"Brethren, pray for us"

“Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you.” 2 Thessalonians 3.1

Traditionally, our church has held a Vacation Bible School for a week in the summer – an opportunity to reach out to our neighborhood children (and their parents) with the good news of our good Lord Jesus. We have found, however, that we have not succeeded at getting as many families onto our campus as we would like. The minivans just haven’t streamed into the parking lot for VBS like we would wish them to. And we’re not in the kind of neighborhood where many children would just show up on foot, looking for something to do on a summer’s eve. And yet we still need to reach families with the gospel, right?

So, trying to adapt with our circumstances, we’re taking our VBS on the road this year – in the form of 3-4 Backyard Bible Clubs. We’ll be teaching the same curriculum that we have taught before, only over the course of just two days. The most important difference, though, is that we’re heading out to where the kids are! We have one club lined up that will be, literally, in the backyard of one of our church members. We’re also trying to line up one or two more in a large apartment complex nearby. And still another is being efforted in an open space in the next community over from the church. And I am writing these few lines to solicit your prayers in these endeavors.

Would you pray for:

Logistics. That dates, locations, snacks, supplies, restrooms, and so on would all come together so as to make our efforts successful.

Weather. At least 2 of the Clubs are being planned as outdoor events. Would you pray for clear (and maybe also relatively cool!) weather … and for suitable contingency plans if the Lord sees fit to give us rain?

Children. Ask the Lord for lots of them … as many as we can adequately handle! And ask, more importantly, that their hearts will be open, and that the good seed would begin to take root through the biblical teaching they’ll be receiving.

Parents. We always want to influence, not only the children, but the parents who raise them … and who each need the Savior, too. So pray for meaningful connections with moms and dads (and grandparents). Pray also as we try and briefly share the content of the Bible Club (and thus, the gospel) with the parents during a pizza lunch at the end of the Club.

Workers. Ask the Lord to prepare their hearts, too! And their minds! Pray that the truth would come forth clearly, powerfully, and winsomely; and that the love of Christ would show through their every action and word to children, parents, and one another. 

So "brethren, pray for us”, as the apostle Paul requested of the Thessalonians, “that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you.”