Thinking back on vbs 2019 often brings up memories of sticky popsicle fingers, neon t-shirts, and catchy music that stayed stuck within my head with regard to months. It had been a standout year for churches everywhere, mostly because the designs were just so vibrant and the energy felt like it was in a all-time high. Prior to the world got a little complicated in 2020, that summer of 2019 felt such as a peak time for kids' ministry, filled with high-production pieces and some of the particular coolest curriculum we'd seen in a long time.
If a person were involved within any capacity—whether a person were an exhausted volunteer fueled simply by lukewarm coffee or a parent trying to scrub glitter out of the car upholstery—you probably keep in mind how much energy went into making these few days special. There's something unique regarding the atmosphere of a Vacation Holy bible School. It's handled chaos in the easiest way possible.
The Big Themes That Ruled the Summertime
Each year, the few major web publishers drop their big themes, and in 2019, they really knocked it away of the recreation area. It felt such as every church you drove past acquired a giant cardboard cutout of a lion or an area shuttle out front side.
One of the heavy hitters for vbs 2019 was certainly "Roar! " through Group Publishing. The particular whole "Life will be Wild, God is usually Good" tagline was everywhere. It had been an African savanna theme, which designed a lot of orange plus yellow decorations, giant stuffed giraffes, and kids running about pretending to be lions. What made that one stay was how it tackled the idea that life isn't always fair or even easy, but The almighty is still generally there. For the bunch associated with elementary schoolers, that's a big idea, but the method they paired this with upbeat music managed to get click.
Then you definitely had Lifeway's "In the Wild. " This a single was all about getting a "paparazzi" for God, essentially. It had been a photography-based firefox theme where the particular kids were urged to "zoom in" and focus upon Jesus. I recall viewing so many cardboard cameras and "gasoline can" water bottles that year. The music for this one particular was particularly catchy—I still find myself humming some associated with those melodies whenever I'm doing the particular dishes.
And we can't forget about the space designs. "To Mars and Beyond" was the huge hit with regard to churches that wished a more sci-fi feel. There's just something about glow-in-the-dark celebrities and silver evade decorations that will get kids excited. It tapped into that natural sense of wonder kids have got about the universe, which is a very great bridge in order to talking about the Creator of this all.
The Volunteer Experience: Coffee, Chaos, and Glitter
Let's become real for any second: vbs 2019 wouldn't have happened without the army of volunteers who showed up each morning. If you were one of them, you know the punch. You start the particular week full of enthusiasm and "holy spirit fire, " and by Thursday, you're wondering in case you'll ever have the ability to hear a normal decibel level once again.
I keep in mind the "Roar" concept specifically since the adornments were so complex. I spent the solid four hours helping a buddy tape brown grocer paper to the wall to be able to appear like "rocks. " We were covered in masking tape and frustration, yet when the children wandered in on Mon morning and their jaws dropped, it felt worthwhile.
Volunteering during that summer was a special kind associated with bonding experience. You'd take the kitchen area prepping 400 cups of apple fruit juice and 800 luggage of Goldfish crackers, trading stories with other parents regarding how your kids had already dropped their nametags twice. There's a friendship that forms when you're all attempting to corral fifty first-graders by way of a hallway without losing anyone.
Why 2019 Felt Different
Looking back, vbs 2019 senses like a bit of a time capsule. It has been the last "full-scale" summer before everything altered to virtual or even backyard-style programs. Generally there was a feeling of size that year that was just substantial. The sanctuaries had been packed, the high-fives were constant, and nobody was concerned about social distancing.
The music videos were another level too. By 2019, the availability quality associated with the dance-along video clips had gotten so good that the kids actually wanted to watch them. They weren't simply cheesy hand motions anymore; they had real choreography that the children would practice with home. I nevertheless see videos upon social media associated with kids from that year performing the particular "Roar" theme track like they had been at an arena concert.
The Craft Room Stories
If there is one location where the correct spirit of vbs 2019 lived, it was the particular craft room. A person know the smell—a mix of Elmer's glue, damp design paper, and that weird scent that only comes from bulk-ordered plastic beans.
The crafts that season were actually fairly cool. I recall a lot of "nature" focused projects due to the fact of the firefox themes. There were bird feeders made out of pinecones and peanut butter (before everyone recognized the allergy dangers were too high), and those traditional "God's Eye" wool weaves.
Want to know the best part about the crafts isn't the finished product—let's be honest, the majority of that stuff leads to the trash bin a week later—it's the particular conversation that occurs while kids are usually working. You'd have got a kid carefully gluing googly eye onto a rock and roll while suddenly asking a deep biblical question like, "If God made the sun, why does it produce a sunburn? " Those are usually the moments that will actually matter, and the relaxed environment of the craft table causes them to be happen.
The particular Lessons That Trapped
Beyond the particular games and the particular snacks, vbs 2019 was actually about creating a foundation. For a lot of kids, this particular was their 1st real introduction to the idea that faith can be fun. This wasn't just sitting in a pew and being told to be quiet; this was screaming with the top associated with their lungs, enjoying tag, and making friends.
The particular themes that year focused heavily on resilience and searching for God in the particular everyday. Whether it was the "In the Wild" concentrate on noticing things or the "Roar" concentrate on God's goodness in tough occasions, the messages had been surprisingly timely. Little did we know that the particular kids would require those lessons upon resilience just the few months afterwards when the entire world changed.
I've talked to some parents whose kids are now within high school, and so they still talk about that summer. They will might not keep in mind every Bible verse they memorized, yet they remember the way they felt. They experienced seen, they seemed they belonged in order to a residential area, and these people felt like God was someone which was actually fascinated in their lifestyles.
Wrapping This All Up
It's funny what sort of few days in June or Come july 1st can leave such a lasting impression. vbs 2019 was more than just a way to maintain kids busy whilst school was out there. It was a substantial community effort that brought people together.
We think we frequently underestimate the effect of those programs. We see the budget with regard to the snacks plus the stress from the set-up, but we miss the extensive ripple effect. There are teenagers today that are still friends simply because they met in the 2019 registration collection. You can find volunteers which found their calling in ministry due to the fact they realized they will actually loved teaching kids.
If you still have one of those "In the Wild" t-shirts hidden at the back of your compartment, maybe pull it out. It's the good reminder of a summer where the goal was easy: show kids that they are loved and that will life, while occasionally wild, is ultimately held in good hands. Even if we're far past 2019, the "roar" of that summertime still echoes for many us. It has been a wild trip, a lot associated with work, and honestly, I'd do it all over again in the heartbeat—glitter plus all.