Vacation Bible School – Page 2

July 7, 2015July 8, 2015 Peter Witkowski Summer Camps

Connect Camp: Moving Past VBS!

We had a great VBS this year. We hosted over 250 kids and raised $413.80 for our IMB missionaries. And everything from the snacks to crafts went well. I had several parents tell me their kids had an amazing week! I am very thankful for all those who selflessly served to make VBS 2015 a resounding success! For more infor about VBS 2015 Click Here!

But our work is not done. Almost 25% of the kids who came to VBS this year were unchurched. That’s right, at least a quarter (though I suspect the the percentage is far higher) of the kids who came to VBS were unsaved. And, they came to us. Seeking to take full advantage of this incredible opportunity to reach Eastman, FBCE launched Connect Camp on July 2.

Taking place the on the first four Thursday of July, Connect Camp exists to help the members of FBCE develop the relationships that began during VBS. From 8AM-12 Noon, we will be connecting with kids through art projects, bouncing basketballs, and learning sign language. And, we hope that loving the kids of Eastman will open doors for gospel proclamation. Our ultimate goal for Connect Camp is to see kids and their families connect with Jesus and his church.

Please join with us through prayer and/or by serving with us on Thursday mornings.

Click here for more info about Connect Camp.

The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. – Luke 10:2

June 30, 2015January 28, 2016 Peter Witkowski Evangelism, Summer Camps, Vacation Bible School

The State Of VBS 2015

State of VBS 2015 The 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.

The 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 Chris vbs 2015 Class Roster Size t. 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 V VBS Kids By Church 2015 BS 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?

June 27, 2015June 29, 2015 Peter Witkowski Vacation Bible School

What Our VBS Says About Homosexual Marriage

Friday (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.

And 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