Time to Shake It Up!

It’s finally time to Shake It Up and tomorrow we begin one of my favorite weeks of the year – Vacation Bible School (VBS).  I love the energy and excitement that only a room filled with kids can create (and we’ve got 550 kids registered).  I love lasers and disco balls and disco walls and bubble machines and funny videos and everything else that makes the week such a blast.  But  I also recognize that at times I can get so caught up in the production and the programming that I miss what it is that really makes the week special  – the opportunity we have to touch the hearts of kids, parents and families.

This week the vision of Mountaintop becomes – helping OTM families learn and share that life is better with Jesus because He makes us better at life.   We will be doing that by building on a verse that has always captured my imagination:

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken.  

They were filled with the Holy Spirit.  

They were bold when the spoke God’s word.

Acts 4: 31

That’s the verse our kids will be memorizing this week.  Tomorrow night I am going to challenge the parents to memorize it as well and I hope that all of us at Mountaintop might share that challenge.  It’s a great verse to pray for our church – and for all churches.  Pray that we will remain devoted to prayer – it’s the engine that drives the church.  Pray that God will move in ways that shakes the ground beneath our feet.  Pray that all we do will be empowered by the Holy Spirit.   And pray that we will be bold as we proclaim that in Jesus Christ we have found a better way to live.

To the glory of God!

PS:  The acronym VBS has probably become outdated.  Anyone on staff or volunteering will tell you this is not a Vacation.  Spend just a few minutes in the auditorium or in one of the rotations and it’s clear that this isn’t School.  But the week is definitely grounded in the Bible.  Here’s an overview of what our kids will be learning

Monday:  God Shakes the World.  The Death and Resurrection of Jesus (Matthew 27: 45-51, 54 and 28: 1 – 9)

Tuesday:  God Shakes His People.  Happy Birthday, Church!  It’s Pentecost! (Acts 2: 1 – 17 and 37 – 41)

Wednesday:  God’s People Shake their World!  Jailhouse Rock (Acts 16: 22 – 34)

Thursday:  Shake Your World!  Preach the Good News to Everyone, Boldly! (Acts 28: 28 – 31)

It begins with a Family Night Kickoff at 6:00 tomorrow evening.  I hope you will all be there to Shake It Up! – and who knows, you just might wind up on shaking on stage with a chance for a great give away.