Articles for tag: Vacation Bible School

August 28, 2012

Christian Standard

Church”s Reading Club Prepares Way for VBS

By Jennifer Johnson New Burlington Church of Christ (Cincinnati, OH) is very small””only 50 or 60 people gather for worship each Sunday. But this little church is making a big impact on its community. In June the church launched its Promise Island Reading Club for children entering kindergarten through third grade. Each Thursday morning for six weeks volunteers led activities, tutored children one-on-one, read stories, and provided snacks. The team also built a children”s library for the new program, with more than 100 books bought secondhand or donated, and gave each child a new book bag in which to carry

August 17, 2012

Christian Standard

A Voice from Long Ago

By Jewell Johnson When my husband retired after 42 years as a minister, a time of adjustment followed. As LeRoy reflected on his years in ministry, he began to second-guess all the time he had spent working for God. Did I do any good? he asked himself. Is there any lasting fruit from those years? Did I help even one person? A few years after retirement, LeRoy and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary. That”s when we received a special phone call. “Does a Pastor Johnson live at this number?” a hesitant voice asked. As LeRoy talked on the phone,

July 12, 2012

Christian Standard

Just One NACC Story

By Mark A. Taylor Meet Tyrone Benson, minister with the  Pontoon Beach (Illinois) Christian Church, not far from St. Louis Missouri. Tyrone graduated from St. Louis Christian College this spring, and this is his first ministry. This is his first North American Christian Convention too. He’s at the event in Orlando, Florida, this year because of convention president Rick Rusaw’s idea to honor new ministry graduates at a special service during the convention’s closing session Friday morning. Tyrone is one of several dozen such ministers who will be singled out then. I can’t imagine a candidate more deserving of our

February 21, 2012

Christian Standard

‘Promise Island’ VBS Earns Top Honors

  Standard Publishing again received top honors for best Vacation Bible School in the nation for its 2012 curriculum, “Adventures on Promise Island.” Lynda Freeman, editor of the popular blog “About the Children”s Department,” chose “Adventures” as her top pick. “This VBS has solid Bible content and a strong focus on living what you learn by serving others,” she writes. “Combine this with a fun island setting and great music from Yancy [and] you have a VBS which will impact and change lives!” “Adventures on Promise Island” uses the fun of surf, sand, and island adventure to introduce God”s lifesaving

November 4, 2011

Christian Standard

Families Enjoy Outdoor Fun at “˜Journey Jubilee”

By Jennifer Taylor Instead of a traditional Vacation Bible School, this summer Journey Christian Church (Apopka, FL) created “Journey Jubilee,” a three-day event designed for families and friends. “The older people need to teach the younger ones, and parents need to teach children,” said teaching pastor Harold Armstrong to the Journey family in an announcement about the event. “And often we don”t know how to do that, so we want multiple generations to come together.” The event, held on Journey”s campus July 28-30, centered around a “Tent of Meeting” in the church courtyard where the campers gathered for worship and

September 15, 2011

Christian Standard

Taking the First Bite Out of Biblical Illiteracy

By Jim Eichenberger An old joke asks, “How do you eat an elephant?” The response, of course, is “One bite at a time.” The church of the early 21st century seems to agree that biblical illiteracy is the elephant on our plate. Anecdotes abound of believers who confuse Abraham of Ur with Abraham Lincoln and who can name all four Beatles but not all four Gospels. How can we call others to the message given to us by God if many of our own brothers and sisters in the faith do not have a good working knowledge of our treasured

August 16, 2011

Christian Standard

Who”s the Hero?

By Teresa Welch During my 15-year tenure as a children”s minister, I was proud of how much Bible content the children learned. But now I wonder if that was enough. Whether it was through Sunday school, kids worship, youth groups, or summer programs like church camp and Vacation Bible School, I knew children were learning the Word of God. However, as I reflected on those years, I saw a problem. Sometimes our efforts to make sure children were learning the Word of God didn”t lead them to learn about God. Certainly we taught about the number of stones David collected

July 28, 2011

Christian Standard

Florida Church Hosting Three-day ‘Jubilee’

Instead of a traditional Vacation Bible School, this weekend Journey Christian Church (Apopka, FL) will host “Journey Jubilee,” a three-day event designed for families and friends of all ages. In addition to times of teaching and worship, groups will enjoy a challenge course, a geo-scavenger hunt, live music, a prayer walk, and plenty of time to relax. Families are invited to camp on the church property and a nominal fee of $25 per group covers all activities.

