Newsjournal of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan | September 2023 | Volume 67, Number 9
SUBMERGE YOUR KIDS IN GOD'S WORD WITH LIFEWAY'S VBS 2016
Jeff Buchholz - Merriman Road Baptist Church
RIDGECREST, NC – Children Ministry leaders are getting prepared to train Michigan churches for this summer’s Vacation Bible School (VBS). Ten leaders attended a national VBS Institute at Ridgecrest Conference Center in January. Along with Southern Baptist Leaders from across the eastern states, they received training to plan, to prepare, and to conduct VBS.
The training equipped the team to return to Michigan and lead VBS Institutes for local church leaders. The Michigan VBS leadership team members come from churches across Michigan. The team includes Jeff Buchholz, Debi Buchholz, Landon Woods, Leslie Woods, Michael Elsey, Angela Kacharcyzk, Becky Hessling, Karen Villalpando, Brandon Middlebrooks and Ruth Zarbough. Scott Zaborowski and Noah Buchholz will be managing the VBS bookstore.
Michigan VBS Institutes will be April 9, 2016 at Merriman Road Baptist Church, Garden City and April 30th, 2016 at Bambi Lake Retreat and Conference Center. A LifeWay VBS bookstore will be available at both locations. Each VBS Institute will start the day with one hour of refreshments and the bookstore opening at 8:00 am. Then the worship rally begins at 9:00 am. The elective enrichment workshops for all VBS leaders will follow in the morning. Most of the electives being offered are curriculum-neutral. Then you will pick up your box lunch and head to your Core leadership workshop. Core leadership workshops feature LifeWay’s VBS theme. The day will conclude with another hour for your bookstore purchases from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. A video preview can be found below.
This summer’s theme is “Submerge”. It will take your kids on an adventure like no other, deep within the mysterious sea. As kids submerge themselves in God’s Word, they will discover that Jesus didn’t just see what’s on the outside of people. He looked deep down on the inside. So grab your goggles, step
Michigan leadership team at Ridgecrest for 2016 theme training.
(Photo courtesy Jeff Buchholz)
into your flippers, and dive into find truth below the surface. This year the key verse is: "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way." Psalm 139:23-24 (HCSB)
Vacation Bible School continues to be one of the most effective outreach and evangelism tools your church can use. VBS Training enhances your evangelistic effectiveness. Research has shown that on average we baptize one person from VBS for every worker we train for VBS. Receive inspiration and training for your VBS leaders at one of the Michigan VBS Institutes sponsored by the Baptist State Convention of Michigan.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeff Buchholz serves as the Associate Pastor at Merriman Road Baptist Church in Garden City, MI. He has ministered on the VBS state team for 8 years and has been the Michigan State VBS Promoter for 2 years. Jeff has served on the Church Strengthening Team and Executive Board for four years and is currently the Assistant Recording Secretary for the Executive Committee. He is a graduate from Liberty University and North American School of Theology. Jeff and his wife Debi have 3 children, Scott, Noah and Edie and call Pontiac, Mi home.
Video Preview: Submerged - VBS 2016 from Lifeway