Vacation Bible School 2012 in Newport, Wash., was an exciting time for 30 children, including 15 from the community, as they came together daily for breakfast and a variety of interesting gardening activities.
Bev Mayfield, VBS director, chose the Gardens for Jesus program from Feeding His Lambs Ministries in Kettle Falls, Wash. Mayfield, along with approximately 30 volunteers and group leaders, focused on five garden topics: planting and preparing the garden, choosing and planting seeds, growing seeds, harvesting the produce, and garden pests and helpers.
One learning opportunity included worship in the garden, during which the children learned memory verses by singing, used clues to discover items fitting the day's theme and looked at pictures of a farm family with a spiritual application. Stations were set up so the children could rotate between making a craft book daily, doing exercises that reinforced the garden theme and learning Jesus' parables through "digital felts."
Other fun activities included making a bean soup mix, dehydrating apples and bananas, building a cedar planter, and planting strawberry plants and marigolds using materials donated by Newport-area businesses.
Mayfield reports that they are already seeing positive spiritual results from their week-long gardening adventure.
Children build a hanging cedar planter during Newport's garden-themed Vacation Bible School. (Earl Brockman)
Kids created cedar planters and bean soup mixes during VBS. (Earl Brockman)
Making a daily craft book. (Earl Brockman)
A farm scene provides the backdrop for the Newport VBS program. (Earl Brockman)
