If you have had your eyes open while driving anywhere in town over the summer, you have no doubt seen the brightly colored banners, bunches of balloons, or wavy inflatable tube men inviting kids to Vacation Bible School at the local church. This is a tribute to anyone anywhere who has even been a Vacation Bible School volunteer….
Dear Vacation Bible School Volunteers,
To those that made coffee and snacks to fuel the other volunteers- it was your combination of sugar and caffeine plus the Holy Spirit that kept the week going!
To those that spent hours collecting empty toilet paper tubes, plastic bottles, or whatever other random craft supply needed and then prepping 999 craft projects for each day…We pray you got the glitter out of your hair before Sunday morning!
To those that worked in the kitchen creating and serving incredible Vacation Bible School-themed snacks for the kids-You fed their tummies and their souls! Even though you thought no one else saw you sneak the extra cookie for that child who seemed to always be starving- God saw and you were such a blessing!
To those that organized registration, recruiting, and putting every worker where God needed them- you are the bedrock of the amazing Vacation Bible School week! The angels in heaven celebrated with you when that last volunteer said yes!
To the Music and Song Motion leaders who have been listening to all the songs on repeat for months now, we pray the song leaves your head soon and you can stop doing the song motions in your sleep! (Even though the kids will keep doing them for months!)
To the Bible study leaders and memory verse workers who fielded hundreds of heartfelt and sometimes crazy questions from the curious kids, we hope your brain can relax and pray the seeds of truth you shared grow in the hearts of the children!
To those given the gift of being able to turn colored butcher paper and crepe paper into the most amazing Vacation Bible School decorations, we applaud you for using your talents to the glory of God. You made the building look magical to those kids!
To the Pastors and Children’s ministers who shaved their heads, got slimed, or any other crazy stunt to encourage the children, your living sacrifice was holy and pleasing to God (and unforgettable to those kids!)
To those that led the outdoor games and lost gallons of sweat, yelled encouragement til you lost your voice, and applied more band-aids than you could count, we pray you rest well and maybe lost the couple of pounds you have been wanting to lose!
To those that wiped away tears from the kids who couldn’t stop crying because they missed their parents, changed dirty diapers, and sang your heart out to “Father Abraham,” your empathy and patience outweigh all others. Not all heroes wear capes.
To the leaders and coordinators who worked behind the scenes for months, praying, planning, and brainstorming, thank you for your vision, dedication and outpouring into the next generation of believers! (Take a week off then get to work on next year…there are only 11 months left to plan!)
To those that volunteered for clean-up duty every day, thank you for making the house of the Lord look nice again. Mike Rowe and Dirty Jobs have no idea what they are missing!
To those that walked 10,000 steps in the first 4 hours of every day walking children to classes, leading them to their next activity, and chasing the ones that always tried to run away… we pray your aching back and sore feet recover quickly and that you remember “how beautiful are the feet of those that bring the Good News of the Gospel!” (Romans 10:15)
To those that smiled so much your face hurt and spoke encouraging and kind words to every child you encountered, you taught those kids that church is a safe place, full of people who love them and a God who loves them too! When you feel like you can’t muster another smile, remember that God is smiling down at you because of your compassion!
To all Vacation Bible School volunteers and everyone who prayed, donated money, donated time, or did anything to support Vacation Bible School… “thank you” does not express the depth of eternal gratitude felt for you.
Sincerely,
A mom whose child accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior at Vacation Bible School
To read more from Beth, check out her author archive.
