Rock & Reef Tour

Today began VBS at Noonday! For the first year in a long time, we're doing our own version of it for middle school. I know, I know, no middle schooler wants to go to VBS. But it is nothing like VBS at all. I can't remember what we're calling it exactly (but I'm pretty sure it signifies awesome), but it has much more of a camp feel to it, and the theme is Rock & Reef Tour, so it's not that childish VBS junk. None of that around here. (although I do miss 4B and the crafts and singing and motions and duck duck goose and...) As 5:45 got closer and we had no kids pre-registered, we really didn't know what was going to happen. What if we didn't have any kids at all? We were so pumped and ready, but what if they didn't show up? We all decided that if 1 kid showed up, we were going to love on that one kid (in the least awkward way possible). If 3 kids showed up, we were going to build some great relationships with those 3 kids. And if no kids showed up at all? We were going to still have worship, still praise our God who is still good even if no one shows up, and hit our knees. We were going to pray until something happened. And if that took 3 days then so be it. We ended up with 6 kids tonight, and I realize that isn't many. In fact, I got a little discouraged thinking about how many churches around us have these huge middle school ministries and wondered why we didn't. But the thing is, it's not about how many kids we have. Our success isn't measured on how many kids come. The biggest question is was God glorified? Did we do what He asked us to do? Are we serving and obeying Him? And most of all, is He why we're doing this? If we can say "yes" to all of these, then we have been successful. With those kids, we had more fun than I think I have ever had in the walls of Noonday Baptist Church. And I hav been there for 20 years. We laughed until we cried, we danced, we sang, we made a train, we talked, and we praised Him with every step. We experienced joy the way it is supposed to be experienced. We were totally and completely undignified before God, and loved it.

Please pray for the rest of the week. Pray that we grow if it is God's will, but that we build relationships that last with these kids. Pray that the leaders can keep this level of enthusiasm we had tonight. Pray that God moves like we have never seen before, no matter how many people are in the room. He is doing a marvelous work!

Also, Timmy leaves with FBCW tomorrow (or in 4 hours actually) for their middle and high school camp. Pray that God uses the leaders, gives them strength and patience after many sleepless nights, and does a mighty work in these students' lives.