One of the hardest parts of VBS is trying to thank everyone during just a few minutes in
Sunday worship. There are so many people whose faithful service happens behind the
scenes and often goes unnoticed. While I can’t mention every volunteer by name, I
wanted to recognize a few of the people who poured countless extra hours, creativity,
and love into making this year’s VBS such a special week for our children and families.
Here are just a few of the many people who made this incredible week possible:
I want to start by thanking Jane May, the Children’s Ministry Elder, who has been on
campus as much as I have been! She has been by my side every step of the way from
the very early planning stages to cleaning every room and storing supplies after VBS. I
count it as a blessing to serve alongside someone who brings the joy of the Lord
wherever she goes. She shows up with a smile and healthy snacks, ready to tackle
anything. She even kept my fridge stocked with my favorite dark chocolate-covered
coconut and almond bites! We spent many long hours together, but Jane never let us
forget to pause, read a devotion, appreciate God’s creation, and remember why we do
this ministry. Her perspective, encouragement, and love for Children’s Ministry are a
tremendous blessing.
Station Leaders:
Rachel Blaine, Bible Lessons: Rachel approaches teaching with joy and has a special
gift for seeing each child in the room. This year she had a team of actors and made
sure to include everyone in a way that was unique and special to their gifts.
Michael & Gayle Hughes and Linda Dahl, Mission: This team went above and
beyond to not only make their classroom exciting, they created special videos to show
the kids the people of Mubaku School and also a fun video showing how a donated can
of food travels from MPC to MPP and ultimately into the hands of families who need it.
No wonder we exceeded our goals again this year. Their love for missions inspired the
children to see how they, too, can make a difference. We raised over $2,500 to buy
shoes and books for the children of Mubaku School in Uganda and collected over 350
items of food for Moorpark Pantry Plus!
Michael Hughes and Michelle Gunning, Music: These two wonderful musicians (aka:
Cold Front) selected the four songs that became the soundtrack of our week. They also
used special techniques to make learning the songs easier and fun at their station. We
were also blessed by Lisa Lambert, Kylie De La Parra, Avery Richardson, Wynter
Ludwig, and Emilie Vella, who invested extra time learning the music and helping lead
hand motions. Their enthusiasm made a tremendous difference.
Amanda Sherrod and Lisa Quartararo, Crafts: It was so fun to work with these two
great friends and teachers in the months before VBS. They came up with so many
creative ideas to add meaning to the crafts, and even games, into their room.
Kim Kelly, Science: Kim always brings her love for science and the Lord to her
classroom. I am grateful for her knowledge and heart for teaching. If you walked by
Kim’s classroom, you probably heard plenty of “oohs,” “ahhs,” and “wows.”
Doug Fair, Games: Doug has been working on VBS for months. From building sets to
tackling countless behind-the-scenes projects, he somehow still found the energy to
create and lead games filled with fun, laughter, and plenty of water!
Mak Judd & Micah Barber, Pic&Play: This new station in 2026 was a rousing success
thanks to these two high-energy and fun teens. Mak had so many great ideas to help
the kids memorize verses through games and motion. They both taught important Bible
verses each day and also built sweet relationships with the kids. Every time I walked by,
I saw smiling faces, lots of photos being taken, and plenty of hugs. Mak is also my
intern this summer and has spent many hours helping with all parts of VBS from
administration to sets to leading a station. She has a great work ethic, keen eye, and
boundless enthusiasm for what she is doing!
Carol Wilkinson & Sharon Lady, Snacks: These two wonderful ladies have led
snacks for several years. Every year they carefully create meaningful, creative, and
delicious snacks. They also create an immersive environment in the hall so the kids
can continue to enjoy the theme, including adorable centerpieces with snowballs and
specially designed flags! I am also grateful for how Carol thoughtfully accommodates
every allergy, making sure every child has something fun and safe to enjoy.
Sets and Stage Design:
Countless hours were spent transforming our campus into Snowball Mountain, and
every detail reflected incredible craftsmanship and creativity.
Doug designed and brought the sanctuary to life with great ideas…sometimes keeping
them a secret from me so that I would be surprised.
Tom Piehn built the puppet booth for us, which was a great addition to the other cabin
he built! He is so precise and makes a well-built piece that can be reused in the future.
