Savannah Safari VBS DAY 1

WOW is how I can describe last night. Everything fell together perfectly. I have had several texts this morning questioning our numbers. We had 61 children with a total of 115 because of the youth and adult workers. Last year those numbers were in the 80’s w/ 40 something children, I was excited because out of the 61 children we had many 1^st time visitors. What a blessing to know that we had so many adults and youth show up to help out.  I was so proud of the 1^st time youth helpers. This yr. they have really grown & matured and you could see that last night as they helped lead groups around or worked on music & crafts. I was so tickled when my boys and their friend Drew got in the car last night. I asked them what jobs they had & they told me and they were so happy! They said they really liked what they did. Some of these youth might be future SS teachers, adult VBS leaders or preachers and I think it is great they get to serve now & see how great it feels to do God’s work! We had awesome adult workers too. The kitchen ladies send food out so quickly & efficiently & do it with a smile. Tonight’s menu is spaghetti & they do a great job preparing it year after yr. After they feed all of us, they manage to prepare snacks for everyone & have the kitchen spotless by the time we are all finished. They seriously work!

Each night the lesson is taught by someone different. I was the teacher last night. I told Allison yesterday that I get a lesson every year that really pertains to me. I know God does that on purpose! My lesson was on the Good Samaritan and how we are supposed to love our neighbor. “Neighbor” means everyone not just the sweet family that lives next to my home.  My Bible verse came from Galatians 5:14; the entire law is summed up in a single command: Love your neighbor as yourself. If we lived this verse out in every thought, speech, action we made what a different place this world will be. So I am going to try to live this verse out more and I encourage you to do the same.

Now we have 4 more night of VBS left. There is still plenty of time for children to come who haven’t yet. If you didn’t get to know some of the adults last night, there is still time for fellowship. If you didn’t get to see Bruce Benefield dance…well that might have been a once in a lifetime experience because I bet his teenage son Hunter advised him not to dance ever again!! Lol Great VBS, great memories! Let’s pray we have some children ask Jesus into their hearts this week! No matter what…. The seed has been planted!

VBS 2013 Savannah Safari

I have to start off with a “hats off” to the band “ILB”.  Y’all did a great job yesterday & I am so thankful Jami had a chance to use those drums. Like Joey, I think it is great that we have a church family open to switching up the service every now and then.  I wanted to also tell Arlo, Jennie and the youth who helped w/ the lunch yesterday that they did a fantastic job. I know the work it takes to organize, put on & clean up a lunch and they did a great job with that not to mention that the BQ was delicious! Thank you to all who helped move tables and chairs back to the fellowship hall for VBS. I know we had some adults & youth who helped out & I really appreciate it.

This week will be extremely busy @ WBBC. Of course, we have Savannah Safari starting tonight.  The supper begins at 5:30 every night & I believe tonight is hot dogs. VBS is from 6-8:30.  Then we will end the week with the children singing their VBS songs Sunday during the worship hour and a great catered meal for the whole church to enjoy. I do need some women to volunteer to bring desserts for the meal.  If you have never been to VBS @ WBBC, this is a week you’ll never forget. Allison picks out the best music for the kids to worship & groove to, we have great games, lessons that really teach about the love of Jesus, fun crafts and great suppers & snacks. The Spirit of God was so strong in our church during VBS week last year and I know the Spirit of God is really going to be moving again this year. There is nothing like a child asking Jesus to come into their hearts and that is what this week is all about. I am so thankful and blessed to be a part of a church that places such great importance on children. Jesus tells us in Matthew 19:14 not hinder the children from coming to Him. WBBC welcomes children! I know Allison has worked so hard for this week to happen & I am so thankful God had plans to bring her to WBBC!! I have said over and over this is my favorite week at church. I have enjoyed the decorating & fellowshipping w/ the ladies while we worked and I know I am going to enjoy more fellowshipping as we go thru this week. I have been blessed to make wonderful friendships at church and I hope you find that this week too. This week offers a chance for us adults to get to know each other better, laugh, sing and dance together. These are memories you’ll never forget. I hope you enjoy this week as much as I do. This is also a kind of different VBS for me.  This is the 1^st time since the twins were 2 that they haven’t actually been taught at VBS. This time they have volunteered to help along w/ many other youth. They are looking forward to being helpers. This excites me because as a parent who has worked in the church now for many years I have hoped my boys would carry on that desire. So for now they do want to volunteer. As they age, I know the statistics are not in my favor for that desire to continue, but I know I have lead by example and if they get out of church, lose touch with God, they will eventually find their way back to Him. I know this without a shadow of doubt. I know they have been saved and I know Jesus dwells in their hearts. I am also excited for Jack. It seems just like yesterday that I was pregnant with him & it was right around VBS. I couldn’t help that yr. and I was so sad. Fast forward 4 yrs. later and Jack gets out of the nursery class this yr. and gets to go into a group. He is going to just love it!! I look forward to the day he asks Jesus to come into his heart. I guess I have rambled enough. VBS just brings out a lot of emotion in me. Please continue to pray for all the workers of VBS, especially Allison, pray for the children that come thru our doors, pray that their hearts will be open to hearing about Jesus, pray for their parents and just pray that anyone in earshot of the message this week, that doesn’t know Jesus will turn their life over to Him.  There is still time to invite children so get out there and invite someone!! Oh And I’ll probably post every day this week due to VBS!! I am expecting great things!

