VBS 2009 A Huge Success!

Our first VBS of 2009 is officially over. We had a lot of fun at commencement tonight and at the Boomerang Bash that followed. We averaged 152 for the week and by week's end the youth class had grown to 30 kids. Thanks again to everyone for all of your hard work. You can check out the highlight video here. Now we will begin preparing for VBS at Martin Baptist Church in Martin, KY. This will be our fourth year sharing with the great folks at Martin Baptist. All Aboard!

VBS Night #3

We had another incredible night of VBS tonight! Our high attendance so far is 157. The youth class has grown to 25 kids. It is so exciting to see so many new faces in this group. I was driving the van to take some of them home tonight and we passed by a bad automobile accident on the bypass. Immediately one young girl quieted the others down and began to pray. "Lord, if the person in that wreck knows Jesus then we know that they'll be fine no matter what happens. But if not, Lord I pray that you would heal their injuries and that they would come to know your son Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. In Jesus name we pray, Amen." Counting three nights of VBS this week, this girl has been to our church four times. Evidently she knows what's really important in life. Tomorrow night we will be sharing the ABC's of salvation with these kids, PRAY that the Holy Spirit will speak to hearts and draw some of these kids to Christ. All we can do is share. We have faith that He will do the rest.

VBS 2009 Night #1

We had an incredible first night of Vacation Bible School tonight! We registered 147 in attendance! Five years ago our church was down to a one day Bible School with very few children. It is amazing what God can do when we get serious about His Kingdom Priorities. Two years ago we decided to reintroduce a 7th to 9th grade youth class. The first night we had four or five kids and the class grew to about 10 by the end of the week. Tonight we had 22 young people in that class. They were excited about VBS and their teachers had a blast working with them. I can't begin to thank every one enough for all the hard work that will go into this week. Just remember that this is our Jerusalem. It is the front line in our mission strategy. Acts 1:8 says, " But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Pray that God will add to His Kingdom this week, as we seek to lay up some treasure in heaven!

Keeping Up

We had a great little vacation this week. It was a good time of rest to get ready for a busy summer. Remember, VBS starts tomorrow night! There will be folks, including me, at the church all day decorating rooms and preparing to teach, make crafts, play, and feed the children who come this year.

There are several folks we need to be praying for this weekend. Brian Leedy & Kayla Rice will be getting married at 3:00 today. Little Warner Wright is still in NICU at Self. He just needs to breathe a little better on his own. Pray specifically for his breathing. Kinsley Parkman had an accident this week and cracked a vertebrae in her back and got a concussion. She spent a night in the hospital but is home now. They called hospice in for Keith Salters grandmother. Just not much more they could do for her. They also called in hospice for Samantha Polatty's mother in Abbeville. As you can imagine, this is a very difficult and painful time for both of these families. See you guys Sunday!

VBS 2009 Its closer than you think!

One of the most exciting times of year around First Mount Moriah is Vacation Bible School time! Last year we enrolled over one hundred children, and this year we are hoping that number will increase once again! Some of our folks had so much fun that they actually ended up teaching in three different Bible schools: First Mt Moriah, Martin Baptist Church in Kentucky, and Winona Baptist in Donalds. Occasionally I hear about a church that just can't find anyone to work in VBS. Last year I heard of several other churches that cut VBS from thier budget. That absolutely breaks my heart. Who knows how many children would never hear the good news of Jesus if not for Bible School? I beleive that VBS is one of the most effective outreach tools at our dispossal. I know that our first contact with the several of the young people I baptized Sunday came through VBS. Lately God has been adding families to our church yearly through the ministry of VBS. So I want to take an opportunity to encourage all of our helpers and to thank you guys in advance. It will be worth it!

Kentucky 2009 (Pre-Trip Planning)

Today we will be finalizing plans for our 2009 mission trip to the hills and hollers of eastern Kentucky. This will be our fourth year of VBS with the great people at Martin Baptist Church. We have really enjoyed building relationships with our friends there. This trip is also a great opportunity for our folks to deepen relationships with one another as well as deepen their own relationship with the Lord.

Occasionally someone will ask me about why we go away on these trips when there is so much to be done at home. I have a three-fold answer to that question. First, I believe that Jesus' words in Acts 1:8 command us to have a world wide vision for missions. I don't think that as a church we get to choose only to serve in Jerusalem or Judea or Samaria or the Uttermost. It is our desire as a church to impact all of these areas for the Kingdom of God. That's why each and every year we provide our people with opportunities to serve here in Greenwood, surrounding counties, other states, and in the uttermost parts of the world. Secondly, I have never seen someone come back from a mission trip unchanged. Some of the strongest workers in our church went on a mission trip before they made a commitment to serve here at home. There is just something about serving away from home that draws you into a closer relationship with God. Thirdly, we do a lot right here at home. Most of the time, when someone questions our motives for a distant mission trip there is an accusatory tone in the question. It seems like the short answer that God's Word commands us to go is never a good enough answer. So, just spend some time around us and you will find that we spend about three weeks a year serving outside of our community and forty nine weeks right here doing what God leads us to do to reach others for Him.

Pray for the people of Kentucky who have suffered much in spring floods.(See the picture of Martin, KY top right) Pray that will we have discernment as we select projects to focus our efforts on this year. (That they would be projects that the lord would have us work on, not of our own choosing) Pray for traveling mercies for the planning party as they travel. Begin praying now for those who have felt that it is God's will for them to participate this year. Pray that the Lord would prepare them for the great opportunities that lie ahead.