Click here for 2011 VBS details.
VBS Vision
Since 1992, Harvest has operated a summer daily Vacation Bible School (VBS) program, which involves the majority of the Harvest members and our covenant children. Our VBS is under the Evangelism Ministry Team of the church but positively impacts the other ministries of the church as well. VBS provides a terrific avenue by which the Body of Christ is strengthened as we use our gifts to bless one another and to build God’s Kingdom.
The Curriculum: For the past four years we used the VBS Reachout Adventures series (www.vbsreachout.com). This past summer our VBS program studied various stories in the first book for the Bible, Genesis, using a space-traveling theme called “Space Probe”. The children memorized many Bible verses and Christ-exalting songs that they can use long after VBS ends. What a blessing!
Reasons for Thanksgiving: Members are encouraged throughout the year to invite friends, coworkers, and neighbors to our church, but each spring and summer there is a concerted effort to reach out with the gospel. Our VBS program gave the congregation one more opportunity to canvass our neighborhoods with invitations to Harvest and/or the weeklong VBS. We distributed approximately 2000 fliers to our neighbors, inviting them to Harvest and our Space Probe VBS.
During VBS, we were given many wonderful opportunities for fellowship. Long-time members as well as new members of all ages have the chance to work together and to get to know one another. VBS was again one more way that new members, while using their gifts, began to feel a part of the congregation. The fellowship we experience in our church was deepened by our participation with VBS.
VBS is also a great training ground for teachers and future leaders in the church. Adults and young people are given an opportunity with work with both small and large groups of children. The week of VBS is a great time to not only identify those individuals in the church who may be gifted in teaching, but also a time when individuals can develop or improve their teaching gifts. VBS provides fantastic training opportunities for our teens and adults to test their gifts in a loving environment. Seeing God raise up teachers in the church is one more reason to give thanks to Him.
During this summer, even though many of our own Harvest families were away and not able to participate with VBS, God blessed us with 187 participants and approximately 90 volunteers, many of whom were new to our VBS program this year. It also gave volunteers opportunities to get to know our own covenant children as they worked with them. Our covenant youth were given opportunities to reach out to other children who are different than they are. They learned how to share the gospel with their friends and neighbors. The participants also were given opportunities to provide acts of obedience and service, which was a blessing at VBS and in their homes.
Read below the following comments that were made by participants:
- “Thank you for providing a VBS program for the Junior High age. We love it.”
- “This is the best VBS in town. My kids look forward to it every year.”
- “We love the songs our kids learn here. They keep on singing them long after VBS is over.”
- “How does your church get so many young people to help?”
- “Thank you for providing a wonderful program for this community!”