More For July!



Multi-tasking today, so this is going to be short and quick. So busy I forgot it was Monday & that I do the blog that day!! This Wed. night the children are going to sing at the Southside assisted living home. Not even going to say the name since I messed that up in preachingL. We need to be at church by 5:30 to run over the 2 songs we are singing. Even if your child doesn’t know the songs, send them anyway. They can lipsynch! Hopefully, we will have so many kids that I need parents to help drive them there. I would love a few parents to go along anyway. We will be back by 7.  I am working on VBS shirts today too. The shirts have been ordered but trying to get the graphics right.  My plan is to have them back by Friday & I’ll pass them out Sunday at church. We need to wear them on the 1^st night of VBS.  Allison is planning on decorating tomorrow at church for VBS. Get with her if you can help! I know VBS will be great this yr… it always is!  Be in prayer for the children who will walk thru our door, be in prayer for Allison as she leads us, for the workers in the kitchen, the teachers, those in the craft room, the game leaders, the music leaders,  & the youth who have stepped up to help.  I have placed ads in the Etowah Baptist, The Messenger, Gadsden Times, various radio stations, ordered signs that should go up today and a digital ad will start running Wed.  on the big billboard in Southside. All of that is great advertising but it is nothing like word of mouth…..so we need you to invite kids, tell parents at work, tell your neighbors and let your kids call and invite kids from school. The first time the boys ever invited a friend was back in 1^st grade. David Bachus & Judson were in the same class & the boys wanted to invite him to VBS. I let them ask & David Bachus is still at WBBC and is in the youth now. So let your kids invite friends!! One other thing I wanted to tell you about is the LOCK IN. It is July 26, 7 pm. I told the kids I wanted us to have an outing at this lock in since it is during the summer so…… an outing we have! We will leave the church and go to the Sports Zone in RBC from 8:30- 12:30 for a night of games & Olympic style activities then back to the church for a late night movie & popcorn! We will eat dinner at the church before we leave.  I will need parents to volunteer to help that night & drive kids to & from the Sports Zone. This is another great chance to invite a child to church! Have a blessed week & I hope to see everyone Wed. night as we take the love of Jesus on the road!!

July

It’s July! The end of June was so full of sickness so maybe July will be a new start with months of good health and healing for our church family. July is packed full but before I get right too it I have to say I just love my church. I don’t know how everyone else feels but I just fill up with happiness when I am at WBBC. I can’t help but smile. God is always there and I feel Him every week! I hope you do too.

So I said July is packed full and I meant it. This Wed. night we will not have regular church but we will meet at 7 pm for homemade ice cream, snacks & fireworks. It seems like there is very little time at church to just talk and hang out with each other so this should be a great night for that. Just enjoying each other’s company! This would be a great night to invite a friend too! Hint hint parents with kids!! Next Wed. night July 10, the children’s dept. will be going to the assisted living home in Southside to sing & take fruit baskets. I know I’ll need some parents to help get kids there & to chaperone once we are inside. We are only singing 2 songs, Jesus Loves Me (the song we did not get to do at the Mother’s Day program) & If You Are Happy. All the kids know these songs so please bring them to participate that night. We will load up at 5:45.  Remember the youth BQ fundraiser lunch Sunday July 14. They are having BQ sandwiches, chips & drinks. Donations for lunch go to the youth mission trip. Then the BEST WEEK IN THE YEAR starts July 15- July 19……SAVANNAH SAFARI VBS!! WOO HOO. Supper will be served at 5:30 then VBS will be 6-8:30. Get out and invite some kids, volunteer to help with VBS or be in prayer for the hearts that walk thru WBBC’s doors. We want to see kids learn about Jesus, trust in Jesus, build a relationship with Jesus and know that with Him in their hearts heaven is assured! After a week full of blessings, which is what you can expect at VBS, we will end with the kids performing their music on Sunday July 21 during our worship service. After the service everyone is invited to the gym for a FREE lunch. Tony’s will cater the lunch with chicken fingers, baked beans, corn and Mac & cheese. I need people to volunteer to make desserts. Then on July 26, we will have the LOCK IN. I’ll have more info on that as we get closer.

