Nampa VBS Takes Kids on Joseph’s Journey

The Nampa Church held its annual Vacation Bible School June 27–July 1, using Group's Egypt program. Steve and Dawn Creitz directed the program, and Steve designed the hieroglyphic artwork that set the backdrop throughout the church for the journey to ancient Egypt.

Prior to opening day, church members shared invitation cards door to door in the neighborhood and with family, friends and local businesses. As a result, a total of 95 kids attended, including many who are not church members.

Each evening kids sang songs and journeyed to ancient Egypt, learning firsthand about Joseph's life and relationship with the one true God as they visited him in his prison cell and later in his palace home. There were also games each night that reinforced the lessons learned from Joseph.

In the outdoor Egyptian Bible-times marketplace, kids became “apprentices” and made crafts, including baskets, Egyptian headdresses, hieroglyphs, an Egyptian board game, and even mud and straw bricks. The marketplace also included a snack shop and an animal courtyard with baby chicks, bunnies, sheep, horses and one very tall 16-year-old camel.

In the Operation Kid to Kid shop, kids and adults decorated a small bank to collect money to help fund basic home repairs, a mission project sponsored by the nonprofit association Group Cares, to help change the lives of other families right here in the U.S. by helping provide them with a safe place to live. 

From beginning to end, about 70 eager, hardworking volunteers helped to make the program a huge success. Some volunteers demonstrated their dedication to this ministry by not only wearing Egyptian costumes and makeup, but actually shaving their heads to look more authentic. Nampa members praise God for the dedicated volunteers and for the children and families who were blessed by this year's VBS.

Dawn Creitz, VBS leader, with Michelle Roberts, VBS public relations secretary

Featured in: October 2016