Reflections on Colossal Coaster World

Well, I've barely had time to breathe since eight o'clock yesterday morning when we pulled into the church parking lot and stepped inside the sparkling church-turned-Colossal-Coaster-World-amusement-park where kids learn about facing their fears by trusting God. Though numbers are a bit down from last year, this year's group of kids are enthusiastic and involved, the volunteers are making stronger connections and more fun than ever is to be had! The theme verse is 2 Timothy 1:7,

"For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love and sound judgement." (HCSB)

Our Bible lessons this week follow the apostle Paul and God's power and glory magnified in his life. Each day is a different theme.

• Day 1: Dare to Change
• Day 2: Dare to Speak Up
• Day 3: Dare to Believe
• Day 4: Dare to Stand Strong
• Day 5: Dare to Trust

So yesterday when we "dared to change," we looked at Paul's conversion and how God changed Paul's life from one of hating Christians to loving them. We sang a song that asked God to "change our hearts" and "open up our eyes" so we could "see [God's] glory, shining like a light." We played games, made crafts, ate snacks and had conversations that spoke of God's power to bring change in our lives for His glory.

Today we "dared to speak up" and looked at how Paul's preaching the gospel resulted in the Jewish authority's desire to imprison him and how Christians needed to lower Paul out a window in a basket to safety. We sang about speaking up and telling "the world about [Christ]" and His message of repentance and faith. We played games, made crafts, ate snacks and had conversations about how when God saves us, He enables us to speak up and tell others about Him.

There are still three days left this week before Colossal Coaster World is over. But when all has ended on Friday afternoon, I pray that our gospel connection with these kids will not end. We'll spend this week giving out Bibles, teaching them the Scriptures and telling them how to be saved. Then we will pray and leave the rest up to God. This week of VBS is for His glory, and we rejoice in this opportunitiy for twelve and a half hours to preach and demonstrate the love of Christ and the hope of the gospel to all the kids who have come through our door. Soli Deo gloria.