Saddle Up!

Texas cowboy church lives ‘Saddle Ridge Ranch’ VBS

By Polly House LifeWay Christian Resources Whitney, Texas—The kids from Whitney, Texas, didn’t ride their horses to Saddle Ridge Ranch. Most came in pick-up trucks and SUVs. But, regardless of their transportation, come they did. Could there be a more appropriate setting for “Saddle Ridge Ranch,” LifeWay’s 2010 vacation Bible school curriculum, than Open Range Cowboy Church? Probably not. The church’s rural setting, barn-shaped sanctuary and rodeo arena (its version of a family life center) made it hard to tell where the VBS decorations ended and the church’s regular decor began.

Open Range hosted VBS earlier this month for about 120 children from pre-K through sixth grade. While the church didn’t have VBS for the youth, the teenagers served as “ranch hands” for the children.

Open Range’s children’s team director Ronna Rightmer, who also served as VBS director, gave last-minute instructions to the teens: “Make sure you interact with the kids at all times. Help with snack, with crafts, and help the kids that may have trouble paying attention. Be sweet to them.”

She even added some specific practical advice before the first night’s snack time: “Don’t let them go crazy with the squirt cheese.”

Friendliness is a trademark of Open Range. Joan Davis, an adult helper and women’s ministry team leader, made it a point to help a mother feel comfortable leaving her two children at VBS.

“Hello,” she said. “Welcome to Cowboy Church. Is this your first time here?”

When the mom said it was and confirmed they didn’t attend church anywhere, Davis let her know when services took place, when a women’s group met and that she could wear whatever she wanted. “After all,” Davis added, “this is Cowboy Church.”

Then Davis escorted the young mom to meet some other women who continued to make the woman feel welcome and comfortable about her children attending VBS.

Applauding the curriculum

Lonny Davis, Joan’s husband, taught the lessons for the fifth and sixth graders. A retired football and volleyball coach, he had a great rapport with the kids. Even with a full room of kids, he kept their attention.

“I really like the questions that we talk about each night,” Davis said. “The first night it was ‘Who am I?’ The second was ‘Does God care about me?’ Then, ‘What is God’s plan for me?’ ‘How can I be like Jesus?’ and ‘What do I do now?’ Those are all questions that kids think about and need to figure out.”

Open Range Pastor Gerald Dudley said, “About half of the kids at VBS don’t ordinarily attend here. This brings them in.”

Community outreach

Rightmer added that, by far, VBS is the largest evangelistic outreach activity the church does

She said in each of the three years she has been involved with VBS at the church, the children have responded well to the invitation to receive Jesus Christ.

“There are a lot that come forward,” she noted. “I always talk with the parents of the children who have come forward to make a profession of faith, explaining everything about it.”

If Rightmer isn’t certain that the child making a decision understands it, her conversation with the parents might be asking for them to encourage the child as his or her understanding grows. “Whatever the decision is, we take it seriously,” she stressed.

Rightmer added that if she senses the parents are open to it, she talks with them about baptism. “We want the kids to be baptized, of course, but nothing happens without the parents’ approval and support.”

Having the opportunity to talk with the parents can lead to sharing the gospel with them as well. “I always get aggravated if someone else talks to the parents first,” Rightmer said with a laugh. “I want to be the one to get to share Jesus with them.”

‘It’s all about Jesus’

Best friends Emma and Seaira, both 9, said they were excited about what they were doing at VBS each evening. The first night Emma, who brought first-timer Seaira with her, said, “I just know this is going to be so great.”

And great it was. By Thursday night, both of the girls had received Christ as their Savior. By week’s end, 35 children had made professions of faith. Rightmer said that as much fun as the kids—and the adults—have at VBS, it isn’t just about that.

“It’s all about Jesus,” she said, her eyes brimming with tears. “It’s all about these kids getting saved and knowing Him. That’s the reason we do this—it’s Jesus.”

Western Recorder issue date: July 27, 2010