Many churches offer a Vacation Bible School each summer to creatively teach faith-based values to church and community children.
Kent Spanish Church wanted to take the VBS experience beyond summertime and help Adventist children experience sharing their faith with their neighborhood friends.
While children’s ministry leaders made arrangements to present a one-hour children’s program at a nearby trailer home neighborhood, parents and grandparents in the church collected school supplies and assembled backpacks.
They advertised the program and free school supplies one week ahead of the children’s program. When the day arrived, 20 children showed up.
“The Pathfinders and Adventurers were dressed in their uniforms and presented a puppet show for the children,” says Abby Pozo, Washington Conference children’s ministries coordinator. “We sang, prayed, shared a Bible story with the puppets and offered a small snack. Many of the neighborhood children had previously attended VBS and they remembered the songs.”
New VBS Program
The Adventist Church is rolling out a new multilingual VBS program this year called Kidsville with curriculum options for early childhood and elementary ages.
“I’m really proud of this program,” Pozo says. “It’s one of the best VBS programs I’ve seen because it integrates prayer into the traditional programming.”
The prayer program uses color association. For example, red represents love and blue represents hope. Every time a child sees something red, they can remember “God’s love,” Pozo says.
“VBS is evangelism for kids; it’s an important outreach program,” Pozo says. “We need to be intentional about engaging our community children into our Sabbath School programs.”
Intentional Programming
Children’s ministries through Sabbath School programs, VBS, Adventist education and training at home all work together to prepare children for a life of faith.
“Children need to learn at a young age how Jesus is a good friend to have in our lives and how Jesus can help us go through anything in life,” Pozo says.
Pozo shares a dream for quarterly children’s church programs where children in the church invite their neighborhood friends to attend a special one-day VBS program with stories, songs, crafts and a small snack.
“Children’s Church should be very purposeful; it’s an evangelistic opportunity,” Pozo says. “This is an opportunity for children to bring a friend and experience sharing the gift of God’s love.”
Kidsville in a fun, interactive, prayer-focused Vacation Bible School curriculum from the Adventist Church.
North Pacific Union Conference children's ministries leaders are ready to help churches soar with their children's programs.
