MBC holds VBS seminar
By Brian Koonce
Staff Writer
November 29, 2005
JEFFERSON CITY – Though there’s frost on the ground and car windshields need to be scraped, it’s never too early to think about next summer’s Vacation Bible School (VBS). More than 60 associational and church VBS leaders made the trip to the Baptist Building Nov. 18 to learn about the summer 2006 theme, “Arctic Adventure.”
“We want to get this group pumped up and excited,” said Sondi Scroggins, preschool and children’s Sunday School specialist for the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC). “It’s a jumpstart on VBS 2006.”
Scroggins led the seminar along with the MBC’s Sunday School ministry team as well as LifeWay VBS specialist Becky Martin. An entity of the Southern Baptist Convention, LifeWay Christian Resources is one of the world’s largest providers of Christian products and services, including Bibles, church literature, books, music, audio and video recordings and church supplies, not to mention VBS curriculum.
The leaders that were trained in the invitation-only Jefferson City sessions will recruit other associational leaders back home to attend one of four additional training events in February in Springfield, Poplar Bluff, Moberly or Liberty.
A highlight of many churches’ ministry each summer, 2,040 children accepted Christ during VBS 2005 in Missouri, with only 36 percent of churches reporting. Churches identified more than 8,000 new prospects through last summer’s “Ramblin’ Road Trip” VBS.
LifeWay’s 2006 VBS will focus a week’s worth of Bible studies on courage, springing from the Lord commanding Joshua to be courageous in Joshua 1:9. Children will learn how to be courageous to “Know, Trust, Believe, Follow and Speak Up.”
Leaders also presented an alternate VBS option, one specifically designed for smaller churches. LifeWay’s “Club VBS: Space Quest” will focus on John 14:6 and Jesus’ mission for each person. In its second year, the “Club VBS” is a self-contained kit put together with groups of 50 children or less in mind.