A few weeks ago, I was enthusiastically sharing information about our upcoming VBC (June 22-26). I was deep into the daily reflection questions, plans for decorating, and the eternal question about snacks, when my friend interrupted me.
“Wait, did I hear you correctly? You’re taking the students to Babylon? Isn’t Babylon supposed to be bad!?!”
Indeed, from their rise as a neighboring empire to their eventual conquest of the land to their New Testament role as a stand-in for everything bad and ominous, Babylon was often shown as counter to what God wanted. Babylon was the anti-Jerusalem; it was not a place you wanted to go, and going there was dangerous. And yet, God’s people spent a generation in Babylon. It was there that the prophet Jeremiah told them to plant gardens and pray for the peace of the city. It was there that Isaiah had his visions of a desert and a people restored. It was in Babylon that young people taken into exile found a place to practice their faith.
This year, we are going to Babylon. Not because it is easy, or because it will be fun to build some replica Ishtar Gates, but because we want every child to know that God is with them. Through the story of Daniel and his friends, we will help children understand that God is with them when they go to new places (willingly or not). God stands with them when they face dangers like Shadrach, Misrach, and Abednego. God stays through the night when you are alone and surrounded by lions like Daniel. And God is there when you step up to lead in new ways.
We are ready to welcome 150 children into our church to explore and experience God’s close and loving presence. If you would like to join us, we are looking for volunteers who can help the week of (June 22-26), but also in the weeks leading up to prepping projects, praying for students, and helping to transform the church into an ancient city.
You can sign up here to volunteer.
P.S. You don’t even need to read cuneiform!