Some Thoughts following VBS

I wasn't ever a big fan of VBS. I think I've let everyone who's close to me know why, and I don't feel like rehashing it here... but last year I was invited to take part in VBS doing improv skits with the other pastor in town. We were secret agents; I was PB and he was PD (Pastor Brian and Pastor Dave, get it?). Besides the incident I described in the above-mentioned blog entry, it was fun.

This year we were asked to reprise our roles as improv guys, this time for a "theme park" themed VBS. I chose the role of the bumbling "new employee" and PD got to be the veteran... this meant I got plenty of opportunities to take pratfalls, and today I even demonstrated my mad breakdance skills (to the delight of the kids). One of my kids from Confirmation class was a little worried because I was always the butt of PD's jokes, so I had to let him know that I had chosen that role and that PD is probably my closest friend in town...

For a small town, we've done a good job of VBS - with two churches working together toward that end. Census results say NK has around 900 people living here; there were 250 kids and over 100 adults/teenagers working.

A nearby Christian radio station came by to record the kids singing (you can listen on their website) - they goofed up and just called it the UCC's VBS, but everyone involved knows that it's the entire community's.

This was Jonathan's first year getting to be in a class (not just in the nursery), and he loved it. The first day was rough, but once "Daddy" and "Mommy" made ourselves scarce, he had fun (typical). He came home telling us everything that happened (from "I sat on the steps and ate two cookies" to outlining the skits to recalling the Bible stories). He even donated toys and money to the mission. Andrew enjoyed the nursery (eating not only his own cookies, but the cookies that anyone else didn't finish). Both boys (and their parents) were exhausted by the week, but it was good!

And, at least for now, I like VBS!