From Kevin Funk…

What an amazing week at VBS!  With Kingdom Rock as the backdrop, I knew this was going to be a fun and exciting week.  I can’t say enough about how every one came together and made every day a successful opportunity for God to work in ALL of our hearts.

I’d like to take a deeper look into VBS than what normally meets the eye.  On the surface we all would agree this is for the kids.  We center the curriculum, snacks, and games around the kids. I totally agree!  But there is so much more.  I would like to speak on behalf of my own heart about a whole different type of harvest that took place at VBS.

All I could focus on leading up to VBS was how am I going to impact the kids and say certain things that will help them understand who God is.  While that’s important, I can honestly say that my kiddos in group 9 really impacted me.  Day 1 is so exciting to stand there as a group leader and wait for the randomly selected kids to walk over and form a group.  As the week flew by, I really got to know their personalities and hearts.  As I would look intently into their eyes and talk about what truly matters in this world,  they would stare back with eyes of wonder and innocence.  God reminded me to capture every moment with our own kids and not let Satan steal quality time with them.

Moving on to another kind of fruit harvested at VBS, fellowship.  I was listening to a James McDonald podcast today, and he explained the difference between hospitality and fellowship.  See hospitality is the way we invite strangers into our home and share our things and converse with them.  Fellowship is when we as believers invite or associate with other believers and live in community with one another.  I felt a whole lot of fellowship taking place throughout the week.  Every day I looked around and couldn’t believe the camaraderie.  As some of you may know, I like to fellowship.  My wife knows this a little TOO well.

The relationships that were built during VBS I believe wouldn’t happen anywhere else.  For those of us who are a little afraid of walking up to strangers is put to rest due to all of the name tags.  How cool is that!  I can sometimes shy away from conversation because of the name thing.  But after 5 days of VBS, I have built relationships that would have never been.

I’m sincere when I say that God has brought Crosspoint and others closer together because of VBS. Those God sightings were happening all over the place.  Maybe some of us think that we didn’t seem to get through to our kids or seem to have made an impact like we thought we should have. Can I offer a verse of encouragement?  Isaiah 55:11 It is the same with my word.  I send it out, and it always produces fruit.  It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. 

So could I ask those who are reading this that didn’t jump into VBS this year to let go of whatever might be holding you back for next year.  I feel completely rejuvenated after spending 5 days walking and talking about God and His son Jesus with a bunch of awesome kids!  There is so much to gain by saying “yes” to God.  Psalm 103:5 “He fills my life with good things.  My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!”  I can say I feel younger after VBS 🙂