SUMMER STARTER

GRACE SHARED THROUGH VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

Beth Stockdell, center, shares her music with children June 12 during Vacation Bible School at First United Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville. The theme was “Paul’s Dangerous Journey to Tell the Truth,” and organizers tried to give the children the flavor of the Greek culture. Stockdell is a member of the church.
Beth Stockdell, center, shares her music with children June 12 during Vacation Bible School at First United Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville. The theme was “Paul’s Dangerous Journey to Tell the Truth,” and organizers tried to give the children the flavor of the Greek culture. Stockdell is a member of the church.

Youngsters came to understand the gift of God’s grace during vacation Bible school June 10-13 at First United Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville.

The theme was “Paul’s Dangerous Journey to Tell the Truth,” focusing on the apostle’s travels through Greece as he spread the word about Jesus.

“Paul and Silas had a scary time, but they knew they were going to be OK because they gave their worries to God,” Katie Jackson told about 90 children during praise time. Jackson is a mother, the church’s handbell choir director and a volunteer.

Each day started with a time of praise music and introduction of the day’s Bible verse and message.

Students sang and mimicked the motions as videos played popular praise music so loud and so fun that many children ignored the on-screen dances and came up with their own.

In one corner of the fellowship hall, a woman waited in the Marketplace. Inside a tent, students sat on blankets in an atmosphere hearkening back to ancient Greece.

Beth Stockdale, a member of the church, sat in front of the children with her harp. She played selections such as “Jesus Loves Me” and “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands,” referring to the musical score stored on her iPad.

Students got the chance to run their fingers across her harp or play the reverie harp she brought with her.

“The harp is the oldest instrument in the world,” Ethan Jackson said, repeating knowledge learned June 12. “It sounds beautiful.”

Each day, a different guest took up residence in the tent, sharing information about the Greek culture to connect the students to the time period, said Kristi Button, director of Christian education for the church. Jan Buton, a co-pastor of the church, extended some Greek hospitality; Eva Diaz, a University of Arkansas teacher, lived in Greece and shared about the culture; Phil Harrington, a church member and UA math professor, talked about geometry and shapes; Quinn Montana, a local potter, explained her craft;

and Kosmos Greekafe restaurant provided Greek food for the children to try.

Each child rotated through four sessions a day, including the Marketplace, Button explained. In the games sessions, fl ying discs became discuses and swimming pool “noodles” became javelins to re-create the first Olympics in Greece. Crafts included laurel-leaf headgear, abacuses made from boxes and beads and clay pinch pots.

Ezra Wills described his pinch pot: “We had little jewels to put on it,” he said. “I gave mine snake eyes and a duck bill and these weird, wing things.”

“Let’s talk about things we eat,” Butin said to a room full of preschoolers. “Would anybody eat a bear? Would you eat a chicken?”

“I ate cooked crab,” replied Melissa Wilson.

These youngest students got their chances to eat Greek food, too. The preschoolers could try stuffed grape leaves, called dolmathakia; a Kalamata olive stuffed with feta cheese; baklava, a sweet pastry; and pita chips with a dip of cucumber, dill and mint.

Melissa also announced that she’d eaten pita chips before.

Alexis Deacon didn’t want to try anything, but she didn’t know why, she said with a shrug of her shoulders.

Matti Moore said it all tasted good, but then made a face of disgust when she tried the dolmathakia.

Caleb Cox saved the session when he asked for more pita chips.

The older boys remembered their lessons. Riley Button explained that most Greek people in that time named their kids after the Greek gods, like Zeus or Poseidon.

“(Paul) had his troubles preaching about God,” Daniel Jarvis said. “He was jailed, and angry mobs came after him. He gets in a fight with Barnabas and wanted Barnabas to leave.”

The short messages each day were put in context during story time.

A couple rooms at the church transformed into tents with blankets on the floor where kids sat and took off their shoes.

In the preschool room, children used drinking straws to blow a ping pong ball across the room.

“Jesus is here to help us see good and bad, so we will choose to be good. The air inside us is like Jesus,” said member Cathy Kirkpatricks “We blow it out to help others, just like we are helping that ball across the room.

“As you blow, think about one good thing you’re going to do for a friend,” she continued. Making cards and playing with siblings topped the list.

“Paul was beat up and put in jail,” related church member Bonny Stitt to older students sitting under another tent.

“After he was let out of jail, the Thessalonians came after him in an angry mob. Paul was telling stories about Jesus, and some people were getting really upset. Some people were happy and excited.”

She instructed the kids in freeze-flash acting to depict various emotions probably exhibited on the faces of the mob. Then Stitt led kids into a closet to hide from “the big, scary mob.”

“That was really scary,” Caroline Yandell reported.

“How is God’s love like a turtle shell,” Stitt asked, referring to the animal and Bible verse introduced in the morning.

“Wherever that turtle goes, that shell is always there.”

“Turtles have something strong to protect them,” Jackson Landers said.

“God’s love is strong and protects us, ” Ian Kenyon added. “Nothing can destroy it.”

“God’s love is for us,” Camila Medina said. “God loves me, and I will not be afraid. ‘What can mere people do to me?’”

The curriculum for “Paul’s Dangerous Journey” came from a commercial publishing company, but it was tweaked to fit this church, Button said.

Grecian columns with tissue paper flames greeted the kids each day in the Fellowship Hall. And animal cutouts were used to help the kids remember the Bible messages. All were created by Jackson, Button credited.

“We like to try to do elaborate decorations in one space to get the kids excited about vacation Bible school,” Jackson said. “To get them active and engaged and have fun.” CONNECTIONS

“Vacation Bible school is a great kickoff to the summer,” Button said. “Many people stay in town for it.”

She thinks the week-long program gives the children a way to connect intensely with the story and the message.

Jackson thinks vacation Bible school offers her kids unique opportunities. “My kids would never be that close to a harp,” she said.

Maria Rossetti has attended vacation Bible school nearly every summer of her life, first as a student and then a volunteer.

The college freshman worked with preschoolers this summer, leading them through dance time with the praise music.

“It’s important for kids to come to vacation Bible school because there are people here who care about them. It’s safe, and they can come here any time,” Rossetti said.

“I have a scrape on my right knee,” Sydney Adair interrupted. “We don’t know what happened.”

“(The children) build relationships with members of the community and the church,” Button said.

In fact, her son Riley said his favorite vacation Bible school memory was the race “right over there” with his new friend John Bouschelle, one of the group leaders.

And “Miss Bonny” gave great hugs to a special needs child adjusting to the new experience.

Rob Button carried the crying young lady into the sanctuary for a private piano concert.

“Paul has been going on a dangerous challenge,” young Serenity Koeppe concluded.

“He knew the city needed to be told the truth about God. There’s these people that locked them out …”

You can’t resist vacation Bible school.

Religion, Pages 8 on 06/22/2013

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