by Melissa Brake
When our family first began attending Acts 2, I was so excited to learn that they had a Vacation Bible School program. As a child, I had so many wonderful memories of VBS and could not wait for our boys to get to make some for themselves. I also knew I wanted to sign up to help, for many reasons, but the best was to share the love of Jesus.
Then the time came, opening day of Vacation Bible School! There were so many children, volunteers, new faces, familiar faces…people everywhere! The saying “the more the merrier” never rang more true. I remember looking in the main sanctuary and just feeling so happy. The smiles from children and volunteers lit up the room! At that moment, I realized just how much I was going to love helping with such an awesome program.
For the last few years, the science class is where I have volunteered. Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a great science experiment?! Each night has a different message, with a different experiment, to teach the theme for the week. This, by far, has been my most favorite part…to see children engaged, learning about Jesus and getting to participate in a fun, hands-on experiment. I also love that each child gets a chance to learn, make a mess and walk away excited to come see what’s in store for the next night.
My overall experience has always been wonderful. I think the biggest blessing that Vacation Bible School at Acts 2 has shown me is just how much WE can learn from children. As an adult, you volunteer to be helpful, but more times than not, I have walked away at the end of an evening not only as a volunteer but as someone who learned something new myself. In those times, I realize not only am I helping my church, but Acts 2 is helping me as I continue to grow closer to God.
