Do you sit down with your kids and put together a list of everything you want to do during the summer? I think many Minnesotans do this. Because we are under a blanket of snow for so much of the year, we want (and need!) to make the most of these three summer months!
Summer is a time to check things off your bucket list.
Summer is a time for lots of bucket list items: beaches, backyard movies, splash pads, hiking, water skiing shows, waterparks, picnics, music in the park, road trips, camping, mini-golf, ice cream shops, parades, kayaking, exploring state parks, and more! I like to look at the Events section of Facebook (to see what my friends are doing) and the Family Fun Twin Cities website to find things to do locally.
Perhaps you print out an 11x17 summer calendar or create your own using a poster board to inform the family of everything happening. With bucket list items and kids’ activities like sports, camps, church events, and more, the summer fills up quickly!
Add Vacation Bible School to your summer bucket list!
One thing you will surely want to experience this summer is VBS. VBS stands for Vacation Bible School. The history of VBS goes back nearly 150 years to the late 1800s in Canada, Illinois, and New York. These programs were multi-week classes held for kids to learn about the Bible. Since then, VBS has become a week-long program of Bible stories, worship, missions projects, crafts, and games. You can read more about the history of VBS HERE and HERE.
Berean Baptist Church has been offering VBS since June 1963. VBS was held in a tent then, as we hadn't yet even broken ground on a building. How cool is that?! And guess what? We haven't stopped holding VBS since.
Even during the chaos of Covid, we found a creative way to host a family-style VBS outdoors because we believe VBS matters that much in the lives of our kids and families.
VBS is offered again this year at Berean from July 24 - 27, 6 - 8:30 pm, for kids age 4 - grade 5 (just completed), and we're excited to tell you all about it.
What happens at VBS?
Kids are divided into age groups and then placed into smaller groups with 1-2 leaders. These groups spend the entire evening together each night! Kids experience a Bible story in an interactive and age-appropriate way, discuss what they learned in their small groups, play games during gym time, do activities and crafts, and finish the night with all VBS attendees in Worship Rally. During this year's Worship Rally, kids will sing songs and learn about missionaries in Columbia and Berean's very own School-A-Palooza outreach event.
What awesome things will kids learn at VBS?
Each year, VBS at Berean has a key theme with the intent to point kids to Jesus in a fun and purposeful way. This year’s theme is Twists & Turns: Following Jesus Changes the Game!
Through the life of Peter (one of Jesus’ friends), kids will discover that trusting Jesus as Savior and following him changes the game entirely.
Life is not all fun and games – even after becoming a Christian. It’s full of twists and turns that can leave us feeling like we’ve taken one step forward and two steps back. That was certainly the case for Peter. He messed up; he stumbled; he wasn’t perfect. But even when Peter messed up, it wasn’t “Game Over.” God still worked through Peter to help others learn about Jesus! As kids learn about four of Peter’s encounters with Jesus, they’ll discover that Jesus is holy, trustworthy, forgiving, and worth following (from Lifeway's VBS 2023 Bible Study Leader Guides).
To celebrate a great week, VBS kids and their families will also be invited to attend VBS Family Night on Saturday, July 29. More details will be shared with all VBS participants.
VBS sounds like a ton of fun, doesn’t it?
There are so many other things kids can do to have fun, so why VBS? Why does Berean do it? The purpose of VBS is more than just to have fun (although we do!). The big goal is to teach kids about God in an extended amount of time to help them take the next step in their faith journey.
What is so cool about VBS is that some kids will hear about God and what he did through Jesus for the very first time. Others will encounter Jesus in a new way, deepening their faith.
Don't miss VBS 2023!
In the chaos of all the sports, camps, park days, splash pads, ice cream trips, and neighborhood get-togethers, we encourage you to pause to include Jesus in your summer days of fun. As this summer continues to fly by and you check more and more items off your bucket list, we hope you'll make VBS at Berean one of them. Not only will kids have fun, meet some new friends, and make some incredible memories in a safe space with adult leaders who love and care for them, but most importantly, they will learn about the God who loves them and faithfully walks beside them through all the twists and turns of life.
Click HERE for all the details and links to register for Twists & Turns 2023. We can't wait to see you there!
Interested in more activities for kids?
This summer, Berean has been doing some Family Hangout Nights and Park Meetups to help families build community. Click HERE to see the schedule!
Berean also has an exciting kids' program that meets on Sunday mornings as well as Wednesday evenings during the school year. We'd love to help you get connected. Click the button below to learn more about our kids' programming!
