VBS and Hospitality
By Steve Gregg
There are a number of annual events at Creekside that always encourage me and one of my favorites has gone on this week, VBS (Vacation BIble School). There are a number of reasons for this: the church grounds are filled with kids who are having a great time, each morning there is an opening worship time with music and dancing and it’s usually a good opportunity for me to talk and catch up with folks I don't always get to see. All of these are great but one of the sweetest aspects of VBS that has become more and more common in recent years is the number of visitors who attend. This week as I look around VBS, there are so many kids that I don't recognize and parents who are unfamiliar. What makes this so special is these visitors are clearly having a great time and being loved on well which is so satisfying and honestly fun to watch.
The Scriptures call on God’s people to be people of hospitality. Moses wrote that Israel was to be hospitable to sojourners and foreigners because God has been gracious to them while they were sojourners in Egypt. When the apostle Paul listed the qualifications for elders in his letter to Timothy, he listed hospitality as one of the traits needed for leadership. Last Sunday in 1 Peter we saw we are to practice hospitality without grumbling as a way of loving each other earnestly. These and many more verses make me all the more grateful and joyful at the hospitality I see on display in VBS week.
In a time when there is so much tension in our country and fatigue from COVID, VBS this week has been a blessing to me and I hope to many others. So, thanks to all who have worked so hard to make this possible, with special thanks to Tammi and Nina. We are grateful for you, your service and your examples. For those of you who weren’t able to be a part of VBS this year, this Sunday we will host a special lunch after the service to welcome any of the VBS visiting families who may come and worship with us. We will have various seating options (inside the Fellowship Hall, outside on the Fellowship deck as well as seating in the playground area to accommodate folks and their families).
If you have not been worshipping in person, this would be a great Sunday to be back to enjoy the celebration with us and to get a chance to meet these families. And as we move into the Fall, please look around for visitors and be sure to make them feel welcome. It’s not just the polite thing to do, it’s one of the key ways we are to reflect Christ to others. Creekside, thanks again for doing it well and let’s continue to press into it more and more.
One final word, about COVID. I know you are likely as tired of hearing about it as much as I am with talking about it. With the rising spread of the Delta variant in our community, we are striving to be wise by having multiple sitting options at the Fellowship dinner this Sunday. We are continuing to ask anyone who is showing symptoms, to please forego attending events and get tested. If you do test positive for COVID, and you have attended a Creekside event, please let us know. We still need to keep track for safety and planning purposes. Thanks for your help. Please be in prayer for our folks in the medical field and cases are rising and hospitalizations are on the rise.
There are a number of annual events at Creekside that always encourage me and one of my favorites has gone on this week, VBS (Vacation BIble School). There are a number of reasons for this: the church grounds are filled with kids who are having a great time, each morning there is an opening worship time with music and dancing and it’s usually a good opportunity for me to talk and catch up with folks I don't always get to see. All of these are great but one of the sweetest aspects of VBS that has become more and more common in recent years is the number of visitors who attend. This week as I look around VBS, there are so many kids that I don't recognize and parents who are unfamiliar. What makes this so special is these visitors are clearly having a great time and being loved on well which is so satisfying and honestly fun to watch.
The Scriptures call on God’s people to be people of hospitality. Moses wrote that Israel was to be hospitable to sojourners and foreigners because God has been gracious to them while they were sojourners in Egypt. When the apostle Paul listed the qualifications for elders in his letter to Timothy, he listed hospitality as one of the traits needed for leadership. Last Sunday in 1 Peter we saw we are to practice hospitality without grumbling as a way of loving each other earnestly. These and many more verses make me all the more grateful and joyful at the hospitality I see on display in VBS week.
In a time when there is so much tension in our country and fatigue from COVID, VBS this week has been a blessing to me and I hope to many others. So, thanks to all who have worked so hard to make this possible, with special thanks to Tammi and Nina. We are grateful for you, your service and your examples. For those of you who weren’t able to be a part of VBS this year, this Sunday we will host a special lunch after the service to welcome any of the VBS visiting families who may come and worship with us. We will have various seating options (inside the Fellowship Hall, outside on the Fellowship deck as well as seating in the playground area to accommodate folks and their families).
If you have not been worshipping in person, this would be a great Sunday to be back to enjoy the celebration with us and to get a chance to meet these families. And as we move into the Fall, please look around for visitors and be sure to make them feel welcome. It’s not just the polite thing to do, it’s one of the key ways we are to reflect Christ to others. Creekside, thanks again for doing it well and let’s continue to press into it more and more.
One final word, about COVID. I know you are likely as tired of hearing about it as much as I am with talking about it. With the rising spread of the Delta variant in our community, we are striving to be wise by having multiple sitting options at the Fellowship dinner this Sunday. We are continuing to ask anyone who is showing symptoms, to please forego attending events and get tested. If you do test positive for COVID, and you have attended a Creekside event, please let us know. We still need to keep track for safety and planning purposes. Thanks for your help. Please be in prayer for our folks in the medical field and cases are rising and hospitalizations are on the rise.