Insights & Information

Kville kids want to "Be Like G"

Jason Collins stops grocery cart as G-man

Triad Baptist Church’s first VBS superhero lives on.

Jason Collins found that out recently when he took his family to lunch at Don Juan’s Mexican restaurant.

“Some kids from the community were there who had gone to our VBS and they were telling their parents, ‘Look, there’s G-man,’ ” said Collins who starred as G-man July 13-17 in Triad’s “G-Force” VBS video.

Since joining Triad in 2003, he’s helped launch Upward Football and coached Upward Basketball, started a fantasy football league, taught at VBS, sang in the choir and as a soloist, served on capital fundraising, security and puppet ministry teams, taught high school and middle school Sunday School classes, played roles in Easter and Christmas musicals, and more.

“Going into this year’s VBS, all I knew is that I was to be some form of a super hero,” Collins said. “What I enjoyed most about being G-man was having an expanded role in VBS this year in addition to volunteering at a site. In the video, ‘Be Like G,’ children had the opportunity to see me trying to teach individuals how to serve and help others in our daily lives.

“It really sunk in when a little girl came up to me one night and said, ‘Thank you for helping my friends, G-man!’ When I look in the mirror I don’t see a superhero, but I do see someone who has a desire to serve and love children and point them to Jesus Christ.”

Jason Collins as G-man

Third in a new VBS format shot by videographer Bill King, which features action, music and sound effects but no dialogue, the ‘Be Like G’ video brought to life the VBS theme of putting God’s love in action with five different stories told in serial fashion:

  • A teen-ager helping an elderly woman outside a grocery store
  • Children including a new child in a playground game
  • A mother and son getting lunch for a police officer
  • A senior adult buying coffee for another church member
  • A boy cleaning his room for his mom

Esther Harbor had so much fun shooting her scene in the church parking lot that she missed part of her Faithful Friends breakfast inside. Making her VBS video debut, Esther played a woman who needed help with her groceries—provided by Ashlee Jones playing the teen-ager role.

“My character was struggling with a cart of groceries and purse while trying to get to the car,” Harbor said. “The girl passed by ignoring me until G-man encountered her. Feeling God tugging in her heart, she came and helped me load groceries in my car. This scene is one I’ve actually encountered in real life where someone younger has helped me making that scene very special.

“To help children internalize the VBS theme, our five sites emphasized had a keyword: Move, Act, Care, Follow, or Share,” Harbor added. “Hopefully, this video and others helped set the tone for children learning to look for opportunities to let God tug at their hearts and encourage them to ‘Move, Act, Care, Follow, and Share,’ too!”

Levi Wall was the ‘left-out kid’ in the playground scene which also featured Emily Austin, Owen Austin, Rebekah Hendley, and Lydia Fay Wall. The VBS video cast also featured: Melissa and Hunter Thompson as the mother and son buying the officer’s lunch at Chick-fil-A; Logan Johnson, Justin Jones and Danny King as the coffee shop worker, customer, and older adult pitching in to help pay the tab; and Payton Gatewood and Sharon Chandler as the boy and mom in the scene featuring the child who cleans up his messy room for his stressed mom.

“I thought it was a lot of fun to be in the video for VBS,” Wall said of his first VBS video role. “And I thought it did a good job of showing how important it is to include others so that no one will feel left out.

“After watching the video, I hope that it helps kids look for others that don’t have anyone to play with and ask them to play.”

Collins said he could tell children related to this scene most of all.

“That was my favorite because, especially today, it’s easy for children to get caught up in their own groups and not include others,” he said. “Children need to learn that everyone needs to be included regardless of their appearance and financial status, and we, as adults, do too.

“That’s a message we all need to take heart.”

Watch the video

Along with its first superhero character, Triad’s 2015 VBS also introduced a social media feature using the hashtag #BeLikeG for photos capturing moments that show people putting God’s love in action.

“Our desire with VBS each year is to make a long-term impact,” said Tim Gerber, executive pastor for children and ministries. “Likewise, we created the hashtag and photo sharing as part of continuing the emphasis on love and service in Jesus’ name well beyond the actual VBS week. It’s a great way to encourage others who might see something and say to their own children, ‘Hey, we could do something like that! Let’s do it!’ I look forward to seeing the posts.“

Be Like G: The Adventures of G-man– Image 1 of 6

Phase 2 Shot of TBC B&W 17

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