June 12, 2011

Christian Standard

Sustained by the Word

By Kay Moll I was 22 years old. My husband of eight months had left our home in Illinois to travel to Homecoming at Johnson Bible College in Tennessee early on a snowy February morning with five teenagers from the small congregation we were serving in Illinois. A small group of us from the church had prayed with them for safety on the trip and watched them drive away. A little while later I went to the junior high school where I was teaching English and history and began my workday. Around 10:00 a.m., a fellow teacher stuck her head

February 17, 2011

Christian Standard

“˜Inside Out & Upside Down” VBS Ranked No. 1

Standard Publishing”s 2011 Vacation Bible School curriculum, “Inside Out & Upside Down on Main Street,” was ranked this year’s No. 1 VBS by About the Children’s Department, a popular blog with authoritative reviews of children”s curriculum based on standardized criteria. “Standard Publishing is known for providing quality VBS resources that teach God’s Word in every station and activity; this year they have done a tremendous job!” said the blog”s editor, Lynda Freeman. Standard Publishing is the original publisher of Vacation Bible School and has served Christian churches in America for 145 years. Every summer, more than 1.3 million kids and volunteers are touched

January 12, 2011

Christian Standard

Making a Difference

By Joni Sullivan Baker Christmas decorations are down, second semester is underway, and snow is on the ground. It”s January. For those involved in children”s ministry that means only one thing””it”s time to start planning Vacation Bible School. Every summer, Standard Publishing puts its brand-new, unpublished VBS curriculum to the test by asking a local church to actually try it. Christ”s Church at Mason (Ohio) tested the new VBS last June. VBS 2011 is called “Inside Out & Upside Down on Main Street: Where Jesus Makes a Difference Every Day!” The children in the field test learned about five of

January 12, 2011

Christian Standard

VBS Changes Lives

We all have stories of VBS. We can remember the songs we have sung, the crafts we have made and even many of the Bible stories we learned each year, but do you remember the names of the volunteers who gave up their time to help you learn about Jesus and plant seeds that would blossom years later? Do you remember when you first heard about how Jesus loves us or how we can help others? Was it at VBS? Do you have some stories of how VBS affected you or someone you know? Check out www.vbschangeslives.com to read life

September 17, 2010

Christian Standard

MEDIUM-SIZED CHURCHES: Walking Through the Wilderness

Walking Through the Wilderness By Kent E. Fillinger Faithfulness leads to fruitfulness, but this process requires patience. Ron Mobley and Northwest Christian Church, Acworth, Georgia, have experienced this truth over the last two decades. When Mobley arrived as senior minister in 1989, he found a very established, inwardly focused church that had alienated several ministers and many members of the community through the years. In spite of the church”s poor track record, Mobley saw potential for growth. Mobley spent his first five years establishing relationships and serving the church. There was an effort to build a family life center on the church”s

September 1, 2010

Christian Standard

Glory Days in Kempton, Indiana

By Jennifer Taylor When Kempton, Indiana, officials donated a baseball field to Kempton Christian Church in 2004, the church renamed the site “Glory Field”Â and developed a T-ball league for some of the community”s littlest members. Each year the league welcomes dozens of 3- to 6-year-olds and outfits each one with a medallion, cap, and T-shirt. The church leads devotions and prayer before each game, invites the children to its Vacation Bible School, and hosts an award ceremony and meal after the season”s last game. Local businesses have donated money for a concession stand, new benches, and an announcer”s booth. Jennifer Taylor, one of

August 30, 2010

Christian Standard

Lesson for Sept. 5, 2010: God Calls Moses (Exodus 3:1-6, 13-15)

This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for September 5) is written by Earl Winfrey, senior minister with Calvary Christian Church in Paris, Kentucky. God Calls Moses (Exodus 3:1-6, 13-15) By Earl Winfrey Moses and the burning bush is a popular event that has been acted out many times over the years. From Vacation Bible School to the movie screen, the burning bush is included in nearly every depiction of the Exodus. Why is that scene so important? It is when Moses receives the call from God to deliver the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. This event happened thousands of years ago, so what

June 10, 2010

Christian Standard

The Hero HeadQuarters Field Test

By Joni Sullivan Baker Workers in lime green shirts scurry by carrying chairs, lariats for name badges, handfuls of markers, and pizza boxes. There”s a hum, a vibe, voices with some energy, maybe even nervous energy, laughing and talking. Early arriving boys whiz by and chase each other in the hallways. Equally early girls cluster and clog doorways, whispering loudly. The atmosphere is one part preparing for children”s church and one part backstage tension at five minutes to curtain. And then they start arriving. Parents holding the hands of little ones with big eyes who can”t decide what to look

Help Keep Christian Standard Free & Accessible with a Tax Deductible Donation

We can do more together!

Every gift makes a difference!

No, thank you.
100% secure transactions - receipts provided.
Does Your Church Want to Support Christian Standard?

Would your church consider including support for Christian Standard in its annual missions budget? Your support would help us not only continue the 160-year legacy of this unifying ministry, but also expand the free resources, cooperative opportunities, and practical guidance we provide to strengthen churches in the U.S. and around the world.

We can do more together!

Every gift makes a difference!

No, thank you.
100% secure transactions - receipts provided.
Secret Link