International Vacation Bible School
Texas A&M University
By Dr. Richard Manus
This outreach was based upon the experience of the WELS campus ministry
at The University of Wisconsin at Madison, depicted on the video "The
World Mission at Work at Home" (Campus Ministry Foundation Inc.,
Tape #93, P.O. Box 9288, Madison, WI 53715-0288, 608/836-8343).
Pastor Neil Bockelmann, Bethel Lutheran Church, Bryan, Texas, and Pastor
Brian Bestian, Holy Cross Lutheran Church, College Station, Texas, shared
the video with members, resulting in a volunteer staff comprised of people
from both congregations.
The program and staffing assignments were decided upon at a few planning
meetings. The program format
and content were standard: Bible stories, (Adventures in Prayer, CPH),
puppets, classroom, music, handicrafts, and refreshments.
Adult leaders and high school youth from the congregations distributed
doorknob-hanger invitations containing a message printed in English,
Chinese, and Korean. Posters and advertisement in the university newspaper were
placed to reach the international community and especially the married
student housing area which has about 700 apartments.
Attendance grew each evening, topping at about 50, with 25 children and 15
adults. The adult group was comprised mostly of women, some who spoke
no English. Countries
represented included China (PRC), Korea, Indonesia, and Nigeria.
The format of the adult section was derived by those in attendance.
A Jewish person in the group helped by serving as translator.
The student leaders associated with married student housing enabled our use
of the on-site building and pavilion. However,
we were not told that the locks would be changed during the course of the
week. Thankfully, some of our
Lutheran pastors and members know how to use a hammer and screwdriver to
advantage. The door was off
just in time to begin!
During the closing evening we passed out flyers inviting people to the All
Nations Hour to begin Sunday, August 7, 1994 at 5:00 p.m.
This is the follow-up to VBS, offering Bible teaching and singing for
children and adults. This
weekly program could be similar to a Sunday school.
A Chinese-speaking graduate student (Tam) will translate the English
teaching into Chinese and will help with the singing. There will also be time for prayer and sharing.
If All Nations Hour continues, we will solicit helpers from
our congregations in order to maintain a Gospel presence in the married
student community.
What are the praise points resulting from this experience?
- God, through His Word, draws people to Himself.
- In ministry, we walk by faith.
- Our LCMS believers are eager to share Jesus' love and to collaborate
with each other and with the university community in order to accomplish
this.
- We can go and establish the Word where people are.
Two children and one adult showed up for the All Nations’ Hour.
My wife, Alice, and daughter, Mary-Courtney, were with the children
and Tam and I with the one adult. We
felt that the time might be too close to the supper hour and so changed it
to 7:30 p.m. I placed posters
and sent reminders to that effect. Mary-Courtney
telephoned the two boys who were present on August 7. No one came on August 14. I
will return on August 21 and decide whether to continue or not.
We will need to talk more about follow-up as we plan for next year's VBS. I am aware that there are strong Korean and Chinese churches
in our locale. However, it is
likely that some creative ideas will surface.
International Vacation Bible School is part of MAIN (Ministry Among
International Neighbors).
This is the Bible study that Rev. Richard Manus used with the adults
in VBS to interest them in reading the Gospel of Mark.
BIBLE INSPIRED
Define:
Example: Musician
God-breathed
Cannot be proven
God must convince us
By reading the Bible, we open selves to God.
2 Tim. 3:16
All scripture is God-breathed . . .
2 Peter 1:20–21; Romans 15:4
In the Bible, God gives us hope.
JESUS USED BIBLE
BIBLE TELLS (testifies) US ABOUT JESUS
John 5:37–40
BIBLE IS POWERFUL BECAUSE IT IS GOD'S WORD
Shows us how we displease God our Father.
Show us God the Father's love (Prodigal Son).
John 6:63
MANY RELIGIONS — WHICH IS RIGHT?
Bread/Rice
Truth 1 + 1 = 2
No room for two or more equally correct opinions
John 14:6 Investigate for yourself.
Read Gospel of Mark
Prayer:
"God, if this really is Your Word, please speak to me now through
its pages."
See what happens.
Why So Many Churches?
Many different
churches believe the same teaching about the Bible and Jesus.
Gal. 3:26–29
Some people have
different understandings about certain teachings in the Bible.
