Imagine what it was like to live and work in the dusty town of Nazareth, just as Jesus was beginning his ministry around Galilee. You’d hear whispers about Mary’s son, Jesus – the local carpenter’s kid who says he’s the Son of God. Perhaps the boy Jesus even had dinner at your house or played tag with your kids. As you tend your sheep or bake your bread, maybe you secretly wonder if it’s really possible that Jesus – the boy down the street – could be the Messiah. That was the premise of our recent VBS theme – “Hometown Nazareth – Where Jesus was a boy” as our St. Dunstan’s family worked collaboratively to make that biblical world come to life!
Our entire congregation was immersed in the enrichment of Hometown Nazareth whether they participated in person, offered prayers, or lent their support in other ways. Of course, we needed a “village” of volunteers to be on site helping as shopkeepers in the Marketplace, providing snacks, supervising tribes, organizing supplies, taking photographs, or playing games (all sorts!) – the list goes on and on! However, we were also grateful to all the parishioners that lent their support in quieter ways such as setting up or breaking down the village, making financial donations, ordering supplies from our Amazon Wishlist, or sending snacks and drinks for our volunteers. Every person was an integral cog in the wheel that made VBS turn beautifully!
The approximately eighty children who attended VBS were assigned to one of the “twelve tribes of Israel”. They traveled together with their tribe leaders – worshipping, learning about Jewish culture, exploring the Marketplace, visiting Mary’s House, and digging into scripture. Our teenagers who led the tribes in their daily activities were truly remarkable! Although they were supervised by “tribe moms” who traveled with them to each activity, these youth leaders lead the daily one-on-one with our VBS kids. We observed them singing and dancing with their tribes, teaching daily lessons in their Hometown Huddle groups, visiting with them in Mary’s house, and running and playing during outdoor games!
Making VBS a priority each year, my own grandchildren are always eager volunteers. Outdoor Games is our “sports kid” Ethan’s favorite place to be, but our two oldest, Kale and Kolbie, especially love being tribe leaders. They came home every day with funny stories to tell! For instance, the campers in Kolbie’s tribe (who nick-named her “Kolbie Jack Cheese”) fought to sit by her side at every opportunity and had a tough time taking turns! Kale quickly discovered that rewarding good behavior with the promise of “golden coins” that could be used in the Marketplace worked well! (Halfway through the week, Kale’s kids began calling him “Teeny Tiny Lettuce Tim” probably because kale is a type of lettuce, but he is about 6’5” - not in the least bit tiny! We are not sure where “Tim” came from, but kids love alliteration!) At our closing celebration one day a little boy from Kolbie’s group taught us some wild dance moves culminating with him doing “the worm” down the aisle! Another boy couldn’t wait to be the one to help our celebration leader, Father Roman, ring his special bell for attention!
A favorite activity for all was meeting with Jesus’s mother Mary in her “house”. Mary was visited each day by a nosey neighbor, Eunice, who questioned Jesus’s claims to be the Messiah. On the last day, Eunice became a believer in Christ and the children roared their approval as she and Mary walked down the aisle arm in arm! Our Mary (Kelley Helmick) made quite an impact and even became a sort of local celebrity! At VBS Sunday one of the kids whispered in awestruck wonder, “I think I just saw Mary!”
On the last day some of our campers cried because they were sad their week of fun and connections to Christ at St. Dunstan’s had come to an end. I’d say that is the mark of a truly successful VBS made possible by a loving and committed congregation! There are a lot of things that go on behind the scenes at VBS, and working with children every day can be exhausting. There is a kind of “afterglow”, however, following a job well done that I hope everyone involved in VBS can share! As our volunteers and children were immersed in this Bible-times culture, our hope is that the reality of God’s love allows them to gain new meaning and relevance to their everyday lives. Jesus WAS a child just like us, and he is still present and active in our lives today!
Angela
