“Discipleship in Action“
During the last week of June, Skidaway Community Church hosted their first Vacation Bible School (VBS) program in over a decade. The program was attended by six campers from Skidaway Island and facilitated by Skidaway Community Church’s pastor, Jon Hauerwas, program director, Joe Crotty, Disciple Committee, and church volunteers. Our theme for Vacation Bible School was “Biblical Superheroes.” The campers studied superheroes from the Old Testament and New Testament of the Bible, including God, Moses, David, Esther, Jonah, and Jesus Christ, to gain a greater understanding of the morals and ethics essential to be a “superhero” in their day-to-day lives.
Each day, the campers began VBS by completing a social and emotional learning lesson, which mirrored the teachings of Jesus Christ: love, empathy, forgiveness, kindness, and peace. Throughout the day, the students learned invaluable stories regarding our Biblical superheroes from The Complete Illustrated Children’s Bible and their teachers. To diversify the learning experience, all lessons were accompanied by crafts, songs, and games. One of the highlights of the week for our campers was participating in our community service project. Skidaway Community Church partnered with a local nonprofit organization, P.A.C.K. of Savannah, to pack snack bags for children in our community who are suffering from poverty. Our community service project was enhanced by guest speakers from our congregation who have dedicated their lives to serving others.
The results of our VBS program were both consequential and meaningful. By the end of the week, our campers had developed friendships and bonds that will continue in perpetuity. Our campers packed over two-hundred snack bags for disadvantaged children in our community. At the end of the week our campers made “thinking of you” cards for members of our congregation who are suffering from illnesses and hardships. Most importantly, our campers left VBS with profound messages from the Bible and their teachers: “Do for others before you do for yourself,” “Always use kindness, even when someone refuses to be kind to you,” “always forgive,” “make the world a better place than you found it,” and “What would Jesus do?”
At the end of the week, the campers were exhilarated. One camper even stated that “this is the best camp I have ever been to in my life.” Furthermore, they left knowing they made a difference in so many lives. While this is a moment marked by celebration, it is also a moment of rejuvenation for our church family. We have demonstrated that we are making a salient difference for the members of our community. Multiple committees within the life of our church worked diligently to organize and support our program through their time, donations, and ingenuity. Furthermore, our program welcomed more families to our church family. Our VBS program was the commencement of a church with a new mission, not only are we the community church, but we are also a church of action, empowered to make “disciples of all nations.”
Please watch the video of VBS highlights below, directed and produced by our good friend Ava Dorminey.
