Shelby Amon has been volunteering with Vacation Bible School (VBS) since her son was in kindergarten. Now, he’s old enough to be a teen helper. What began as a parent helping volunteer has turned into so much more.

“Last year I got a call from Sarah and LaQuita asking if I would lead the VBS games. They said that my name came up as someone who has gifts to help lead in that way.” Shelby admits that her first reaction was, “Who, me?” But soon she was dreaming and the VBS game station transformed into a laboratory complete with homemade robots, Mentos and Diet Coke rockets, and exploding monsters.

In the summer of 2026, Shelby took on an even bigger challenge: making the VBS decorations. She poured her creativity and craftsmanship into building a world where children can explore the question, “What would Jesus do?”

“I hope the decorations helped kids be immersed in the experience. That once they walked through the entrance (which she transformed into a cave) they were transported to a Galilean hillside, and they could imagine walking right alongside Jesus.”

Not everyone looks at a pile of cardboard and paper and sees possibility. Shelby does. “It is my gift. I can look at cardboard and make something out of it.” Shelby shared that her life prayer is that when she stands before the Lord, she can say that she used all her gifts. “I didn’t say ‘yes’ to volunteering, I said ‘yes’ to my gifts being used by God.”

Shelby admits that this may not be the pinnacle of fun for everyone, but for her, “It’s summer camp and Jesus. What could be better than that?”