Light

Transformation

Kelly Horn June 14, 2016

We can all recognize one who loves Christ the second we first see the individual. The person just has a special glow full of compassion, patience, and peace. Last week at our annual Vacation Bible School, nearly 150 children and 70 volunteers all found a new glow in their hearts.

VBS planning started a year ago with a big idea and one line of scripture. The idea was to do VBS differently than any other church. The scripture, Matthew 5:16: “Let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven.” As big as the idea for our VBS was, God’s plans were bigger. His divine inspiration transformed VBS from just been another summer camp to a first-hand experience with Christ, manifesting itself through our devoted youth and adult leaders.

One leader described the experience as follows: “...after finally sitting down and getting time to breathe and take this week in, I found that I feel transformed! God was so very present in all we did, in all that I did and said. He gave me the words to speak to our children, and I can only hope my words were heard and will reverberate within them for weeks, months and even years to come. This was such a powerful week for me.”

It was an amazing week of transformation for us all, adult and child, lifelong Christians and those just beginning to feel Christ’s presence. Praise God for this ministry and all those who became His hands and feet last week.

Category: Light, Transformation, VBS

Holy Spirit

Refocusing on the Awe of God

Rev. Kelsy Brown June 3, 2014

Monday began our first day of Vacation Bible School here at Pinnacle. The theme this year is Workshop of Wonders, and the children are learning about amazing things God does in science, games, crafts, music, and of course, Bible stories. The energy is palpable as the kids rush from one thing to the next, and you can feel the Spirit is moving.

Each day the kids learn a different aspect about God. Monday was Imagine with God where they learned that God has a great imagination and He gives us an imagination to do awesome things. On Tuesday, they learned about Ezra and his challenges to build the temple while they Build with God. Wednesday, they will Grow with God as they learn about the tiny faith of a mustard seed. Thursday is Work with God, where they learn about the work of Jesus’ miracles, like the feeding of the 5,000. Finally, on Friday, they will Walk with God on the Emmaus Road.

The days are full. We are all exhausted by the end of three hours of excitement, and yet the exhaustion does not overcome the energy. There is something moving this week across our campus. Something that can’t be explained by high-energy music and games, captivating Bible stories, or exciting hands-on crafts and experiments. It is something that can only be described in the same way that the disciples stood that day in the upper room on Pentecost - with the Holy Spirit’s fire filling each of them.

Pentecost is the day when the Holy Spirit moved across Jerusalem awakening people to faith. The Holy Spirit was a gift that was promised by Jesus so that God’s people could always communicate with God. Suddenly everyone could understand each other even though they spoke different languages. The people were confused by the loud sounds of wind and the fire shaped like tongues sitting on the peoples’ heads.

Too often we forget that we all walk around with fire resting on our heads because of all that is going on in our daily lives. Stress, work, family struggles, adventures, and challenges all seem to try to put out the fire within us. That is why weeks like Vacation Bible School are so important; because they remind us that the Holy Spirit’s fire dwells with us each day. It is the exhilarating feeling that God is powerful, in control and working. The challenge is learning to hold on to the mountaintop highs of weeks like VBS throughout the other 51 weeks of the year.

Often we think the answer is getting rid of all the stuff that tries to dampen our fire. But there is no way to ignore the challenges of life that pile up, because doing so would only make it worse. The only way to keep seeing the fire of the Holy Spirit with us is to do what the VBS experience does, which is to help us refocus our energies on what is really important…being in awe of God.

The Holy Spirit is with us each day and does amazing things - guiding us through decisions, teaching us about faith, walking with us through struggles. But to continue to be in awe we have to be willing to look for it and to ask for it.

We can do this in many ways, but I have two recommendations to try. First we have to try to be aware of the small, medium and big ways that the Holy Spirit is present…where have you seen the Spirit today? Did you see the Spirit at work when you were talking with a coworker, or in the hospital as you sat with your loved one? Did you see the Spirit in the car on the way to and from work, or maybe the Spirit spoke to you though your children? The Holy Spirit was working today - look for it.

