VBS – Page 4 – Witkowski Blog

June 11, 2015June 15, 2015 Peter Witkowski Vacation Bible School

VBS 2015: Everything You Need to Know

In a few weeks, we will be journeying off the map with Lifeway’s VBS! I am super excited about this year’s VBS! The lime green shirts will be looking cool, the music will be rock’n, and our kids are going to be making some awesome memories! And honestly, the only thing better than the activities will be the teaching! Each day as our kids’ journey off the map, they will encounter the gospel. As they study Daniel and a bunch of other stories, our kids will see that God doesn’t want them just be good citizens. They will leave knowing that they need to repent and embrace Christ as their God. I can’t wait see how God will use us via His Word to save the lost!

As you continue to get pumped for VBS and start registering your kids at fbceastman.com, I want to keep you up-to-date on all of the latest changes:

What’s New

We switched back to Lifeway. Although I still think, Answers in Genesis produces a great VBS curriculum, I believe Lifeway is now even better. For more on the benefits of using Journey off the Map see Above.
We will be starting 30 minutes later this year! VBS will begin at 6:30 PM.
We are replacing meals with snacks to maximize our teaching time.
Preschoolers will not go to the worship rally. To minimize chaos and to create a great welcoming space, all kids Age 4 and under will be dropped off and picked up in their CMC classrooms.
All preregistered kindergarteners -8th graders can be dropped off in the sanctuary. All unregistered students will register at the tables around the fellowship hall. All kids will be picked up from their CMC classrooms (Tangled Branch Tree Houses).
Parents must have their parent card (You’ll get your card when you drop off your child) to pick up a child. If you lose your parent card, go to the CMC welcome desk! I hope you and your family plan to journey off the map with us!
To serve in VBS, you must be at least 16 years of age and been a church member for 6 month. If you want an official invitation to serve, this is it! We want you own our VBS team! We will have a leadership meeting on Sunday June 14 at 4:30 PM! See you there!
We will end our Friday Night VBS Celebration with a meal! Immediately following the closing ceremony all kids and their parents are invited to eat dinner in the FBCE fellowship hall!

I truly believe VBS 2015 is going to be amazing!

Pray

Please join in praying for our VBS leaders and our students. Pray for God to give life to the spiritual dead. Pray for safety. And pray that no one and nothing will hinder the proclamation of the gospel! It’s time to get excited about VBS 2015! It’s time to see God work!

How about you? Are you excited about VBS? What’s your best VBS memory as either a kid or a teacher?

May 23, 2015May 20, 2015 Peter Witkowski Parenting

Summer of Service

As a kid, I always look forward to stuffing the school books away and beginning my wonderful summer vacation dedicated to swimming pools and baseball! As an adult, I still too look forward to relaxing during the summer. Rest is good! But we can’t afford to take a vacation from our spiritual life. If we leave off fellowshipping with our brothers and sisters, praying, and studying the Bible, our souls and are families will be left vulnerable to all kinds of sins. Instead of using summer as a time for self-indulgence which leaves our souls empty, let’s redeem our summers. Let’s take in some sun at the ocean; and, let’s also be active worshipers of Jesus. Let’s commit to maintaining our personal spiritual walks. Let’s volunteer to teach a kids’ Sunday school class, help with VBS, attend the youth Summer Bible study, sing in the choir, and/or serve our neighbors.

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. –Gal. 6:7

June 21, 2014August 2, 2014 Peter Witkowski Vacation Bible School

The State of VBS: Reflections on VBS 2014

It seems like only yesterday VBS 2014 was just a calendar item off in the distant future. Now after five days of God glorifying craziness, FBCE’s International Spy Academy VBS is at an end. As I reflect back, I happy to report that VBS 2014 was (by the grace of God) a resounding success!

Negatives

Admittedly, not everything was easy. FBCE encountered some struggles located around the registration tables, the pickup zones, and occasionally in our very coolly decorated classrooms. We even had to temporarily dismiss a few Truth Force Agents. Lord willing, we (especially me, your children’s pastor) hope to learn from our struggles and be even better prepared for VBS 2015! What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!

Positives

And now that all the posters are down and the lights have been turned off, I can confidently say FBCE effectively ministered to 320 children throughout the week, having almost 200 kids on campus each night. Everything from the meals, to games, to missions, to the buses transporting 66 kids went great – albeit a little bonkers at times! Every child left healthy and happy, raving about their time at FBCE. More importantly, all of these children left aware of the Gospel of God! Even the agents who got sent home for misbehaving were confronted with their need for a Savior! They learned firsthand that sin brings sorrow – the immediate sorrow of going home! But they also were presented with Christ who gives the freedom to overcome sin! But the greatest news is that we have had children repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ this week! God has been good to FBCE!

As we all head home for some well-deserved R&R, I wish to thank each and every one of the over 130 people who worked, sacrificed, and faithfully shared Christ to make VBS 2014 a God glorifying success! I especially wish to thank Darla Faulk, Joy Quinones, and Joe Daniel for their insights, support, and endless hours of hard work! FBCE could not have succeeded without you!

Lastly, I wish to thank the staff at Answers In Genesis for creating another wonderful VBS curriculum that faithfully proclaimed Christ! You have been a great encouragement to FBCE!

VBS 2015 here we come!!!