Fun Day at Village BC

Today we attended a luncheon for the charter members of Village Baptist Church in Oklahoma City celebrating their 50th Anniversary. We weren't sure we would know anybody, but to our surprise we knew several.

Paul was 19 and I was 18 when we started our ministry at VBC in February of 1960. We were both college students. I was pregnant with our first and I had an afternoon job at Buck's Sporting Goods in downtown OKC. Paul had two other jobs besides this church job. He cleaned three doctors' offices at night and worked at the OKC tag agency in the afternoons. We were busy, but we were very young and had lots of energy.

During our time at VBC, every Sunday Paul preached to a gym full of third graders through high schoolers age-wise. We called it little church and it was going on at the same time as big church. VBC was one of the first SBC churches to have a separate church service for children.

Today there were several of those kids at the luncheon. and many of them remembered our being there and shared several fun stories and memories.

One woman came up to Paul and told him that she knew him from sitting in the stands at the high school where Brett was coaching baseball. Her son played ball on Brett's team. Small world!

Another lady was talking about being a child in children's church and she told me where she now goes to church. She knows my brother and sister-in-law very well. They've attended church together for years. Small world!

We were visiting with one of the deacons about events many years ago and I mentioned that my Dad had preached a meeting at VBC in the sixties. He asked me who my Dad was, and when I told him he went on and on about how well he knew my Dad and what an impact he had on his life. Small world!

As we were leaving, the pastor asked Paul to preach for Senior Adult Sunday services the third Sunday in May. We think that's hilarious, from children's church to senior adult church, all in the short span of 50 years. Seems short, but in a way it seems a lifetime. Well, actually, I guess it is!

It was a really fun day and the church was very gracious and kind. They had put together a book of pictures and events of the church's history and gave each of us one. Former staff members are going to be recognized in the morning service tomorrow, and we're planning to attend. Paul's sister and brother-in-law are members there and we plan to sit with them.

Just another fun day in life's adventure.
MB