Secondly, the Holy Spirit responds to our prayers to God. When we pray, God responds in some way. It isn’t always the answer we want and it isn’t always in the timing we want. But the Holy Spirit is with us in that answer. What have you been praying for? Where has the Holy Spirit shown you answers?

I pray the Holy Spirit awakens you today!

Category: Holy Spirit, Pentecost, Rev. Kelsy Brown, VBS

Children's Ministries

Holy Week VBS

Debbie Lisk March 21, 2013

Vacation Bible School – it’s a big part of my job description during the spring and early summer. When I think of VBS, images of children singing, learning Bible stories, running around, and making friends on hot summer days may come to mind. But what if it’s mixed up a bit, and VBS is offered during Holy Week? I’m sure there will still be stories, songs, crafts, and friends…but there can be so much more. Holy Week VBS – I’m not sure of many other churches offering something like this….and we thought we’d give it a try.

I had the good fortune of meeting Kris Stenson, a wonderfully creative Presbyterian from House of Hope Presbyterian Church in Minnesota. Kris spends her time between Minnesota and Scottsdale, and we had a chance to get to know one another last year, when Kris shared with me some of the exciting ideas and lessons she had created for children, and their understanding of the Seasons of the Church. Well, we really got to talking, and Kris was interested in having her ideas published for other churches to use and try…but needed a place to field test her ideas…and we thought, what about offering this to the children at Pinnacle when she’s here in the winter/spring for 2013?

Fast forward to today – here we are, ready for spring to arrive, and Holy Week is just around the corner. Kris has been working on the final touches of the curriculum. The children we have during Holy Week will be learning about the colors and seasons of the church- from green ordinary time to the royal and regal purple associated with Lent, fiery red for Pentecost and blue for Advent.

The theme is perfect for Holy Week – learning about the seasons of the church in a week that brings Christians together around the world. As adults, we have a good understanding of the seasons of the church; the younger children do not have as strong and concrete understanding. How confusing it might be for children to comprehend that all the history of the Bible happens in September, October, and November. Then we wait for Baby Jesus to be born in the month of December…don’t wait too long, because Jesus has a lot to do in his life, which is shared with them in January and February, and then we learn that Jesus is about to die, and live again, in the months of March and April. Whew – that’s a lot to comprehend in just 28 short Sundays.

And so this Holy Week VBS experience will be a chance to spend a little more time with the children, sharing with them the seasons of the church, the colors of the church, and stories from the Bible that connect the events to the seasons of the church calendar. And what a wonderful week of the year to reflect on the different seasons of the church, just as we have different seasons in our lives. Our seasons are filled with work and play, joy and sorrow, celebrations and ordinary days, much like the joy and anticipation of Advent, the sorrow throughout Lent, the celebration of Easter and Pentecost – and of course, the ordinary time, where so much growing and understanding can take place.

This Holy Week VBS experience is sure to be an interesting one, and Kris and I hope it gives you pause, and time to consider, the colors and seasons of the church, and what they can mean to you in your faith development, too.

Category: Children's Ministries, VBS

Children

Diving Deep With God

Debbie Lisk April 25, 2012

Wow! I feel we are just on the heels of Easter, and my calendar is already filling up with the details and nitty gritties of Vacation Bible School (VBS). I don’t know how many of you have been part of a VBS – whether as a child, a parent, a volunteer, or a planner. My experience had been quite limited. When I was younger, I went to VBS with my best friend, Jill. I remember making crafts, doing a lot of singing, and hearing the bible stories each day. As a parent, our church didn’t offer VBS, and my children, Paige and Grant, didn’t even know what they were missing. But then we moved to Phoenix in 2005 and would spend our summers in Florida (why stay in the dry heat when you can escape to the humidity of southern Florida?). Paige and Grant participated in the VBS program at First Presbyterian Church of Bonita Springs, and they loved it! The first year the theme was “Fiesta” and was a perfect match for our new home in the Southwest. We listened to...

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Category: Children, Children's Ministries, VBS, Vacation Bible School