As of right now Randy should be in surgery, Wendy Benefield is waiting for some lab work to come back on Hunter, and there are many people in our church hurting. Remember Kendra as she gets better, Melissa McKee as she heals, Brenda Jones and her family as Brenda continues to fight her illness, Amy Clarks’s Mom as she deals with her sickness too, and Allison’s Mom, who will be having heart surgery July 24.  I am sure I am missing someone but those are the ones I can think of right now. The devil likes to bring us down, tries to put obstacles in our way to derail us from doing God’s work but with God on our side we will overcome, So let’s lift our church family up in  prayer, and pray that the devil doesn’t find penetrating those old block walls an easy task at WBBC. I also want to welcome the Vice’s to WBBC!! They are very sweet people. Keep Wayne in your prayers as he leads the choir. He’ll do a great job for us and Jenny was great yesterday! Yall have a great July and I hope to see everyone Wed. night. 

PS….Joey just sent me a text and he will be cooking hotdogs Wed. night, so now we have hot dogs, ice cream, snacks & fireworks…… now if someone would get us a hayride together J

Keep Jesus in Your Summer Plans

Summer is personally my favorite time of year, not because of the heat, but because my children are home with me. On the other hand, as a children’s minister or director, (Jami & I laugh at minister because it just seems kind of stuffy for me and I don’t know that I minister, I just love on the children), it is the hardest time of the year. Attendance is sporadic. There is so many summer activities going on and vacations. This is not be trying to be preachy because I get the vacations, we all need some down time, and the most wonderful memories can be made on vacation.  I understand the summer activities too. I just want you to know that you are missed when you are not at WBBC. I look through my group of kids and wonder where each child is , or if I know they are gone somewhere I wonder if they are having a good time, if they are winning the game, getting to spend quality time w/ the parents, riding exciting rides or enjoying that special time w/ out of town relatives.  I also know that while you are out of church doing those things God can be right there with you. So I encourage you parents while you are vacationing to keep God as the center of your family trip. Pray together when you go out to eat that special meal or have your own devotion on Sunday morning, visit a church where you are vacationing, encourage the kids playing ball to have a Christian attitude towards the other team, pray for your travel safety and have the children hear that pray or while you are sitting on the beach talk about how God made such a beautiful place for us to enjoy. It doesn’t take much to include God and he is the reason we are blessed with these awesome vacations & activities anyway! So know that you are missed, have a great vacation and I’ll be waiting for you when you get back!!!

The children were going to perform a song this Sunday but we are going to be missing a lot of kids Sunday, so I have decided to hold it out a few wks. This Wed. night we will still practice some music because we are going to the assisted living home in Southside on July 10 and we will have devotion. Next Wed. night July 3^rd, is the retry for our park trip.  July is packed with activities at WBBC.  Sunday July 14, the youth will host a lunch fundraiser for the mission trip. They are having BQ sandwiches, chips & drinks for donations. I am sure Arlo can use some volunteers for this. The Monday, July 15, starts a week full of excitement…….VBS. Our theme this year is Savannah Safari. Allison held a meeting yesterday for those who want to help. She had a great turn out but if you would like to help, let her know. There is always something to be done at VBS. There is nothing like a child asking God into their heart, seeing the emotion & excitement in their faces and at VBS you know God is working. Don’t miss out! Get involved! YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!  And let me also say, this is not some old hum drum VBS. Allison has repeatedly picked out of the box themes that other churches are not doing. She picks exciting, shake your booty music not only do the kids love but the adults love it too. VBS at WBBC rocks!!!! So July 15-19, make no other plans. Supper, yes I said supper will be served from 5:30 – 6:00. So you get 5 evenings of no cooking for your kids (unless you are a kitchen helper lol). 6:00-8:30 is VBS. Then on Sunday July 21, we will have a Free Church wide lunch right after church to end an awesome VBS week.  We will be preordering VBS t-shirts so make sure you get your child’s size to Allison & if you are a youth or adult worker she needs your size too. Whew... I think that is it. Keep Randy, Kendra & Brenda Jones in your prayers. Have a great week and remember to keep Jesus in your summer plans!

