Perhaps Pastor Doug’s greatest contribution to the Kingdom was the formation and execution of  a new approach to Vacation Bible School.  Especially in Spokane, it became a prime vehicle for growing the church. Throughout the years, thousands of children have been touched by and formed by Vacation Bible School.

It all began when Doug was a new Christian and he first encountered a Vacation Bible School.  His home church in Aurora, Colorado was hosting a VBS and Doug volunteered. His experience wasn’t rewarding.  In fact, it was downright boring.  Kids came together and sang goofy songs, were in a classroom with boring subject matter and canned curriculum with lame snacks.  Plus the VBS was being held just a week after school got out.  Seemed to be something the kids, the few who were there, weren’t very interested in.  The whole experience didn’t seem to relate to their lives in any meaningful way.

When Doug started his mininstry in Waterloo, IA, he was allowed to oversee Children’s Ministry.  The first order of business was to see if a vision for a vibrant VBS could come to fruition.  VBS seemed to be a great opportunity for reaching kids for Christ but it needed a fresh and unique approach.  There were certain pillars that needed to be in place for it to be successful:

Pillar One: The Timing!

Most churches hosted their VBS’s in June soon after the kids got out of school.  This is a time when kids are sick of school and are looking forward to their summer fun.  How about scheduling a VBS soon before they begin the new school year.  The kids are played out.  They are bored.  After being with them all summer, parents would welcome a morning break by sending their kids to VBS.

Pillar Two: The Curriculum!

Instead of using canned curriculum that is designed for mass consumption, is perennially goofy and is weak on substance … why not write our own!  Take an outlined theme the pastor provides and get capable and gifted people in the church to use resources available and write a curriculum that is relevant to the needs of our kids.

Pillar Three: Embodiment!

Kids love cartoons!  Why not embody the theme of VBS in a character that will communicate the theme each day in the opening with Pastor Doug. Example:

Willy the Praying Mantis  (theme: prayer)

Andy the Ant (theme: Jesus the Man)

Puff n Fluff (theme: God’s love for us)

Billy Butterfly (theme: metamorphosis)

AllThumbs (theme: sin)

Belinda Bee (Loving one another 1 Corinthians 13)

Pillar Four:  A Relevant, Fun and WOW-factor environment!

To draw attention to the community and to provide a special environment, a circus tent was rented (and later purchased) that would be used for the opening each day.  In addition, the characters would interact and introduce the theme for the day to the kids through a skit each morning.  In addition, there would be relevant singing – songs written and performed by Pastor Doug.  Each day would be a wow-factor experience in the tent to kick the days activities off.

Pillar Five: Relevant and take-home worthy crafts.

Crafts contained in the boxed curriculums were merely time consumers for the kids. They were really junk that parents would throw away as soon as the kids weren’t looking.  Why not devise one quality craft item that the kids could construct each day and on the last day finish and take home.  It could be something for the wall or to place on a dresser that would last for years.  It wouldn’t be junk and it would remind them of the Biblical theme they learned at VBS.

THE RESULT?

Many years of faithful people banding together with a common goal – reaching kids with a creative presentation of the gospel in hopes their lives change and subsequently, the lives of their families.  Before Pastor Doug began his ministry in Waterloo, IA, the church partnered together with another church with VBS and they reached 60 kids.  After six years of ministering in this new way attendance reached 650!  In Spokane, the year before Pastor Doug initiated the Pillars of VBS, the church ministered to 65 children.  After years of dedication on the part of hundreds of volunteers and a dedicated effort to reach kids for Christ, VBS reached 1200 kids Pastor Doug’s final year at Southside.

Over the years, thousands of kids have been touched with the grace and love of Christ.  Thousands of kids, now adults, still have the lyrics to the songs from the tent dancing through their souls ….