VBS Connections

This past week was FaithPoint’s Vacation Bible School (VBS). It was a week filled with surf themed fun.  We talked, showed and sent home God’s love to the kids,”surfers” who were entrusted into our care.  We gad great teachers, “lifeguards” and directors that made this week really special.

The thing that got me was the connections that were made.  We partnered with 2 other churches in order to offer something better and more sustainable than we could do alone.  We have partnered with these congregations in the past, and the ministry partnerships like this just make sense.  We are all working toward the same goal, and we are three vital congregations that each have something unique to offer our community.

We also had amazing connection within our campers/surfers.  Each of our groups looked like a divers little school.  It was really neat to truly see the diversity of our community reflected in the groups as they connected and went throughout the day.  This was a little glimpse of the Kingdom.  Really cool!

Finally, there was a powerful connectional system at work in our mission project for the week.  We spent the weeks before VBS collecting school supplies.  At our mission station, we told the kids about the devastating flooding in West Virginia and the need for school supplies and that these kids who lost much would need things for school very soon.

One of FaithPoint’s members made fabric bags that we would then be able to place items in for the school supply kits as outlined by the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR).  Beautiful! (more info here about UMCOR and the school kits https://www.umcor.org/UMCOR/Relief-Supplies/Relief-Supply-Kits/School)

The kids had a great time learning and filling dozens of bags for this project.  However, when it was all said and done getting the bags to those in need in WV hit some bumps.  Collection and distribution centers seemed to be in short supply in our area.  There or some possible leads that migth get the kits to the affected area at some point, but no firm promises were made.

Enter Carlee! Woot!

Carlee is one of my former youth, amazingly faithful, a stand our journalist and FaithPoint Online community members.

At the wedding of a good friend of ours, we were talked about when she had to go back home to Charleston, WV. She said she was planning on going back Sunday afternoon. Perfect.  I asked if she would be our transporter of bags.  Absolutely!!! She said.

Not only is Carlee going to take the school kits into the heart of those hit hard by the flooding, but she has a school picked out.  Elkview Middle School.

Here is an article from Carlee’s paper about the devastation the floods did to a nearby high school: http://www.wvgazettemail.com/news-education/20160715/hoover-damages-equal-70-percent-of-wv-schools-value

https://www.instagram.com/p/BH92ni5BxBj/?taken-by=faithpointum

The picture above is Jillian and some of our VBS students praying over the bags during worship as they were getting ready to make their journey to the Elkview Middle School.

What a cool connectional system and a reminder of the power of people coming together in the name of God and making our community better.

Please continue to keep our students, churches and those impacted by the floods in your prayers.  Think about how you might help and respond to being the good in your community.

Just moments ago I received a message from Carlee that the supplies were delivered.  Mission Accomplished.  Way to go team.  Lets keep up the great work.