Vacation Bible School - Trekkin' with the Spirit
August 9-13, 2009
Vacation Bible School leaders from St Paul's Episcopal, Suffolk Christian, Suffolk Presbyterian, and West End Baptist Churches joined in a VBS partnership that developed an original VBS curriculum called "Trekkin' with the Spirit" , a program to explore spiritual journeys of the Bible and relate them to our own spiritual journeys with Christ today. The goal was to move away from theme-focused materials and activities to a Bible-centered program to provide and enriching VBS experience for participants of all ages. Presented during the week of August 9-13, the VBS drew participants from the four congregations and guests from Holland Baptist, Oxford Methodist/Apple Tree, Nansemond River Baptist, Bethlehem Christian, St. Therese Catholic, First Baptist, and East End Baptist churches. The nightly programs started with fellowship and dinner, and included Bible study, music, drama, crafts, recreation, mission projects, off-site activities for teens, and a special workshop study of Paul's missionary journey.
The week ended with the annual dessert auction that raised over $3,300 for Suffolk programs of the Foodbank of Southeastern VA, such as Kids Café. The Kids Café feeds some 90 Suffolk children dinners daily. In addition to auction proceeds, VBS participants also contributed shelf-stable foods collected throughout the week, and during a special youth mission project. These foods were bagged for the Foodbank’s Backpack program, which provides children with food over the weekend when the Kids Café is closed. We collected, packed and delivered approximately 700 pounds of food for the Backpack Program and 200 pounds more for a local food pantry. The Suffolk News- Herald gave us lots of coverage this year, including two feature stories (one on the front page) and a nice editorial. They emphasized four churches working together for a common good and giving back to the community. They reported that VBS is more than just fun and games. But we knew that already!
We thank our VBS director, Cindy Robinson, and the many volunteers who made VBS at West End a success again this year.
Click on photos to enlarge.
