First Baptist Church of Kissimmee and their Senior Pastor, Tim Wilder, hosted Vacation Bible School (VBS) Training for the Florida Baptist Convention, Central Region on April 6th. The training began with an opening rally where hands were seen high in the air. Following the initial assembly, attendees transitioned to breakout sessions covering everything from worship and decorating to crafts and safety.
“I love the VBS Trainings. It’s amazing to connect with other churches throughout the state. We had the chance to encourage and pray for each other as we get ready for the summer. Some of the best ideas I’ve gotten for ministry have come from networking with other churches and hearing their stories,” shared Amanda Peavy, Children’s Ministry Director at Church at the Cross.
The curriculum for In The Wild, created by LifeWay Church Resources, centers around ‘Amazing Encounters with Jesus’. This year, the theme verse is John 20:31, “But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”Along with the theme verse, the program motto to “Zoom in! Focus on Jesus!” encourages kids to desire and deepen their relationship with Jesus.
There really isn’t anything in the world more exhilarating than the energy of a child, except for a child’s passion for Christ when guided by his/her spiritual teachers.Jeffery Singletary, Regional Catalyst for the Central Region of the Florida Baptist Convention stated, “The VBS Training was awesome! It has a great theme, In The Wild. It was well attended and energy and excitement filled the room. I personally loved the moments; I just couldn’t keep up. Kids of all ages will love it. It’s a home run this summer. You don’t want to miss it!”
“The phrase Singletary mentioned ‘Old school is the new school, invite a kid to VBS’ really [resonated] with my wife and me. This is something we always did in the past and we are now encouraging kids to invite their friends, again. My wife’s family did not go to church but her neighbor across the street invited her to VBS and she went for years…You never know what a difference inviting someone to church will make in their life” said Wilder.
For more information regarding VBS, please check your local church calendars for dates and times. This year, FBC Kissimmee is offering a day camp following VBS in hopes to encourage the attendance of children requiring all day care.