Do you remember where you were at the exact moment you heard about the first attack on the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center in New York on September 11, 2001? Well, I do. I was driving to work on that beautiful, clear morning . . . at least, it was clear in Nashville, Tennessee.  I could see the Nashville skyline in the distance.

Moments like that one are etched in our memories, sometimes for a lifetime. But as terrible as the events of that day were, a lot of good things happened in the days that followed. People became closer; patriotism was at a high point; random acts of kindness came more easily and more often; churches were filled; and we rallied together as a nation for the first time in a long time.

But what about the grade-school kids who weren’t even born in 2001? How will they remember the events of 9-11-01? Will they remember only the negatives they have heard already or will hear as they grow older?

Van Winkle Elementary School, an inner city school in Jackson, Mississippi, chose a different approach to 9-11. They used Big Apple VBS backdrops to set the scene for a ceremony to honor fallen heroes. The children made a paper chain with a link for every person who was killed that day. The chain and a list of the victims’ names were posted on the walls inside the school.

But they didn’t stop there. They wanted this to be a teachable moment for the kids about another good thing that came out of 9-11, the importance of the everyday heroes in our own backyards—our first responders.

Check out some footage of the school on one of their local news stations. http://www2.wjtv.com/news/2011/sep/09/school-kids-observe-911-ar-2385884/

With each passing year, I hope we will remember 9-11, now known as Patriot Day, as a time of reflection for those we lost as well as a time for thankfulness for our first responders who courageously risked their own lives to pull many from harm’s way.

Make it a point this week to thank first responders (firefighters, EMS, rescue, law enforcement, military, and civilian support teams) in your community.

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A special thank you goes out to Jeff Land, Editorial Project Leader, Childhood Ministry Publishing, LifeWay Church Resources, for sending us this story. His mother, Ann, is a teacher at Van Winkle Elementary School, Jackson, MS.

If you’re thinking it’s hard for you to gather your workers and plan for your yearly VBS, imagine how much harder it must be for churches on the other side of the world to gather resources and teachers, find a place to train, and plan for what may be a totally new concept for some areas of the world!

Such is the story of Pantai Baptist Church in Malaysia. They held their VBS training event on June 25, 2011.

In the week leading up to the training, Pantai Baptist Church did VBS volunteer recruitment for Big Apple Adventure at First Baptist Church Subang in Malaysia.

Other than Pantai Baptist Church and First Baptist Church Subang, 16 other churches were represented in this training event. One of the trainers said, “I was going through the list of participants the night before, and the responsibility seemed just so B-I-G. I dared not share those feelings with my teammates as I know the list was circulated, but they don’t read, and they won’t be at the registration desk. I prayed for wisdom. I just felt we were not adequate to train pastors, so we just asked for blessings to be God’s mouthpiece.”

Later he added, “We had pastors coming from Johor Bahru and even Tanjong Malim (north and south of Kuala Lumpur)! We did have three churches that came from other states to attend the seminar. A total of 60 people, from our count, turned out for the training. This number did not include First Baptist Church Subang and Pantai Baptist Church members, so over all, we had about 80-100 people.

“It sure was fun for us. (We always have fun when we do VBS.) We did a bit of going down memory lane because we had team members assigned to wear the different VBS T-shirts we’ve used throughout the years—from our first one (Amazon Outfitters), when someone came to teach us how to do VBS, right up to Saddle Ridge Ranch.

“I think everyone has VBS fever, but the participants have to return to their churches to share. It is June already, and the next shipment of materials is coming in September. The church’s are getting more organized, and they have found it is hard to do VBS at their churches if they have to wait for materials from us. They want to do their own VBS about the same time as we do ours in November. That’s why we got them to come for this training.

“We will be having two weeks of VBS this year—one week at First Baptist Church Subang, and then those who are still on a high from Big Apple Adventure are going to Pantai Baptist Church for the following week’s VBS. Both churches have a similar number of classrooms and so forth as in previous years, which actually means double numbers for Big Apple Adventure!

“I am pretty apprehensive, but I know as always it is in God’s hands. We will fill the places.”

What insight! What dedication! What faith! What love!

With workers like these around the world, it’s easy to see why VBS is going global. God tells us that the fields are white unto harvest, now all we have to do is go out and gather in His people (John 4:35-38).

Check out some pictures of VBS in Malaysia by clicking on this link https://www.facebook.com/pages/LifeWay-International/110650312316888 and scrolling nearly to the bottom of the first page.

Does your pastor take an active role in your church’s VBS?

Since VBS is one of the most evangelistic emphases that your church will experience this year, it is important that your pastor has a visible role in your daily activities.  Here are 10 ways to include your pastor and make him feel special.

1.    Ask him to dress like the main character in the Bible story each day and visit the room of a different age group to tell the story.

2.   Plan a class trip to his office during the week to give him a homemade gift/craft (or card) that the children have made for him.

3.   Ask him to share the missions story one or more days during the week in a large-group setting with all the boys and girls who attend VBS.

4.   Invite him to be involved in your Worship Rally musical or drama.

5.   Encourage him to be visible in the parking lot each morning to greet children and parents as they arrive for VBS.

6.   Ask him to make a short presentation on the day the ABC song and video portion of the plan of salvation are shared. Maybe he could even provide a short question and answer period for older children who might not understand.

7.   Enlist him to make a short visit to each VBS room during the week, if only to peek his head in the door and ask how things are going.

8.   Plan for him to play a significant role in your Family Night program.

9.   Make up a simple thank-you song for the children to sing to the pastor in appreciation for his work in VBS.

10. Prepare a special certificate of appreciation for your pastor to be presented to him on Family Night.

Everyone needs to feel appreciated, and your pastor is no exception. Plan to involve him in VBS as much as possible. Oh, and be sure to enjoy a great VBS this year!

Have you ever felt like the part you play in VBS is insignificant? Well, it’s not!

VBS teachers and workers are some of the most significant people on this planet because they are volunteers who give selflessly of their time and talents out of their love for children and God. Every time they tell a Bible or missions story, teach a Bible verse, lead a VBS song, help a child be successful in making a craft or playing a game, or serve a snack; they play significant roles in preparing children to make the decision of a lifetime—to accept Christ as their Savior.

As Sophia on The Golden Girls would say, “Picture this. Nashville, Tennessee. 1962. VBS.” I was brought up in a Christian family where we went to church whenever the doors were open. My dad led family worship every night before bedtime. We were taught to tithe and be involved in missions. From the time I could walk and talk, there was never a time that I did not know about God and Jesus. But “head knowledge” and “heart knowledge” are two completely different things. And it took a VBS teacher in the summer of 1962 to show me that only Jesus could fill the empty place inside me that I had been experiencing for quite a while. But the most amazing part of this decision is that God already had orchestrated how this would all play out.

When I graduated from high school, God called me to work at the Baptist Sunday School Board in Nashville. I worked several jobs there before moving to the VBS section in the early 1990s. For me, this was like coming home because I was right back where I started—in VBS.

I can’t remember the name of that special VBS teacher who shared with me the plan of salvation, but she definitely played a very significant role in my life. One of these days, I hope that God will lead me to her in heaven so that I can thank her.

Never underestimate your role in VBS. Every VBS job is important—to the children and to God!

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“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6, KJV

“Teach a youth about the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6, HCSB^®