airhead candy and Mega Sports Camp

Our Faith Baptist Church version of Vacation Bible School is called "Mega Sports Camp--undefeated," this year. The kids rotate around crafts, soccer, basketball, baseball, and cheerleading with athletic directors, coaches, and captains.

The program rocks on from 5:50 to 9 pm this Monday through Thursday.

Lori Heald oversees a huge block party with inflatables, games, food, and another awesome car show on Friday night.

Angie Swanson, our Children's Ministry Director, mentioned 136, maybe more, volunteers supporting this ministry. There were 200 pre-school to fifth grade student athletes pre-registered and perhaps 75 more who came the first night. We'll have more again each night. I'll get the exact figure for my next post on Wednesday.

The kids are broken up into four groups--the Angels, Braves, Chargers, and Defenders. We are part of the Chargers, led by Travis Allen. I am working directly with the incredible, awesome team of Sylvia Swanson, Lisa Wagner, and Jeremy Dillow.

In the middle of all this, we have a halftime presentation with skits around overcoming obstacles with victory in Christ. Topher Lindstrom, one of our youth ministry staff, is leading a group of high school students through the skits they will be using next week in an awesome Northern California ministry to rural communities and smaller churches.

Greg Sisley, our Worship Pastor, serving with the baseball coaches, shared with the kids about Earl Morrall, the Miami Dolphins back-up quarterback in 1972 who substituted for Bob Griese, and led the Dolphins to an undefeated season all the way to the Super Bowl. The theme of his message was, "Victory does not depend on the length of the battle. Victory depends on Jesus."

Tonight, we'll focus on Olympian Dan O'Brien, who overcame inner struggles. He was an adopted child in foster homes. We will learn that God can conquer inner problems.

Last year, a third grader gave me his Airhead candy. He's in the fourth grade now and he's back in our Chargers small group. After the big group picture on that Thursday night, he came up to me with a huge smile. He told Dean Peyton and me how much fun he had at the camp. He wanted me to have the candy because I was the best part of the camp for him.

Why? What did I do?

He said, You taught me so much about how to play basketball and I had fun."

I keep the candy on our bedroom bulletin board as a reminder about how important loving, caring about, and talking to kids is for the Kingdom of God.

More on Wednesday.