VBS and A Little Bit of Jesus
Wednesday, June 3, 2026
written by Kate Satterstrom
In preparation for the final youth group of the program year, I asked the high school youth what they wanted to do. Everyone agreed it should be a “fun” evening, but defining exactly what counted as “fun” took a bit more effort. As ideas were tossed around, someone suddenly said, “We should hide mini Jesuses around the sanctuary.” Instantly, the group erupted in gleeful agreement. Within minutes, 300 mini Jesuses had been ordered.
The trend of hiding mini Jesuses may be something you’ve encountered before. Perhaps you’ve found one perched on top of a gas pump, quietly staring back at you while you fill your tank. Maybe one appeared beside a can of Campbell’s soup at the grocery store. With a keen eye, you might find a mini Jesus out in the wild of the greater Phoenix area. A quick Google search reveals countless explanations for the trend, but most often it is chalked up to a simple, playful form of “good trouble.”
Yet I would argue there is something deeper happening beneath the humor and fun.
On Sunday mornings, we gather together for worship. Throughout the week, we may attend Bible study, meet with a small group, pray, or seek God in other intentional ways. But how often are we surprised by God? How often does Jesus break through the carefully controlled, sometimes sterile spaces we have created for him? How often does Christ interrupt our routines in ways that delight us?
Sometimes it happens in grand moments, a breathtaking sunset, or the relief of receiving benign test results. Other times, it arrives in smaller, quieter ways, an unexpected conversation, a moment of laughter, or perhaps even a tiny plastic Jesus hidden in an unexpected place. These moments gently remind us that God is not confined to sanctuaries, schedules, or carefully planned spiritual practices. Christ has a way of showing up everywhere, often when we least expect it.
This week, we welcome 130 people onto our church campus for Vacation Bible School. And if there is any place that reminds us that Jesus shows up in unexpected and joyful ways, it is VBS. The campus fills with laughter and excited footsteps. The Fellowship Hall echoes with children singing at the top of their lungs and doing dance motions with complete abandon. Bible stories leap off the page through storytelling, art, games, snacks, and holy imagination. Little reminders of our guests somehow appear everywhere. Look into any room, and you’ll find volunteers preparing supplies, guiding children, wiping tables, answering questions, and offering endless encouragement.
There is something sacred about the beautiful chaos of Vacation Bible School. In the middle of all the movement and noise, moments of holy wonder quietly emerge. A child asks a profound question during Bible time. A shy camper makes a new friend. A volunteer kneels down to listen carefully to a child’s story. Kids begin to recognize that church is not just a place they attend, but a place where they belong, are loved, and can encounter God.
VBS reminds us that faith is meant to be experienced with joy, curiosity, creativity, and community. It teaches children—and perhaps reminds adults—that Jesus is not confined to quiet sanctuaries or formal prayers alone. Jesus is present in shared laughter, in songs sung loudly and imperfectly, in sticky snack tables, in acts of kindness, and in the wonder of discovering something new about God together.
Maybe that is part of why the youth loved the mini Jesus idea so much. It was silly and joyful, yes, but it also carried a deeper truth: faith is not meant to remain locked inside church walls. Sometimes the presence of Jesus catches us by surprise, in the grocery aisle, at the gas station, in the laughter of children, and in the ordinary rhythms of daily life. Perhaps those small surprises invite us to pay closer attention to the ways God is already moving all around us.
So if you happen to stumble across a mini Jesus, maybe pause for a moment. Smile. Laugh. And remember that the God we worship has always delighted in showing up in unexpected places.
**Look what we’ve been up to at VBS so far this week!
