By Louisa (Joey) Perrin – Pueblo, Colorado … After a ten-year break, Pueblo First Seventh-day Adventist Church held Vacation Bible School (VBS) June 27 to July 1, an arm of its Outreach & Education Center. “We held our breath to see what God would do. Yet this project was a great blessing for our church and the surrounding neighborhood,” commented Anton Kapusi, church pastor.
On the first day of VBS, we welcomed 26 kids, of which only five were regular attendees from the church! “This was His hand at work,” Kapusi and the organizers concluded.
One parent said they were happy we offered an evening activity for the kids in the community. Another parent loved the interactive materials we sent home so they could discuss what they learned as a family. “We also had a parent who said she was baptized at Pueblo First long ago as a young person and was happy to have her child join VBS,” Louisa (Joey) Perrin, VBS director shared.
Spark Studio* was the model we used for the program. The theme of the lessons focused on Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Following a prayer offered by Pastor Kapusi, the children praised God through singing and dancing. During a worship rally ‘Imaginarium’,” the kids reviewed the Bible lesson and learned about God’s plan for us. We used science to help the kids understand the meaning of God’s work. The children who learned the most and danced the best received prizes. On the last day, there was much excitement when kids made tie-dyed T-shirts with their names and the church children’s ministry motto, “Kids for Christ.”
The organizers invited the children and their parents to church on Sabbath for their VBS graduation where the pastor and the VBS director presented certificates for completing the Spark Studio VBS, and a personalized water bottle with the VBS logo.
All but six of the children and their parents attended the graduation service. They stayed for the message presented by the DayStar school board chair, emphasizing the importance of the education of our children, and setting a foundation for them to grow and find their gifts for God’s purpose. Several guest parents expressed interest in who Seventh-day Adventists are and our upcoming programs for the children and youth. One parent even attended Angels of Kindness, a community outreach to feed the homeless.
*VBS program for 2022 was developed by Spark Studios in which kids will learn that God’s creativity didn’t stop in Genesis. The Master Artist is working to redeem, reclaim, and transform us–His creation–to the design He planned for us. Kids will see the beautiful truth that they are God’s workmanship as they learn to use their talents to bring glory to Him.
–Louisa (Joey) Perrin, VBS director; photos supplied
