Reflection on the Week of Fun and Learning at kids Vacation Bible School.
It is scorching hot outside, but it is cool and refreshing in the church. Kids are dancing, fun music is playing, and many people smile and greet me at the door. Everything in the church is well run and meticulously organized. The feeling of complete safety permeates the place. Someone announces my daughter’s name, and next I see her running towards me as I pick her up from the program. Instead of saying Hi and giving me a hug, she yells excitedly, “Mom, mom, M-O-M! Am I coming to the VBS tomorrow?” “Yes, of course,” I answer. “Mom, I want to come to the church every day for the rest of the summer!” she declares with so much excitement that my ears hurt, and then proceeds to chatter about her day and proudly displays the crafts she made. This repeats every day of the week.
In the audio below, Miss Violet, the VBS Music Director, sums up her experience of the past week:
This was the first time in many years that Stony Lane Church was doing Vacation Bible School, and what a success it was! Miss Ellen, who was in charge of the VBS Missions, says: “VBS pulled the church together. So many people were involved with a variety of roles, but we all worked together to honor God and make a fun- and hopefully spiritual! – week for the kids.”
VBS ran July 14 – 18, grades k-5, taking three hours each morning, ending at noon. About 30 volunteers worked wholeheartedly and tirelessly to make this program happen. Everyone had to pass a background check through the RI General Attorney’s office. We had 2 certified nurses on hand, security personnel, greeters, sign-in, music, crafts, food, games, snack preparers and cleaning staff. What was impressive to me is how involved Pastor Rick and his wife Kelly were, dancing, singing, helping out everywhere, and teaching kids the Gospel. “Every day we had different verses to read to convey a particular message,” said Pastor Rick. “Teaching the kids was my favorite part of the VBS. I am a teacher.” Indeed – a true teacher, inspirational and dedicated.
VBS team photo. From left to right, back row: Isaiah Quinn, Sarah Holley, Sandy Brown, Rick Bringhurst, Kelly Bringhurst, Violet Brennan, Bob Brown. Front row: Linda Leclair, Charlene Decosta, Mayla Silvia, Gary DeBeaulieu, Jim Roberts, Lori Roberts, Ellen Koehn, Justus Brennan, Greg Brennan, and Vance Arnold.
Around 8:45-9:00 each day, in the foyer of the church, parents and caregivers signed their children in to ensure their safety. The kids were ushered into the worship space that was transformed into a summer camp. There was a campfire, river, tent, camping chairs, grill, fishing poles, paddles, string lights, pennant flags, Christmas trees, and stuffed forest animals. For one hour, children sang and danced together, first as a whole group, and then separated by ages. Staying within one of their three age groups, in the specially allocated rooms and spaces, also decorated in the Summer Camp theme, the kids did Crafts, Missions, Bible lesson, Snacks and Games. In the last 15 minutes, all the kids came together to sing and worship.
Children dancing at the start and the end of every day of the program.
The theme was “Live It Out” – Living our faith out to the best of our abilities, which would show the world what it meant to be a follower of Christ. In John 13:34, Jesus, in the last moments before being sentenced to death on a cross, told his disciples to love each other selflessly and sacrificially- like he did. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” In these words, he showed us how to be a true Christian. The way we love and treat one another, not just through words, but in action too, speaks volumes about who we follow. And this was the mission of this year’s VBS – To discover how to love like Jesus.
Light is shining on the central point of our church – The Cross.
Each day of the program was centered around a particular bible story about Jesus and his message. These stories covered 5 topics, one per day: How to love each other, be kind to one another, forgive one another, pray for one another, and serve one another. On the first day of the program, children discussed the story of Jesus washing His disciples’ feet which was a beautiful example of love through humility, compassion and service. On Day 2, the focus was on the story of the little children being brought to Jesus, exploring the theme of kindness, asking the question, “When has someone been kind to you?” Day 3 was all about forgiveness. God loved us so much that He sent His one and only Son for us and to forgive us of our sins. Kids walked away knowing that in order to live like Jesus, we needed to forgive others – just as He did. On Day 4, we asked kids, “What do you pray about?” Knowing when and how to pray for others is such a valuable skill for a kid to have. On the final Day 5, we talked about service, discussing the story of the believers sharing their lives together. It’s vital for kids to learn to serve one another early in life, so we asked, “What are ways we can serve one another?”
My daughter’s coloring of the messages of each day of the VBS. The first one, “Love each other,” is missing, as she lovingly carried it with her too much and the paper fell apart. There are also 2 shoeboxes we filled up together, a certificate of program’s completion that gives kids a sense of accomplishment, and a windchime that also makes rainbows on the walls – one of the VBS’s craft projects.
One central initiative of this week was our Mission called “Operation Christmas Child,” about which you can find out more on https://www.samaritanspurse.org/occ . This was a hands-on way for us to bless children in need across the world by filling shoeboxes with toys, personal care items, school supplies and fun gifts. Parents/guardians/kids were informed about the Mission and encouraged to pack a shoebox. A small shoebox can have a big impact! Miss Ellen was overseeing this Mission. Her favorite part was when Mrs. Heather Mills came in to tell the kids about her trip to Paraguay and her involvement in distributing shoeboxes. The happiness in the children’s faces Mrs. Mills saw was heartfelt.
Lovely photo from Operation Christmas Child’s brochure. My kids loved shopping for gifts and talking about children who will receive these shoeboxes.
There were also a variety of snacks made in the church’s kitchen, many indoor and outdoor games, and crafts, some of which are: making love pendants, windchimes, marshmallow-balloon catapults, t-shirts, coloring, and water arts. Mr. Vance and Mr. Greg, who organized and directed the games, shared, “Kids had a blast playing with nerf line darts. The girls were winning almost all the games.” They particularly worked on a biblical approach to competition, which I appreciate greatly, as some young children will benefit from a message of humility, while others might need help with emotions caused by losing or discouragement to continue after a loss.
On Friday evening, we invited the families to an outdoor Friday Family Night party to finish the week with food and fun. There were bounce houses, games, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, snacks, and many happy children. When asked what kids loved the most at VBS, all of them answered – songs. Sadie, age 7, especially loved “It’s My Little Life.” Ale, Aaron and Cruz sang for me:
Mr. Isaiah, a group leader for the 4th and 5th graders, remarked, “Watching the kids sing and dance and shout out the songs was a lot of fun.” Miss Lori, Co-Director of Music who also helped out with games, shared her favorite moments of the VBS: “The joy in the children’s voices as they sang is the most memorable part of the VBS for me, along with hearing all the children in unison recite Mathew Lord’s Prayer, without even looking at our printouts for them. That was amazing.” Mr. Greg, an Elder of the Church and father of ten, shared this about the week: “ I loved to see all these kids and just how beautiful they are, each and every one of them, they are so special. It was a pleasure to get to know each one of them, and all their different comments, quirky and funny at times, all their creativity. It was very special for me. I was blessed.” Mr. Bill, our photographer, talks about his dearest moments in this audio:
It was a humbling experience to see our church coming together to create a truly memorable experience for the kids. Everyone gave their best and worked tirelessly. Thank you, VBS Team! We are looking forward to VBS Summer 2026. And you, parents, visit Stony Lane church on Sunday. Bring your kids. Let them sing at Stony Lane Church again!
Let’s end this wonderful week of the Vacation Bible School at Stony Lane Church with a prayer:
“Dear God, thank You for giving us Your Son, Jesus, to show us how much You love us. Please help us do what Jesus said and love others the way Jesus loves us. In Jesus’ name, amen.