Archive for the ‘DVBS’ Category

Leon Bible Church

Saturday, July 16th, 2022
Rodeo at Leon, Iowa

The church in Leon, Iowa is still without a pastor, so I came on Sunday, July 3, and preached in the morning for Sunday School and morning service.  Sunday night I had a short Bible study so that we could take some time and pray for the Vacation Bible School.  On July 4th, I sat in the Leon Bible Church parade float with Rawley and promoted the Vacation Bible School that would start on Tuesday night and go through Saturday night with a closing program on Sunday night.  This was a whole family VBS that resulted in a great turn out for the week.

Each night I told a Bible story with one of my four friends and presented the gospel through object lessons with a surprise ending.  Then I led the adult class through the daily worksheet and quoting and listening to the memory verses for each day.  The church served a light meal for everyone and we closed with the missionary story told with flannel graph on the multimedia projector.   Please pray for the Leon Bible Church in Southern Iowa that they will soon find a pastor.

Oakland Baptist Church

Monday, August 23rd, 2021

The week of August 15 – 18, 2021, I held a whole family VBS at Oakland Baptist Church in Oakland, Minnesota with Brother Dale Wicks.  Brother Wicks and the church family have been seeking a Senior Pastor for this growing church in Southern Minnesota.  This church has potential for growth and would be a great church for a young pastor to start serving the Lord in ministry.  During the week we had active attendance and first-time visitors.  We are praying that these families will start coming and be a part of the church in the future.  We praise the Lord for the girl that trusted Christ as her personal Savior.

Each evening after the service Brother Dale and I had fellowship at a local restaurant in Austin, Minnesota.  On Tuesday night, I told our waitress that we were about to pray for our evening meal.  We asked her if she had any issues that she would like us to pray for.  She quickly answered that her mother was in a car accident and had bleeding in her brain.  We asked her  the name of her mother and we quickly thanked the Lord for our food and requested that the Lord would put His healing hand on her mother “Jessica”.  Please pray for Jessica and her up-coming surgery and that this young waitress would start back to church.  Before we left the restaurant the waitress left this note on our table.

“Thank you for the prayer. Our family has had a bad month and though we aren’t believers it means a lot. You made my night.  Thank You!”

waitress

Calvary Baptist Church

Saturday, August 14th, 2021

We had a great week of meetings in Granada, Minnesota with Pastor John Schofield at Calvary Baptist Church.  We held a whole family Vacation Bible School, August 8 – 11, 2021.  The meetings were well attended with visitors each day.  We started with our theme “The Bible Stands” with a whole family Sunday school presenting the first story with Jonah told by Rawley.  We included Rodney’s story of Daniel and his accusers for the morning message.  We continued with the theme Sunday night through Wednesday. With this schedule I was able to include all the messages in this year’s theme. 

Through the week Pastor and I were able to finish some projects that we were working on and enjoy a few hours of fishing in the state of Minnesota.  We caught enough pan fish to have a fish fry on Monday night and enjoy some great fellowship.  The church has a very comfortable prophet’s chamber that I was able to stay in for the week of meetings.  Please pray for Pastor John and his family as they serve the Lord in Southern Minnesota and for the church family, as they seek to reach their community with the Gospel.  Thanks for praying for the Silcott Ministries.

Highland Park Baptist Church

Monday, August 2nd, 2021

Sunday, July 25 – Wednesday the 28th we held a Vacation Bible School for Highland Park Baptist Church in St. James, Minnesota.  The Interim Pastor Larry Smetak and his wife Vera served as VBS director, leading songs and helping with extra toys for rewards for saying verses and bringing in visitors.  They used our theme, “The Bible Stands” they decorated the church with cardboard Bibles hanging from the rafters and from behind the pulpit.  The children as well as their parents attended each day with some visitors indicating that they will be back in the future.

The Pastors wife, Vera grew up in Wessington Springs, South Dakota where I was born and where my dad was the pastor of the Baptist Church.  As expected, she had lots of stories to tell about me and the day that I was born.  Please pray for Highland Park Baptist Church as they continue their search for a senior pastor and for those who heard the gospel at Vacation Bible School that they will soon trust Christ as their savior and learn to serve Him.

Lakeland Baptist Church

Wednesday, July 28th, 2021

After leaving Arkansas, I drove to northern Minnesota to hold a Vacation Bible School at Lakeland Baptist Church in Gilbert, Minnesota.  Our dear friend Nathan Lobb passed away, but now his son Caleb Lobb is serving the Lord as Senior Pastor.  I enjoyed serving the Lord with Caleb and his wife Megan for our VBS, July 18 – 23, 2021.  It was a joy to stay with them in their home and speak at the church in the morning for VBS. 

We had a great group of children in attendance each day as the children learned new songs and memorized their verses.  On Friday we closed the week with a final program for the parents.  The children quoted their verses and Randy came out to tell the story of Samson and what he learned about sin.  Pray for the children and adults who need to respond to the gospel before it is too late.  Each evening we headed out to several local lakes to try our hand at fishing for northern pike and large mouth bass.  We can truly say that our week was full of fishing for men and for food for the freezer.

