We are two evenings into our VBS experience for the year. To say that it has been anything less than “marvelous” would be a complete understatement. If you haven’t been by to check it out, come. You’ll love it. The kids are hilarious. The workers are awesome. The whole operation is blowing the doors off of our expectations and hopes.
So, as I was driving home the other night I started thinking about my VBS experience as a kid. Two things stuck out to me. First, the crafts when I was a kid were incredible. Now, mind you, I went to a little bitty church. So, they could do some things that others couldn’t simply because they were only doing them for a very small group of kids. But that being said, we made some really cool stuff. For example, one year the boys made this wooden rack where we could hang our of our bats, balls, and gloves. The pieces were already cut before we got there. Then the next 3 nights we sanded. The fourth night we glued, and the final night we stained. It was cool! I just threw it away a few years ago (Yes, I probably should’ve saved it to pass on to my kids, but I throw most everything away.)
Second, I distinctly remember the transition from “old school VBS” where basically the kids all stayed in the same place and the teachers/leaders rotated and the new style of theming rooms and making stations. I never actually had the opportunity to participate as a kid in the “new style,” but I have had the opportunity to teach/lead and it’s so much better today than it was when I was a kid. The way people have been able to transition rooms to being “new places” and then allow kids to experience (see, smell, touch, etc.) the kinds of things they wouldn’t normally get to experience because we’re centuries away from when these Biblical events occurred is great. It makes the learning so much richer and deeper.
What about you? What are some of your memories from your experiences at VBS?
July 30, 2008 at 7:41 am
My VBS days were quite a few years before yours JP, (I’m old enough to be your mom :)) but were more on the same lines of your experiences. I too love the crafts and remember the plaster of paris cross with the Rose of Sharon entwined around it that I painted. I kept it for many years and believe that my mother disposed of it after I married. Then I remember the singing as my most favorite part of the weeks. I remember someone marching in with the Christian flag as we sang Onward Christian Soldiers…that image is still very clear. Then of course there was the snack time that was so simple…cool-aid and cookies outside under the trees.
Thanks for helping me rember some of the most wonderful days of my childhood.
July 30, 2008 at 8:38 pm
I sit here tonight after Day 4 of VBS. At age 41, this is my first VBS. To say this has been a wonderful week for me would be a gross understatement. I come home each night after leading a class of 4th and 5th graders quite tired but truly thrilled by the energy and unabashed joy of the 25-30 kids in our class. What better message could these young 10 and 11 year olds be getting! I am in awe of the dedication that Erin and her crew of volunteers have displayed in presenting the message of Christ to this group of 300 plus kids. A friend commented that this experience may be the only “church” exposure some of these kids get over the summer, or the year for that matter. I can imagine no better representation. Erin and gang, you should be proud!