VBS update

We did it!

No major injuries, allergic attacks, melt downs, lost children, disasters.  All those major things we prepared for and prayed about.  Not one happened!  Praise the Good Lord!

And on top of that, it was a FANTASTIC week.  Vacation Bible School is always great for the kiddos.  I never worry that they won't have fun or be blessed by the experience.  That part is easy.

The hard part for me is working with the volunteers.  Our VBS is a "co-op."  Meaning it is dirt cheap AND all the labor is volunteer.  That means leaders, moms, dads, nannies, teenagers, and pre-teens.  We all work together for the little ones.  And this enormous group of volunteers can be very difficult to manage.

Not all volunteers are created equally.  Most are fantastic, eager, and ready.  Others are working from their phones or socializing or just leave.  The trick for me is not to get annoyed by the volunteers but to get to know them and enjoy them as people.  And the blessing for me this week is -- that happened!  I met some new moms who were lovely!

One mom in particular was quite nice and we talked everyday.  She explained to me that she was Catholic and her husband Episcopalian.  (Being a pastor's wife, I get all kinds of confessions about church attendance, explanations of church background, etc . . . and I don't really care about them except for when they are good stories. . . .)

So this really nice woman tells me about the church she is currently attending.  I'm actively listening to her.  She says,

"I took my 3 girls to church by myself, which is really tough."

"I know.  It's so hard to get out that door in the morning."

"Yeah, and we made it through the whole service and as we were leaving, shaking the priest's hand, my daughter asks if we could go to Starbucks.  I said yes."

"Mmm yummy....."

"And the priest says, 'That's a really bad habit to form in these children.'  And geez!  At least I was at church."  Sigh.

"Oh my.  How awful!  The priest should have said jokingly, 'Bring me one too!'"

People.  If you go to a church where the minister makes you feel tiny.  Run the other way.  That is not what church and God are all about.

In conclusion, I met that fun lady and many others.  It was a fantastic week and am already thinking about next year.  Note #1: Sign up more volunteers for clean up!

Happy Friday Night!