First Baptist Church

Wednesday, July 28th, 2021

July 11 – 14, 2021, I held a Daily Vacation Bible School at the First Baptist Church in Ash Flat, Arkansas with Pastor Lynn Raby and his wife Cheryl.  We have known Pastor Raby for several years and have also held meetings with him in Hardy, Arkansas just down the road.  This year we held an all-family Bible School and put the adults and children together on teams for the week.  Even the adults jumped in and quoted the memory verses and competed in the offering contest.  Rosie’s team came from behind and won the contest at the end of the week. 

Pastor Raby is bi-vocational and owns a screen-printing business. He also makes pinned buttons to promote special events.  For our VBS he made buttons for each one of us to be our name tag and the way to indicate which team each person was assigned.  Each day visitors came to join the fun and learn new songs.  Pray for those who heard the gospel, but have not trusted in Christ as their Savior.  Thanks for praying for the Silcott Ministries and our outreach in Ash Flat, Arkansas.

Berean Baptist Church

Saturday, July 3rd, 2021

For the week of June 28 through July 2, 2021, I helped with the Vacation Bible School at Berean Baptist Church in San Tan Valley, Arizona.  They used their own theme, “Mystery Island: Tracking Down the One True God”.  The children enjoyed the Bible lessons each day provided by Answers in Genesis.  For the last 25 minutes, I focused on the daily theme telling a story with one of my friends and presenting the gospel through object lessons.  With this combined ministry, we saw five trust Christ as their Savior and others respond to living for the Lord.

Many stepped in and helped with Vacation Bible School.  The church was very encouraged on how well the lay people planned the VBS and how smoothly it ran.  Plans for next year are underway as they study what went well and areas that need to be improved.  Please pray for Pastor Skylar as he continues his fight to defeat Covid and pray for the church family as they seek to reach the lost in Arizona.

Elliet Road Baptist Church

Saturday, June 26th, 2021

On June 20 – 25, 2021, we held a Daily Vacation Bible School at Elliot Road Baptist Church in Gilbert, Arizona with Pastor Dan Mooney.  The temperature was hotter than normal, but the kids invited their friends and family for a week of Bible stories, memory time, crafts and fun games. At the end of each day, I told a missionary story.

This year, our theme is “The Bible Stands.” VBS has focused on the truths of God’s Word and developing of a love for their Bible.  One student raised her hand and asked the question, “What is the Bible?” We handed out about five Bibles that night to make sure that the children had a Bible to take home.  The next night they all brought their Bibles for their points and to follow along with the Bible story.

Each evening the gospel was shared, and an invitation was given.  Although there was no response, the children listened and went home knowing that God loved them and that they need to ask Jesus to save them.  We got the report from one of the parents that their son came home and told his dad that he was a sinner and needed to ask Jesus to save him.  From the mouths of babes, the gospel is spread.  Please pray for Elliot Road Baptist Church as they seek to reach the lost in Arizona.  Thanks for praying for the Silcott Ministries.

Florence Baptist Church

Saturday, June 19th, 2021

We started the summer with a Vacation Bible School at Florence Baptist Church in Florence, Arizona.  We used my theme “The Bible Stands” with songs and stories encouraging all those who attended to grow in respect for our Bibles and God’s love found within. I used the acrostic for the word BIBLE — Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. 

Basic                     The Gospel

Instructions        Obey God’s Word

Before                  Prepare for Battle

Leaving                Ruth who left her gods of Moab

Earth                   Samson and his battle with the sin of this world

Each evening the offering was a contest between the Boys versus the Girls.  Kevin and Nancy Holcomb were called Mr. and Mrs. Cash for the job at hand.  Mrs. Cash (Nancy Holcomb) took the offering from the girls, and Mr. Cash (Kevin Holcomb) took the offering for the boys.  The one who brought in the most offering for the night was the one who got to throw a pie in the loser’s face. Kevin got to eat more pie than Nancy.  The girls won for the week.  Please pray for Florence Baptist Church and their new pastor as they reach the needs of Florence and the surrounding residents.

Leon Bible Church

Tuesday, September 1st, 2020

During the week of August 9 – 14, 2020, I held my last Vacation Bible School for the Summer at Leon Bible Church in Leon, Iowa.  The church is looking for a pastor; so I was able to stay in the parsonage next to the church during the week.  I preached an evangelistic message in the morning encouraging the Saints to reach out to those they meet every day.  Sunday night we started our Vacation Bible School “Racing to the Finish”.  The backdrop for the week looked like a stadium full of spectators eager for the races to begin and lined up in the front where old tires decorating the pit.  Each day we had the Bible story presented by my friends and three object lessons with a surprise ending to explain the gospel.  For their treats they ate things like head lights and traffic lights made with grapes, pineapples, and cheese curls.  For the crafts everyone went downstairs to the shop to build their pinewood derby car for the races on Friday nights closing program.  For the last 10 minutes I told a missionary story with flannelgraph presented on PowerPoint. 

The attendance was very good with children coming back each day and bringing visitors to enjoy the fun-filled week.  On Friday night I pulled Rawley out so the adults could meet one of my friends and to illustrate the gospel with one more object lesson. It was encouraging to see many of the adults come for the closing program and watch the pinewood derby.  Awards were given for the team that won for the week and several for the car race in the fellowship hall.  Please pray for the Lord to work in hearts of the lost and that Leon Bible Church will soon find a pastor.