More than 400 kids and 200 volunteer leaders will "take over" Abiding Hope for Vacation Bible School from June 9-12, according to Carrie Maki, VBS director.
Last year's theme was
Avalanche Ranch: A Wild Ride Through God's Word. (See accompanying photos to sample the experience.) This year's theme,
Power Lab, has a science flair: Through different activity stations and lab characters like "Fizz," "Sparki" and "Electra," each child will learn to discover Jesus' miraculous power.
On Monday, "Fizz" will teach kids that Jesus gives us the power to be thankful, while Tuesday they will meet "Sparki," who tells them that Jesus provides the power to help others. "Max" comes in on Wednesday to tell that Jesus gives us the power to live forever. And on Thursday, "Electra" reminds kids that Jesus provides the power to tell others about God.
Every day during VBS, all the children rotate through stations as they do their daily activities. At the Bible Blast, for example, kids will hear the Bible story for the day in a fun and engaging way that they can relate to. During Hyperspeed Games, everyone gets an energetic, hands-on experience that reinforces the Daily Bible Point. At Test Tube Treats, all the kids get to refuel.
Everyone will also have the chance to participate in this year's Operation Kid-to-Kid Mission Project, the Gospel Outreach Soccer Ball. The program lets kids send soccer balls to children who are so deep in poverty they cannot afford a soccer ball of their own. These soccer balls are called "GO Balls" (for Gospel Outreach) because they have special colors that are related to sharing the Gospel. The colors prompt children in Africa to ask what the decorations mean - a great introduction to sharing the Gospel.
All children stay with the same trained leaders every day. Each group will have an adult group leader, assisted by three to five crew leaders. Kids are split into two different age groups: 3-year-olds through kindergarten and first through fifth graders. Within those two groups, different ages mix together to form the crews.
On Thursday evening, June 12, there will be a Power Party for family, friends and neighbors from 6-8. All are welcome to come enjoy the fun the kids have been having all week. Bring a blanket to sit on the lawn.
Classes can fill up fast, so it's a good idea to register early. Parents can register at the church, 6337 S. Robb Way (near Coal Mine and Simms), 303.972.1283, or go to the Web site,
www.abidinghopelutheran.org, They can also pay online. The fee is $25 a child for the whole four-day session.