St. Michael's Vacation Bible School 2007
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For five days we learned about the People of God. How they left Egypt and learned how to follow God's Law.
On Monday we had the story of Moses from birth to a man, taking a wife, and becoming a shepherd. We painted baskets to hold baby Moses, and we started putting broken china on clay pots. The children started playing their favorite water game, blew bubbles and did chalk art on the sidewalk. For the last few minutes we did musical chairs.
On Tuesday we had a long story about Moses asking Pharaoh to let his people go, and finally leaving Egypt and crossing the Red Sea. The story ended with the People of God giving thanks to God and Miriam leading the dancing in celebration of being free. Then for crafts they did clay, stamped bugs and foam bugs on paper, and finished grouting their pots. We also made unleavened bread, and everybody had a taste of it. Some found that they liked unleavened bread. Then we ended with several games of musical chairs, and at the last I read a story about John the Baptist and then told the Godly Play story about baptism.
On Wednesday we had the story about manna, quail, and making water to drink. Then Moses went up on Mt. Sinai two times to get the 10 Best Ways, and the story ended with everyone hearing what are the 10 Best Ways. For a craft all the children glued the 10 Best Ways on construction paper to take home to put on their wall to remember what they are. Michael and Sawyer planted flowers in all the finished pots. More water games were played and then they all came in and painted a Moses staff - some paint got on the chairs and floor but most of it went on the staffs. We ended with some musical chair games, and then I did the Godly Play parable of the Good Shepard.
On Thursday we had the story of the Ark and the Tent. The children saw how the People of God took care of the precious gifts God had given them by putting them in an ark and then setting them apart from others in a very special tent. For crafts Janet Hinton came with the help of Landon Shirey and showed the children how to make clay pots. Everyone got busy and made a clay pot, and Janet took them to be dried and fired. Then they did sand art and used lots of colored sand. More water games were played, but then we took a walk over to St. John's next door to see the shrine of Mary. Everyone was quiet and thought about Jesus' mother, Mary, while they were at the shrine. After this we played some musical chairs, and then I did the Godly Play parable of the Great Pearl.
On Friday we started breakfast with making some manna for which I had a recipe. We all decided that this was more like pancakes than God's manna. Then we processed in the church one more time, sang, said the Lord's Prayer, and then everyone smelled incense and looked inside the ark to see what the People of God had put in it. They found Moses' staff, a jar of manna, and the two tablets of the Ten Commandments. After this everyone quickly left in cars to go to the swimming party. For two hours everyone swam, shot water guns, and ate hot dogs. Quickly the time passed, and we all had to say good bye from another year of Vacation Bible School.