Steve Lady and Ryk Cunningham made an awesome igloo and scene in Wilkinson
Hall that made us feel like we were in the Arctic. Steve, Ryk and Doug also made the
cool ski lift chair for the photo booth. I hope you got to see their adorable Snack sign
(polar bear holding a lit board with all the snacks creatively named). No detail is spared
with them on the team!
Shannon Andresen was the connection to Limitless Walls and the expert who helped
complete our snowy mountain scene design and hang the murals on the sanctuary
walls. As if that wasn’t enough, Shannon is always so generous with his time and helps
us hang other large banners to make sure they stay up all week!
Andrew De La Torre is a friend we originally met through theater at MHS and High
Street Theater. He has an incredible ability to bring scenes to life with his many skills.
He made the pile of snowballs outside the sanctuary, the ice wall around the kitchen
window in the hall, some signs, painting/completing scenes, and finished off the snowy
mountain slope in the sanctuary.
Mak Judd, Cassandra Diaz, Eva Blaine, Peyton Kemp, Lexi & Hayden Siu, Payton
& Harper Sherrod, Nicole & Kylie De La Parra, Julie Cast, Linda Keene, Joan
Gustafson, Jeanette Cunningham, Genesee Paine, and Jane May painted, glued,
taped, cut, and assembled countless decorations to make all of our team animals and
decorations for campus. We spent many hours together laughing, “crying” (things don’t
always go the way we think they will), listening to music, and reminding each other to
eat and stay hydrated!
Tech:
Chris Birkelo-I want to extend a special thank you to Chris. Even though he wasn’t
going to be available VBS week, he spent many hours before VBS making sure our tech
(for all the opening and closing assemblies) was set up for the week. He put all the
pieces together so all we had to do was press “Play.” He also checked in while he was
away to make sure things were going OK.
Gary Belie, Dave Wilkinson & Brian Gee-These gentlemen spent hours taking
pictures and putting together a meaningful video of VBS week. Brian, with his expertise
in film editing, added “credits” so we could honor the many hands that were part of VBS.
We exchanged emails well after midnight trying to make sure every volunteer was
recognized accurately.
Michael Stevenson & Cassandra Diaz (aka: Ollie): Praise God these two accepted
the invitation to be our assembly leaders. They were dedicated, incredibly reliable, and
did such a great job on stage. The kids responded so well to their characters, which
brought each day’s lesson to life. I can still hear Cassandra’s “aaar, aaar” seal sounds.
Sorry you got dumped on with “snow”, Michael…but the kids picked you out of love!!
Donations, Purchases & Bakers: So many people purchased items to help us
transform the campus. We also received lots of donations and items on loan which was
such a help. Thank you also to the bakers who made 350 homemade snowflake
cookies for the kids to enjoy.
Leaders: Thank you to Sean Meade for keeping us on track in the tech booth for daily
assemblies and then giving the volunteering teens fun after-VBS hangouts each day!
Thank you to Bryan Lee and Roy Smith. They helped keep everyone safe all
week—no intruders and no escapees!
Group Leaders: These incredible women willingly spent fifteen hours leading groups of
children around campus during the heat of summer. They didn’t hesitate when asked to
serve. They simply jumped in with joyful hearts and willing hands. Shannon Clark,
Amber Frawley, Kim Harter, Sarah Davidson, Jane May, Linda Keene, Robin
Anderson, Mia Huisenga, Olivia Meade, Katie Scott, Nancy Sampson, Brenda
Kermode, Bethany Erredge, Alana Griffin, Jen Barber, Joan Gustafson (nursery),
Mary Ann Savala (nursery).
Genesee Paine & Keenan Barber: Thank you for the time spent preparing and helping
with the volunteer pizza party. It was an important part of the week. There were over a dozen people who gathered at church to prepare all the crafts for VBS week so everything was self-contained and easy to do. The time spent was such a God send to the craft station.
Every group and station also had faithful helpers who made the week run smoothly.
Thank you to each of you!
Every volunteer, every donation, every painted backdrop, every snack, every prayer,
and every smile pointed children toward Jesus. Thank you to everyone who served,
supported, and encouraged this ministry. God used your gifts in ways that will continue
long after VBS ended, and we are grateful for each one of you.
Blessings,
Kami Fair
