A “Wonder”ful Vacation Bible School
Photo by Shari Harris
A large group of volunteers and VBS students gathered on Thursday evening for a photo before beginning the final evening of VBS
By Samuel Antle
The sun set on Wonder Junction last week at First Baptist Church’s vacation bible school (VBS). Prospectors, rangers, and wranglers (pre-K and kindergartners, first through third graders, and fourth through sixth graders respectively) gathered to learn about the wonder that is Jesus. From July 6 through July 10, the children were led through Jesus’s life from beginning to end. After learning about his birth the first day of VBS, the groups were shown Jesus’s childhood, Jesus’s miracles in ministry, his death and resurrection, and God’s great promise the following days.
The cowboys and cowgirls also moseyed through Wonder Junction for other fun activities while learning about Jesus. The kids designed their own personalized crosses and colored slap bracelets in the carpenter’s craft room. They sang and danced to some toe-tapping tunes in the music hall. Many ran out of breath tagging each other with pool noodles or competing in old-school duels to knock down bowling pins in the game corner. Finally, they could eat dinner served with Old West inspired desserts like cactus pudding, campfire cupcakes and cowboy cookies. There was plenty to do and see at Wonder Junction thanks to the efforts of everyone involved with VBS.
First Baptist’s VBS director, Amy Antle, reported a great turnout this year. There were 42 children who hopped on the train to Wonder Junction throughout the week. With an average of about 34 kids, First Baptist had a huge crowd of children excited to wonder about Jesus each evening. Luckily, Antle had 28 volunteers to assist her. Registration helpers, group leaders, kitchen workers, activity leaders and more made sure VBS was a fun but organized experience for all. Even greater, First Baptist was able to collect $281.86 (a record amount for their VBS program) for the Missouri Baptist Children’s Home thanks to offerings from the children who attended.
Yes, Wonder Junction was a rousing success for First Baptist. The week saw many children hop aboard to learn about Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. They were able to find joy in the activities of VBS alongside their friends in First Baptist Church while helping those in need thanks to giving offerings each night. For all the good that was there in Wonder Junction, Antle, the volunteers, and all the children who attended VBS this year can only hope for an even more successful VBS next year for First Baptist.
