VBS

I was very impressed with our VBS this week.  We used the excellent program from Pax Domini Press titled "Five Words of Understanding."    The program is designed around the Greek word "Ichthus," which means "fish," and is the symbol the early Christians used to identify themselves one to another.  This ordinary word serves as an acronym which points to the One in whom Christians place their faith and trust:

I = Jesus; CH = Christ; TH = God's; U = Son; S = Savior.  

"Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior"

Each day, the kids learned what each of the words represented by the letters in Ichthus meant, and how they applied to the salvation won for them by Jesus.  If you click on the link provided above, you can see the theme and accompanying Scripture passages for each day.  

We started using resources from Pax Domini Press a couple of years ago and I have been extremely pleased with them.  I also love the philosophy we follow when doing VBS, which is based on what we have learned from Higher Things, namely that we worship when we worship, play when we play, and work when we work, being careful not to inter-mix those things.  Even little children are capable of learning how to distinguish these things.  Our format includes an opening and closing chapel each day, which is reverent and appropriate for gathering together in our Lord's House, a time for a puppet show and fun sing-along, a time for crafts, a time for games outside, a time for instruction, and a time for snacks.  We want the children who come to have a lot of fun, but we also want them to learn about our Christian faith and how we practice that faith in worship, work, and play.  I really enjoy the format and am ever so thankful to all those who volunteered their time this past week to serve during VBS.  It was truly a blessed week!  Here are a few pics:

 Some of the crafts the kids made

Yeah, I made this all by my lonesome!  (Sparty colors, of course!)

Post-puppet show, fun, sing-along

Planting flowers in the children's flower bed on the last day

Lunch on the final day

The best way to eat hot dogs!

Our youngest VBS attendee, Mabel (they don't get much cuter than this, folks!)

Our oldest VBS attendee (and congregational president), Chris (actually, he just showed up for lunch on the last day - things that make you go, "Hmmm." :)