With parents looking to find summer activities for their children, several area churches hosted vacation bible schools (VBS) earlier this month.

In Sachse, there is still time for individuals to register their child for its upcoming VBS. The program will run from 9 a.m. to noon Monday, July 10, through Friday, July 14, at Chase Oaks Woodbridge Campus.

Chase Oaks refers to its VBS as Summer Jam, which will have a theme of “Stellar” this year, said Darby Ridgway, children’s ministry pastor at the church. It will focus on shining Jesus’ light through a variety of activities.

“We want to show kids that no matter how they feel we can always shine for Jesus,” Ridgway said. “It gives us an opportunity to spend time with the kids and to grow their relationship with Jesus and their friends who attend too.”

The registration deadline for Summer Jam is Sunday, June 25, which will ensure participants receive a t-shirt as part of the program.

Ridgway said planned activities this year include daily Bible lessons, games and craft time. Snacks, daily worship sessions and skits. 

The Stellar curriculum also includes talking points and ways to help volunteers and staff reinforce the daily Bible lessons focused on the shining of Jesus’ light in the world.

Todd Baughman, pastor at the Woodbridge Campus, said music will also be integrated into the daily lessons.

“We’ll have people themed out and acting out those different roles,” Baughman said. “It’s fun and engaging, but it also speaks truth.”

He added that Summer Jam is also enjoyable for individuals who are not necessarily religious.

“A big part of the fun in this is seeing people from the community get involved,” Baughman said. “Our volunteers also get as much out of this as anybody; they absolutely love it.”

Ridgway continued, saying that a fun time will be had by attendees too.

“We want the kids to have a fun time while learning about God,” Ridgway said. “We want as many kids as possible to experience Jesus’ love and to know Him.”

At Wylie United Methodist Church, children attended VBS from Monday, June 12, through Friday, June 16. Sessions lasted from 9 a.m. to noon and corresponded to an overall “Marketplace Jerusalem” theme.

Sandy Donovan, who has volunteered with the Bible story time with her husband Don for around seven years, said it was important to continue impacting children despite changes at the church.

“We think it is a top priority,” Donovan said. “Our church has gone through some transition recently and we weren’t going to give up on reaching the children.”

This year, around 100 children attended the weeklong session filled with activities including the Bible story time. There were also different vendors set up in the church that captured trades of the time, such as jewelry making, basket weaving and a bakery.

Each day, children would have dedicated group time, which was called “tribe time,” said Donovan. There were also periods they would spend in the synagogue, music sessions or recesses on a playground.

“We at Wylie United Methodist Church are trying to do this as a service to the community,” Donovan said. “We feel that it is an important service where we can welcome everyone into the church and learn about Jesus walking through Jerusalem.”

For the full story, see the June 21 issue of The Sachse News.