VBS: Chart the Course – Sailing with the Spirit set sail with 87 delightful crew mates, 14 captains, 4 commodores, and 25 other hardy sailors who worked in the galley, led the sea shanties, and kept us afloat for four adventurous days.
Day 1: We sang "My Lighthouse" and "Lord I Lift Your Name on High"—ask your kiddos to show you the hand motions! We were then introduced to Luke, who told us the epic story of Saul's conversion on the road to Damascus. If God is powerful enough to completely change the trajectory of Saul's life, what can't He do?
We talked about how the Holy Spirit keeps us close to Jesus and makes us brave, even when life is hard or uncertain. Together we asked questions like: What changed about Saul after he met Jesus? Why do you think Saul obeyed Jesus and went into the city, even though he was confused and afraid? Has the Holy Spirit ever helped you see something differently than you did before?
The day ended with worship and a testimony from a member of Restoration who shared their own story of coming to know Jesus. The kids were wonderful listeners, and we all appreciated hearing a personal story of someone's growing relationship with Christ.
Day 2: We kept the worship going with "Never See the End," which the children sang with gusto! There's something so powerful about hearing the youngest members of our congregation proclaim these truths.
Afterward, Luke reappeared and told us about one of Paul's biggest challenges. The people he was preaching to and healing first believed he was a god, and then they wanted to kill him. We talked about how God helps us stay steady when circumstances change and what it looks like to trust Him when we're afraid of how people might respond to the gospel. Our job is to be faithful—we can't control how others react.
In the Blessing Room, children assembled blessing bags filled with socks, lip balm, wipes, rain ponchos, chips, water, and granola bars. At the end of VBS, each child took three bags home to keep in their family car and share with someone in need.
In the Sticky Scripture rotation, children worked on their memory verse. This is a challenging one, Philippians 4:11b-13! Pastor Derek set the verse to an awesome Sea Shanty, which definitely helped us learn the words!
Day 3: Dr. Luke was back with another story just as harrowing as the last! Paul and his companion Silas found themselves upsetting the local economy by healing a fortune teller who was possessed by an evil spirit. After being thrown into prison, they stayed connected to Jesus through prayer and worship. When God miraculously set them free, they shared the gospel with—and baptized—the jailer and his whole household.
We talked about what belongs in our own "adventure backpack" as Christians: boldness, the Bible, worship, prayer, and more. We asked some great questions: If you were in prison, would singing songs to God be the first thing you thought to do? What songs would you choose? How do you think the Holy Spirit helped Paul and Silas stay faithful? How can the Holy Spirit help us when we're scared?
We were also blessed with beautiful weather all week and enjoyed epic games outside! It felt good to move our bodies, tackle obstacle courses, and cheer one another on.
The day ended with a testimony from a member of Restoration who works in prisons and with men on death row. He shared how, even in the hardest places, God brings forgiveness and hope. He reminded us that God's love often shines most brightly in the midst of difficult circumstances.
Day 4: This last day just flew by! Luke and Paul were back, this time enduring a climactic shipwreck off the coast of Malta. From this story we learned that God protects us and gives us peace, provides grace when things are hard, and gives us work to do even when things change.
We also read the sweet true story of a girl named Arletis, who found a message in a bottle that led to a dear new friend. The kids continued their work in the Blessing Room by making encouraging message bottles. These bottles are now scattered throughout the church for congregants to discover whenever they need encouragement—a gift from the children of Restoration to the church family.
We wrapped up VBS by singing our epic sea shanty together one last time. It sounded incredible with everyone singing in one room! At the close of worship, we sang "Go Now in Peace" as a prayer that each of us would go out and live in the peace and power of the Holy Spirit.
My deepest gratitude goes to our incredible Children's Leadership Team and the 43 volunteers who poured their love, energy, and joy into this ministry all four days. Together we witnessed countless God moments, celebrated answered prayers, and experienced the joy of serving side by side.
Thanks be to God!
