Vacation Bible School has long been viewed by many as one of the Church’s best evangelism tools. But for Fultondale First Baptist Church, it was extra special this year — a way to get outside its doors and into the community.
After hosting its usual VBS, Fultondale First condensed it to a two-hour mini-VBS and took the event to three campuses of YMCA of Greater Birmingham: Shades Valley, Trussville and Northeast YMCA in Roebuck.
Mark Gainey, pastor of Fultondale First, said it all started when a church member who works for YMCA of Greater Birmingham told the church missions director there might be opportunities to take VBS into their summer camps. It fit right in with the church’s summer evangelism effort, “To the Streets,” aimed at getting the church out into the community to share the gospel.
‘Incredible’
“When we first talked to the YMCA they were interested in five or six branches,” Gainey said, but the church decided to start with three, do it well and expand from there.
“It was incredible,” he added. “VBS is awesome anyway because you get to share the gospel with kids, many of whom have never gone to church. But for me it was incredible because it was a taste of missions in our city.”
He said around 10% of the children present might have been involved in church in some way, but the rest weren’t.
“Hundreds of kids heard the gospel,” Gainey said. “We had no limitations. We shared the gospel straight up.”
For the mini-VBS, everything was shortened. “We’re taking the best of VBS and bringing it to you,” Gainey said. “We shortened it and tried to make everything, including the games, focused on the gospel.”
They also included a craft that wasn’t part of their original VBS, salvation bracelets made from rubber bands.
“We had to basically simplify everything and think through what is absolutely essential to communicate and share,” Gainey said. “We asked, ‘How can we express the love of Jesus and clearly communicate the gospel?’”
Leadership for the three mini events included the missions team, children’s ministry leaders and some VBS volunteers.
Just ask
Gainey said they’re planning to go back next year and expand it to more campuses if possible.
“This is something that honestly we can’t take credit for because one of our members had the idea,” he said. “It’s not something we dreamed up but something that any church with any YMCA anywhere close to them could do — it just takes asking. Many churches already have VBS, and this is just taking what you already have and taking it on the road.”
Gainey said he was excited it could get the church involved in local missions “in a real way again.”
“As a pastor, looking back now, it was much more beneficial than I could’ve imagined,” he reflected. “Our church rallied around our VBS, and then when we talked about VBS on the road, our whole church prayed for it and was excited about it. I’m so glad God paved the way for it.
“It’s reaped benefits for our church’s momentum.”
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