Vacation Bible School

This morning we began our yearly Vacation Bible School. We had 21 children come in from the area. What I understand is that only six of them are regulars from BLAC. That is pretty awesome. It sets the stage for growth in this area. Our church is an older church that wants to grow younger and they know that getting kids involved is the key.

What my church has done is to 'farm out' the help for VBS. They brought in a group called Inspiration Point to run the camp. This organization will charge a few hundred dollars (I guess) and have sent three college-aged students to come and run the camp. We provide leadership and oversight of the facility. We provide food for lunch and snacks. Other than that, the camp runs itself. This is a great option for small churches to be able to reach out to the youngsters in the community.

To help underwrite this we took a second offering during our worship service this past Sunday. We announced it in advance and allowed the congregation to participate in paying for this ministry by giving to it. I would typically frown on taking a second offering during worship, but in situations like this I think it is very crucial that the who church have the opportunity to buy into the vision.

Groups like Inspiration Point are a real God-send to the aging rural church...