The Calm Before the Storm

You have been at the church all week. You’re beginning to seriously consider acting on the oft-asked question “Did you sleep here?” because although you hadn’t even thought of that as a possibility, doing so would make things slightly easier. By now you know every square inch of space your church has and where every last VBS decoration has gone. You are beyond tired. Your mind is reeling with to-do lists of things that you need to get done, things that are already done, and those things you need to get done tomorrow. It is the day before VBS begins. It is the calm before the storm.

In the midst of all that has been done and all there is yet to do, there is no better time than this moment to reflect and pray.

You know that soon the church will be filled with students and volunteers. But right now “all is calm.” Take a moment to have some quiet reflection. In the midst of all that has been done and all there is yet to do, there is no better time than this moment to reflect and pray.

From Mark 1:35, we learn that “rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, [Jesus] departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” Even Jesus did this in the middle of everything. Prayer, reflection, and worship should be at the centerpiece of what you do for VBS, because in the middle of managing the day-to-day tasks and the endless to-do lists, this most important centerpiece can get lost.

At our church, we begin our VBS on a Sunday evening. We make sure everything is ready for the Sunday morning worship service—the “grand reveal.” However, Saturday night at 6:00 p.m. we have our VBS prayer service. Right after we secure the dates for VBS, this is the next thing placed on the church calendar. The format varies year to year. Usually, one of our church elders or pastors lead it. Soft music is playing, and it is a time of quiet reflection for me. I think about everything that it took to get us to this point and everything we have yet to accomplish. I give God glory and surrender the entire event and all the details to him. I praise him for everything he has done through all of us. I pray for protection against distractions that could try to occur during the week while we are boldly sharing the gospel with so many. I cry. I allow myself to stop and breathe for a moment, to be in the moment—to be with God.

If you do not have an intentional prayer service or prayer time before you launch VBS, I encourage you to do so. It can be as simple or as elaborate as you like. The most important thing is to be intentional about praising God and reflecting upon all he has done and all he will do. To me this is best done during the calm before the storm.

Angela Larson (guest blogger) has been directing VBS for eight years and using Answers VBS for seven of those years, beginning with Camp Kilimanjaro and continuing through the current Answers VBS program. She began her VBS program with 65 kids and this year is planning for over 250 children. She has a volunteer base of over 120 people and offers VBS to ages 3 (and potty-trained) up through entering 6th grade.