Don't Be Like Milli Vanilli

I am sitting at my computer desk & I glanced at all these old CD’s from years past. I notice Milli Vanilli which gets me to thinking. Milli Vanilli was a pop duo from the 80’s who had a very popular song called ‘Girl You Know It’s True”. They were very popular & became famous. The problem was everyone thought they were these great singers but the truth was that they were lip singing. The looked like they were real singers but they used someone else’s voice & danced around moving their mouths. They were so good at the deception. If you watched MTV, and let me tell you this girl watched hours of MTV, you would never know they weren’t the singers. They were fakes, frauds, not what they seemed to be. So this morning I saw a post from Joyce Meyer. Funny how God shows you the same theme to get your mind to rolling, anyway the post from Joyce Meyer was wherever you go, make a decision to represent God. Are you like Milli Vanilli? Do you act different at church than you do at home? Do you say one thing at church but do another when you are at work. What about when you hang out with friends? Are you doing things you would never want your church family to see? Are you representing God in everything you do, every place you go? If you only play church then I think it is a heart thing. The heart is not right with God. If your heart is right with God you will strive to do what is right. You will strive to do God’s will.  You will strive to be more Christ like in every situation, every place you go and every person you are around. That gets me to the men at church. I understand there was no preaching yesterday, just open heart talking. We have some great men at WBBC, great women too. Life experiences that have brought some to their knees, tested people and they have overcome, survived with God’s help. I say that because if there is something you are going thru more than likely there is someone in our church who has gone thru it. As a Christian church family we can turn to each other for help. Don’t sit back and think you are the only person experiencing whatever it is; don’t act like all is ok, when it isn’t. Go to Joey, go to your Sunday school teacher, go to a church elder. I am willing to bet any of those people will be glad to listen, to pray for you and if they haven’t dealt with your situation before I am pretty sure they will know someone in our church who has. Lots of life experience at WBBC….take advantage of it! Not be like Milli Vanilli, singing & dancing around like all is ok, when it isn’t. Sorry yall, I know I ramble and I can’t get my point across well but I hope yall understood what I was getting at. Now to the kid stuff!

I want to thank Mrs. Leslie. She teaches SS for children 4 yrs. old-1^st grade. She had the best cards made for Father’s Day yesterday. She is always prepared for her class and shows such patience with the little ones. I am so excited Jack will be 4 in July & he will get to move up to her class in Sept. She might not be looking forward to that, hehe, but I am!! I also wanted to thank Rebecca Ayres. She did a great job presenting a slide show on the orphans in China. She has a big heart for those children and I think it is wonderful she is willing to work hard and show others about them. She will be collecting money to take to the orphanage when she goes in August, to help towards anything those children need. If you wish to donate please let Rebecca know. I have encouraged the kids to bring extra change they have and we have a jar to place it in. Be in prayer for the Ayres as they travel back to China this time to provide care and relief.  VBS will be here before we know it, so be in prayer about how you can help. Allison will meet with us this Sunday after church, so be ready to step up & say, “I’ll do that!!” This Wed. night the kids will leave the church at 6 pm to go right down the street to Jason & Ashley Fortenberry’s for the swim party. They need to bring a towel, inflatables but no flippers and if a girl wears a 2 piece bathing suit they need to wear a t-shirt over it.  If you have a very young child you need to accompany them to the swim party. I know I’ll need a few moms to go. If it rains, we will stay at church & practice our song we are performing June 30.  I hope I didn’t leave anything out.  Invite someone to church & have a blessed week!!

June 16

I wanted to encourage the parents with children in Leslie's & my Sunday school classes to bring your kids to class this Sunday. Rebecca Ayres is planning on showing the children a slide show, in my room, on Chinese babies. She will be explaining how the Hill family cares for them and how her family is going back to China in August to help.  God has blessed Rebecca with a heart full of compassion for these babies so I know this video will be informative and hopefully eye opening to all who see it. Sunday is also Father's Day and the children will be making cards & getting their treats ready for Dad. So please be on time, 9:45, because we will have a lot to do! Be in prayer for Rebecca & of course, our Father's and the Father's of our children. The devil looks for ways to bring these men down. As wife's & mothers we need to pray for these men daily, lift them up & be their encourager's. If your Father or husband is not in church, this is an awesome day to invite him. Lure him in with a gift because I know June will have a Father's Day present for all the Father's in the church. Once he is in church & hears the word of God, feels His spirit moving.....God will handle the rest! I hope you all have a fabulous Friday & Saturday and I see you at church on Sunday!