There is, thankfully, a cool breeze this morning! I love a cool fresh breeze. Hot Summer days require more grace for me to keep my inner-curmudgeon at bay. To be thankful, to be kind and thoughtful, gracious and neighborly. One of the things I do appreciate about sunny days is how much everyone (else) smiles. Smiles are contagious, don’t you think?
There is nothing more contagious than the smile of a child. I happened to see the sweetest smiling boy at the grocery store earlier this week. His whole face lit up when he smiled. I was charmed to be sure and found myself smiling through the rest of my errands.
As a church body we are embarking on mission to bring many smiles into our midst with VBS – Vacation Bible School. This year it will be Wonder Junction where kids marvel at Jesus and learn about living for His glory.
Carin Agor is assembling the volunteer team of adults and teens for onsite ministry the week of the event – August 4-8. But there are also so many ways to be a part of the event planning, prep, and conclusion without actually being on-site during event week. One way is to pray regularly for the children, their families, and for our team of staff and volunteers.
For the upcoming weeks, I wonder if you’d join me in praying daily for a particular facet of the event? Delightfully, the curriculum for the children’s first day at Wonder Junction will be learning about the birth of Jesus! So let’s first read from the Book of Matthew …
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel!” (which means God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. Matthew 1.18-25
Prayer prompts:
- Praise God for the opportunity to share the Biblical Christmas story with the children!
- Pray for the wonder of the Christmas nativity story to touch the hearts of children, teens, and adults with anticipation of what more they will come to know about Jesus.
- Praise God for the people He is bringing to our volunteer team.
- Pray for strong health and vibrant well-being for our crew!
- Praise God for the children He will bring to Wonder Junction.
- Pray for the children’s families to also be moved to know Jesus or to know Him in a deeper way than they already do.
Thank you for your prayers! Please reply to this email if you are ready to join the Wonder Junction team (week of the event or before) and haven’t already done so. I’ll forward your reply to Carin and her team!
With joy, Colleen