Some of these
differences are serious.
Read the Bible for
yourself.
Mark 1 64
There is much bad news in our world.
We read it in newspapers, hear it on the radio, and watch it on
television.
Sometimes there is bad news in our lives.
Unemployment
Sickness
Loneliness
Family problems
Death
Sometimes we wonder how we will handle the bad news.
"Does anyone really care about me?" we might think.
Gospel means, "good news."
God's Good News comes to us in the Bible which tells us about Jesus.
Jesus is God's Son who comes to us, showing us that God cares about us.
At the New Year celebration in Rudder
auditorium, an announcer introduces the next entertainer on the program.
Jesus' cousin, called John the Baptist, comes to introduce Jesus to the
people of Judea, known now as Israel, in Asia.
People leave the cities and go out to the desert.
They were sorry for displeasing God their Father.
John baptizes them.
As a sign that they are sorry for displeasing the Father in
heaven.
Can you think of someone who looks or appears strange and different?
Such people draw our attention.
John, who announces Jesus' coming, dresses differently and eats
differently than other people.
Have you ever eaten locusts? I
have. They taste terrible and
make your mouth very dry.
By his clothing and food, which are very simple, John shows that he is
depending on God to take care of him.
Do you think that all people are like John, living simply and depending
upon God?
No. Sometimes people believe that they will be happy only if they have
expensive houses, cars, clothing, and a big bank account.
They worry about having more than enough food.
John is happy to serve God by announcing that Jesus, God's Son, is
coming into the world.
John is very popular. He can
persuade the people to follow him. Instead,
he places himself below Jesus, saying that he isn't worthy to untie Jesus'
shoes.
Later on, Jesus will say, "The last shall be first and the first
last." "Anyone who
exalts himself shall be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be
exalted."
John says that Jesus will give people what, he (John) cannot
give—God's Spirit. God lives
in those people who believe in Him; who trust Him.
Yet, God is still separate from and above us.
Same people say that God is in everyone and everything.
What do you think?
Mark 1:16–20:
Jesus associated with common people, such as fishermen.
They were hard workers, good businessmen, and could be trusted.
When at sea they depended upon each other to do their jobs.
(EXPLAIN DRAGNET)
They knew how to work together.
After bringing in the catch, they met people in the market in order to
sell the fish.
They were used to dealing with people.
Many people knew them.
No wonder Jesus chooses fishermen to follow Him.
They will still fish, but for people.
They will be Jesus' representatives, telling the good news that in Jesus,
God is with people.
If someone calls us to follow it is unlikely that we will leave what we
are doing and simply follow.
We tell our children not to talk to strangers and to run away if the
stranger tries to get them into his car or house.
We are very cautious about following someone just because he asks.
Peter, James and John are busy but follow immediately.
How will they live and eat? What
risks will they take?
Peter is married—how will he care for his wife?
What is so special about Jesus that they follow?
After all, they could refuse.
No one forces them to follow!
Jesus does not ask for their money or for a little of their time.
He asks for them—all of them.
Whatever is most important in their lives no longer is.
No their lives are changed forever.
Jesus is now the center of their lives.21–28:
What do we think of when we hear the word "authority?"
- Power of the
government over us?
- The judges or police
force?
- The power of a
professor over her students?
- The power which
parents have over their children?
Now we begin to see why Jesus is special.
We can begin to understand why Peter, James and John follow Him without
question.
Jesus has God's authority because He is God's Son.
(EXPLAIN SYNAGOG)
He teaches about God without quoting other teachers (as we do when we
write papers, thesis and dissertations).
Jesus has power to drive out evil forces which make our lives miserable.
The forces of evil cannot resist the power of God.
People recognize that Jesus is not like other religious teachers, but the
question remains whether they will follow Him.
Although His fame spreads, later on, many people will reject Him.
If God has power over the forces of evil, why is there so much evil in
the world?
29–31:
Jesus heals Simon's mother-in-law, showing that God's power goes beyond
our ability to understand.
She goes back to doing what she normally does—running the house and
providing for others.
Describe duties
Describe religious role
Today there is still some debate about women's role in society.
Is her primary task to care for family?
To pursue her own goals and career outside of the home?
Both?
Read Proverbs 31:10–31.