Alive or Sleeping

Our church started VBS last Wednesday night. For those of you that have never experienced the awesomeness that is VBS, these letters stand for Vacation Bible School; a time when kids from infancy to usually 6th grade come to learn about Jesus and participate in memorizing bible verses, new songs, make crafts, throw water balloons at each other, and have snacks that match the theme of the program. This year we're using one from Lifeway for a New York theme!
I feel like this year's VBS is being used by God to show our church how deep into sleep it has fallen. Last week, our opening Wednesday night, 13 teens came and helped everywhere they could, and we were glad they did! Four of our adult volunteers were no call no shows, included were the Missions Director and two group leaders. Without those teens, we would have been without any direction for where to involve our kids in the journey of finding out more about God's Love. Yet even the teens came without much understanding of why being volunteers is so important to the lives of kids. Most came either because they had to or because they knew there would be water balloons to throw at each other.

God does not spare words when it comes to a church that has fallen asleep in the service of His Kingdom:

"To the angel of the church in Sardis write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you."
(Revelation 3:1-3 NIV)

The Church of Sardis started out with such an excitement for God, but over time they grew comfortable and their lives looked more the stagnant water. I risk a lot by saying this, but our church has grown much the same way. Those that are few and far between of being willing to hold volunteer positions only hold the place card, others show up a half an hour later than start times with the thought that everyone will wait for them. I remember one Sunday, during worship, our leader told the congregation that since they sang so well on the last song that they could sit down for the rest - I don't know how sitting down during worship can be counted as a privilege - and anytime a church event would be planned, complaints would pour in that we were trying to interfere with busy schedules outside of the church. Parents of most of the teens involved in the youth ministry have taken the view point that we run somewhat of a babysitting service than actually giving our youth something to grow on and be nourished in the Love of God while having opportunities to serve others, and asking for volunteers is looked upon as a way of saying I can't handle keeping the distracting teens out of the adult programming by myself.

Two weeks ago, we had a church cook-out. Games were planned as an adults verses kids and teens fellowship, which typically results in a lot of laughs and lighthearted teasing. Until the last half an hour of the night our cook-out consisted of our pastor, one lady that shares the same vision of staying awake and alive, and me. Then one family joined us outside for the rest of the time. The remaining people held their own "cook-in", taking their food to the fellowship hall tables and talking with each other about the problems of life.
When game time started, it was inly kids and teens that decided to participate in our egg toss, and by the end of our kick ball game only two adults had joined us to play. I guess my question is, what message are we sending to our church of tomorrow as the adults of today? Are we growing a dying breed?

Yet in the midst of this slumber, I could not help but rejoice with where those teens volunteered for the VBS opening last week! Because of the audible cry for help and pleas of desperation, they all began to see where they were needed in the church. Without the guidance of 13 teenagers, and their encouragement to the adult leaders to liven up, the lives of 10 students would have been taught that our purpose for coming to church was to sleep.

Last night was extremely rewarding for God! We had three new children arrive for VBS, and even though we had four less teen volunteers, another one showed up to help, and three new adults came to be excited about teaching our students about loving Jesus, including the Missions Director and the two group leaders!

I started out the night by throwing the teens into a completely improvisational skit to the song "Give Me Your Eyes" by Brandon Heath. I took the role of a homeless man walking the streets of New York. One teen portrayed saving me from falling into oncoming traffic, another portrayed giving me bread to eat, a couple of them took on the role of being bullies, and yet another was the man to step in and stop the bullies from attacking me. After all of the commotion, I sat on a park bench collecting money from teens representing people walking the street, then after considering all of those that showed love to me, I proceeded to walk around and give the money back to people as an act of loving sacrifice - just as the woman in Luke did when she walked in and recognized Jesus as a Man that Loved her so much He would take away her sins as His own, and she began to wash His feet with her tears and dry them with her hair. The expensive perfume she use to pour over Jesus' feet after cleansing them would have cost her a year's wages. I have to brag on my teens for being the best skit team I could ever ask for!

Cameras started coming out to capture the highlights of what God was doing in His Church last night, and the kids had a lot of fun! It was great to hear them quoting "We love because He first Loved us." all throughout the evening! The night ended with the adults talking about how to improve and make everything flow even smoother for an even more exciting atmosphere in the coming weeks!

With that being said, the question remains:
As a Church, are we alive or sleeping?