had several parents (visitors and church members) tell me that their kids had an amazing week! Kids came and saw the amazing beauty of our Jesus and of his church.

I am very thankful for all who helped. I know that you sacrificed much to make this week a success. God had blessed your efforts!

I also wish to thank the Lifeway staff for creating The Journey Off The Map curriculum. It was gospel centered, easy to use, and full of great activities. FBCE loved it!

But the work is not done! About a quarter of the students who attended VVBS Kids By Church 2015BS 2015 are unchurched. We want to reach them (and all lost kids) for Christ. Working towards that end, FBCE is launching its first ever Connect Camp this Thursday at 8 AM. The camp will run the next four Thursdays, seeking to connect kids to Jesus and his church. Please be praying for God to work and redeem today’s kids!

What did you and your kids like the most about VBS 2015?

Peter Witkowski Vacation Bible School

What Our VBS Says About Homosexual Marriage

gay marriage blogFriday (June 26) was a huge day for us! The Supreme Court made self-actualization the highest law of the land, and FBCE wrapped up Vacation Bible School. I know, typically those two things would be non-sequiturs. But this week our VBS curriculum had a lot to say about homosexual marriage. (No, our theme was not sexual ethics. We used Lifeway’s Journey off the Map) All week, students at FBCE studied the Life of Daniel and his friends. And we saw how Daniel lived faithfully for God in a pagan, unbiblical society. Instead of being crushed by the Persian and Babylonian cultures, Daniel exceled in godliness and became a political guru.

And while I am not excited about the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize homosexual marriage, I am also not afraid of the court’s actions. Christians can live for God in a hostile world. We can thrive in the midst of pagan humanism and persecution. God is faithful and cares for his people all over the world. He supported and sustained Daniel. He supported Paul and Peter in Rome. He has and will always care for his people! We don’t need to panic. We need to trust God today.

Day3And there is a good chance things will get worse. We may soon face laws restricting our faith just like Daniel did. It’s quite possible WordPress, Twitter, and others will begin banning anti-gay speech. Here’s why:

The recent ruling has given the homosexual community most everything they want.  And they truly think that the ability to freely marry will make them happy. But lighting up the White House with rainbow colors won’t fulfill them. No amount of sexual expression can bring us lasting joy. Only Christ satisfies our souls. As the days plod along, society will once again feel angst. And I fear homosexuals will blame “bigoted” Christians for their troubled consciences.  If everyone accepted homosexuals, they wouldn’t feel bad. Or so they think. Thus, homosexuals will begin looking for ways to eliminate all negative comments about their sexuality. Even today, newspapers have begun banning anti-gay letters from the editorial pages. Soon they will want to monitor our homes and churches.

Again, we don’t need to panic. But we need to understand where America stands. And then, we should strive to be like modern day Daniel’s by doing the following.  First, we help our kids understand the Biblical view of marriage, by modeling it and talking about it. Second, we can remember that being a Christian equals enmity with the world. We fight against the sins of pornography, greed and selfishness that infect our hearts. And lastly, we demonstrate the love of Christ by caring for all our neighbors (regardless of their sexual expression). Are you ready to live in a post-Christian world?

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. – Romans 12:2

Here are some other great resources discussing homosexual marriage:

Everything Has Changed and Nothing Has Changed – The Supreme Court Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage

Here We Stand: An Evangelical Declaration on Marriage

The Only Decision That Matters

Parenting in A Gay Marriage World. What Should Christians Do?

Is God Anti Gay? 

Peter Witkowski Vacation Bible School

5 Reasons Why VBS Is A Big Deal

 

i-love-vbs

Ah…Vacation Bible School, there is nothing like it. Screaming kids, water games, snacks with gummy worms hidden in them. What kid wouldn’t be up for a week of summer fun? (I was always ready for some gummies and water balloons!) Hopefully, we adults are also getting bit with the VBS excitement bug! Sure we have to manage all those sugar filled, crazy kids. But hosting a great VBS is worth the cost! Here are my top five reason VBS is a big deal!

1.  VBS Connects Us To Our Community! 

Yes, some kids spend their entire summer hoping from one VBS to the next. When they drop into our VBS, we should be thankful! Each time we connect with a new family, we develop a better picture of what our community is really like. VBS will help us to better understand how to ministry to our neighborhoods.

2. VBS Demonstrates The Love Of Christ!

Bible believing Christianity is increasingly unpopular in our culture. If we affirm biblical marriage and label sin as sin, we wkids free 1ill be unpopular and perhaps even labeled as bigots. 

One of the best means for fighting against the angry Christian stereotype is to love our neighbors. VBS gives us the chance us to do just that! As we serve our neighbors’ and co-workers’ kids, we can dispel many of the myths that surround our church. Remember the words of Paul: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:21).

VBS provides our church a premium stage for wowing the world with the love of Christ! Remember the words of our savior, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). Let’s highlight God’s love this summer by loving kids via VBS!

3. VBS Fulfills The Great Commission!

Evangelism is not just something missionaries do. Nor is it something we do “out there.” Jesus said all of us are to be making disciples (Math 28:18-20)! We need to be sharing the gospel in Asia. But, we also must talk about the good news of Jesus in our towns, homes, and ballparks! VBS gives us an amazing venue for reaching and discipling the kids in our community! By participating in VBS, we get to experience the joy of obeying Jesus’ mission call!

4. VBS Connects Us To The Unchurched! 

Many kids only come to church during VBS. By breaking out the wacky games, we can reach the usually unreachable. VBS expands the reach of the gospel into our community introducing Christ to kids who have never sat in a pew before. 

5. VBS Can Lead To Redemption!

This is the big one. We have VBS every year because God saves. We welcome kids to church this summer because God uses VBS leaders to open the eyes of the blind. And I’m not talking about just the back kids. I’ve heard many reports of “good” church kids getting saved during VBS. Anytime the gospel is present, the Holy Spirit can move in powerful ways! He often works through VBS. Let’s hope and pray that God uses our VBS to bring many to salvation!

And now it’s your turn! Why is VBS a big deal to you and your church family?

Click Here To Register For VBS @ Amissville Baptist Church!