"You mean… God died?!"
The little boy was visibly shaken. His Vacation Bible School teacher, portraying a woman lingering near the tomb of Jesus, had urged the children into the darkened room. Only “friends of Jesus” were allowed in, each of them donning a black armband as a symbol of grief over his death. They gathered around the “campfire” to listen to the story. With a hushed, earnest anxiety, she told the children all that had happened on Friday afternoon.
But the story was interrupted. “He’s alive! He’s alive! Jesus is alive!” Another teacher, also in character, burst into the scene, and the story of His resurrection came tumbling out. All of the children jumped to their feet and rejoiced, flinging away their black armbands. One little boy was more than rejoicing… He was relieved.
This scene and others like it replayed over and over around Upper Columbia Conference as 30 churches ministered to 1,500 children through Vacation Bible School. With at least half of them (and in some churches as many as 80 percent) coming from the community, this represents hundreds of community families! Whether through the “Avalanche Ranch” program or “The Great Bible Reef” or “Galilee by the Sea” or something of a leader’s own creation, children and their families were being introduced to Jesus this summer.
Follow-up will be the main focus of the VBS Expo, scheduled for Sunday, April 20, 2008, at the Upper Columbia Conference office in Spokane.
For more VBS photos and stories from around the UCC or for the latest information on the VBS Expo plans, see www.ucaa.org.
VBS kids are cute wherever they are found including this girl in Dayton, Wash.
"The Great Barrier Reef" was the theme of VBS in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. This boy takes the opportunity to rest in one of the props.
To help them better understand the life and times of Jesus, children wore costumes (provided by the church) everyday at the Spokane Central VBS. They also made bread and butter!
In Dayton, Wash., the snack station doubled as a teaching station. On one day, the children learned about (and sampled!) fruit, then arranged real fruit to make beautiful big fruit baskets at the craft station. Here, the kids use whole-wheat English muffins and yogurt to make fruit pizzas.
It works better for the Sandpoint (Idaho) Church to do VBS in the evening. This year, their "Chuck Wagon" snack station turned into a full-fledged supper with menus varying from fresh corn on the cob to flapjacks to chili.
One of the stations in Spokane Central's VBS was the synagogue, where children heard directly from the rabbi about what Jesus had been up to in their village lately.
Whether held on Friday evening or during the worship hour on Sabbath morning, the closing program is a rewarding time for the children and a great opportunity to connect with their parents. Pictured practicing: One of the groups in the Spokane Valley (Wash.) VBS.
Part of learning about Jesus is learning about His creation. In Deer Park, Wash., kids were studying sea horses.
Because of the high number of at-risk kids in their town, "Five Days in Dayton" (the Dayton, Wash., VBS) puts a strong emphasis on staying in school. This year, they were able to distribute more than 30 backpacks filled with school supplies.
Along with the usual VBS crowd of 6- to 12-year-olds, "Five Days in Dayton" (the Dayton, Wash., VBS) adds a special program for those 13 to 17. They had some life skills classes that ranged from flossing (pictured) and posture to smoking, drugs and sexuality.
Three years ago, there were only seven people attending church in Ione, Wash. This year, the 23 people helping with VBS represented only half of the congregation! "Working together on this is part of how we build relationships with each other," they explain. Of the 25 children who attended, only five were from member families.
Karen Villanueva, 20, in Milton, Ore., has already been leading VBS for five years. Yes, leading the entire team! Five years ago, her pastor put her to work, and she ended up organizing the whole thing. She's been doing it ever since. "Two years ago, we almost didn't do VBS," says Karen, "but then I agreed to do it again. Afterward, two whole families were baptized because of it. All I can say is, 'Wow.' That is SO rewarding."
At the Spokane Valley VBS, kids too old for VBS were valuable leaders with crafts, technology, music and more.
Many of the children attending the Spokane Valley, Wash., VBS had never ridden on a horse before, let alone a miniature one. Leaders made sure each child had a photo of this adventure to take home to their parents.
Experiencing live animals, such as these alpacas, helped Bible and nature stories come alive at the Spangle, Wash., VBS.
