VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

June 8th-12th “Peace Like a River” Vacation Bible School for children of all ages and their grownups.

Day 1: Jesus Calms the Storm (Mark 4:35-41)

Making waves on Day 1 of “Peace Like A River” VBS! Our first day together centered on the story of how Jesus calmed the storm (Mark 4:35-41)

We had fun with:

Singing – learning new songs and their signs in ASL
Storytelling – playful gospel lesson with pinwheels
Art – controlled breathing watercolor waves
Science – making rain clouds in a jar
Movement – “stormy waves” freeze dance
Peace Prayer Project – Collaborative drawing of what Peace looks like to us, and reading The Peace Book by Todd Parr

Day 2: Who is the Greatest? (Mark 9:33-37)

On Day 2 we heard the story of when Jesus taught his disciples about true greatness after catching them arguing over who was the most important.

We had fun with:

Singing – Making a joyful noise and practicing signs in ASL
Storytelling – Our gospel lesson reminding us that everyone has something important to contribute, but no one is better than anyone else and serving others is the most important thing
Art – “Jesus Loves Me” tissue paper heart suncatcher
Science – Meet the microorganisms! Magnifying pond water
Movement – Cooperative games where “winning” can only be accomplished together!
Peace Prayer Project – Watercolor project to be continued on Day 3!

Day 3: Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42)

Learning to slow down & make time for rest on Day 3 of “Peace Like A River” VBS. We heard the story of Mary & Martha. Martha was overwhelmed with all the housework during Jesus’ visit with his disciples, and felt frustrated when Mary wasn’t helping. But Jesus reminded Martha (and us!) that it’s important to slow down and focus on what matters most. (Luke 10:38-42)

We had fun with:

Music – Singing, dancing, and signing
Storytelling – A gospel lesson full of audience participation – including charades & portrayals of Martha and Mary.
Art – Decorate doves to hang in kitchen at home – a reminder to slow down!
Science – We learned all about snails, the ultimate slow-paced critter. We made “Slow Down Snails” to use at home as a visual cue and breathing tool — trace the spiral as a mindfulness practice!
Movement – Mary, Mary, Martha! (like duck, duck, goose—Mary rests and Martha runs!)
Peace Prayer Project – We made doves from yesterday’s watercolor paper. We’ll be continuing this project on Day 4!

Day 4: Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10)

On Day 4 of VBS we heard the story of Zacchaeus, climbing up in the tree to see Jesus as he arrived in Jericho. We learned about the kind of peace that comes through the power of grace that Jesus gave (and we’re called to give, too) — showing us that no one is beyond redemption (Luke 19:1-10).

We had fun with:

Music – Singing, dancing, and signing
Storytelling – A gospel lesson with characters, props, and a little Zacchaeus in the tree!
Art – Keepsake photo frames for VBS memories.
Science – Using magnifying glasses to look closely at leaves, like Zacchaeus when he climbed the tree!
Peace Prayer Project – Wrote our own prayers on the watercolor doves we made on Day 3, and used the scraps from cutting out the doves to make new artwork.