Opportunities to Grow

Summer is time for Vacation Bible School (VBS) and summer camps. When I was a young person I attended both VBS and church camps. 

I loved VBS because I knew the volunteers and it was in my church. I loved the activities that focused on the day's scripture and lesson. There was always something to take home and show my parents. There was outside play time with structured games and snack time. VBS was always looked forward to and enjoyed.

As an adult I helped with several VBS's over the years. My home church struggled to get children to come because it was located in the country. There weren't kids in the neighborhood. So eventually they gave it up. Instead we urged our church children to attend a VBS in a nearby town. I volunteered to teach one of the classes. It was a lot of preparation time, study, and prayer before it even started. We always had older kids as helpers and they were wonderful.

When I was a preteen I attended church camp for a week every summer. This was hard for me because I was shy and knew almost no one there. Even so, I made good friends; often becoming pen pals when the camp ended. There weren't personal or hand-held phones back in those days! We used "snail mail" instead.

"God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out to him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring,'" (Acts 17:27-28 NIV).

Summer offers many learning opportunities, new experiences, and fun. May you enjoy the summer and be blessed.