news article
A glimpse at UNY Vacation Bible School July 2019
July 30, 2019 / By UNY Communications
Editor's Note: Vacation Bible School took place at several Upper New York Churches this July. Here is a look at some of the programs that took place. If your church held a Vacation Bible School this past July, feel free to submit your story by sending it to news@unyumc.org. At the end of August, we will feature VBS programs that took place through the month of August.
Endwell UMC VBS
Cortland area VBS
Fairview UMC VBS
Saratoga Springs UMC VBS
Endwell UMC VBS
By Lynn Kimpland
God is awesome! That's all I can say about our recently held SonWest Round Up Vacation Bible School at Endwell UMC July 7-11th. The sanctuary was turned into an Old Western Town with over 150 kids in attendance and 80 youth and adults who helped make this a life-changing week!
Our Biblical story was based on how God used Moses to rescue the Israelites. With Jesus as the backstory, children learned how God has a plan for our lives, and gives us power, just as he did with Moses, to do remarkable things if we put our trust in Him. It opened the minds of our children to know that even though this story took place thousands of years ago, it is still happening today.
Our mission was through the International Rescue Committee (IRC) - who responds to the world's worst crises and are working in more than 40 countries and 22 cities in the United States. Currently the IRC is responding to the refugee crisis at the southern border – providing relief. The goal of the IRC is to educate and give the vulnerable a voice and cut to the heart of humanitarian crises by inspiring global audiences to act and help people whose lives have been shattered by conflict, war and disaster. One of the greatest needs of the IRC is school supplies for those children who have been processed.
Our VBS mission was The Covered Wagon Back Pack Brigade. Children and their families donated 62 back packs filled with school supplies and $300 which will be delivered to the IRC branch in Elizabeth, NJ. Our week at VBS inspired and impacted the hearts and minds of children and youth, our future generation, to put everything aside and have the courage to love like Jesus. Praise God!!
Cortland area VBS
By Pastor Steph Brown
July 8th through the 12th saw three small churches in the Cortland area combine forces for a wonderful Vacation Bible School program. The curriculum was Life Way’s “In the Wild” and wild it was. We had over 40 children ages 0 to 15 learning about why Jesus came, what God has done for us, what we are made for, and that Jesus is worthy of our praise. The children sang, played games, learned scripture verses and engaged in many Christ centered activities.
The highlight of the week was our mission moment each day where we learned about a family being helped through the Children’s Hunger Fund and collected quarters to provide meals. Each quarter collected buys a meal for a hungry child. I thought 500 meals would be a stretch since we provided 424 meals in 2018 with 20 more children in attendance. BOY WAS I WRONG! Every morning when the children arrived, the first place they went was to the collection chart to see how many meals they had provided the previous day and how many to date. By Wednesday, they had blown my target out of the water with over 600 meals and by week’s end they had collected enough quarters for 1,334 meals! Parents were telling us stories about their children emptying their piggy banks on their own to provide meals for children who had nothing.
The children truly understood, not only why Jesus came, but how we can be Jesus’s hands and feet in a world that so desperately needs us to be present. I was so proud of these children and all the adult volunteers that made such an impact on their lives. Many thanks to Gayle and Al Kryger who truly direct a meaningful program every year for our children!
Fairview UMC VBS
By Jamie L. Andres
I am beyond thankful for the way Fairview United Methodist Church, Binghamton, can come together to support meaningful causes. We had 37 willing volunteers share their gifts and talents to help create a welcoming VBS (Vacation Bible School) for 40 plus children and youth on July 9-11, 2019! As a promising way to reach out into the community, almost half of our participants were members outside of our church walls. Our theme this year was Cokesbury's: Everywhere Fun Fair; Where God's World Comes Together! It proved to be an exciting theme!
The church was fully decorated as participants were greeted at our doors, and placed in age-appropriate groups who rotated Stations with their "Ride Operator Group Leaders." Ride Stations included our Bumper Car ride/room where our own Pastor, Janet B. Clark, directed the children and youth in singing songs, including "The Neighbor Welcome," and the theme song "Everywhere Fun Fair," complete with motions!
The groups also ventured into Fairview's Ferris Wheel room where they participated in making crafts such as "God's Eye," with jumbo popsicle sticks and yarn, beaded necklaces representing African artisan jewelry, and Japanese Celebration Carp Kites using decorated paper and streamers.
Groups were invited into Concessions where there were Fair-themed snacks including cotton candy popsicles, hotdogs, and tacos using corn chips, taco meat, and cheese; we added fruit and veggies in there too! 
Groups also took a turn in our Fun House Bible Storytelling Room. Just to get to the learning area, groups ventured in a long Fun House maze with many twists and turns. Once inside, they learned through skits how to be a "Giving Neighbor" through the story of Elijah and the Widow, how "Neighbors are Bold" in the Good Samaritan story, and how "Neighbors are Welcoming" by hearing the story of Cornelius and Peter.
Our fifth station was our Recreation area outdoors which offered games played around the world.
No matter what "Ride Station" was attended, everyone was in the presence of God and welcomed the Spirit throughout all of our VBS.
In addition to the rotating children and/or youth groups according to ages, our Nursery and Adult classes welcomed members of their own. Nursery, birth thru age 2, stayed in the Nursery (i.e. "Petting Zoo") and participated in meaningful activities such as, playing doctor with stuffed animal friends to show they too, could be "helping neighbors," and producing sticker art with multicultural children from around the world on a card stock sheet that said, "God Loves Everyone!" Our adult class, taught by Pastor Douglas Clark, Pastor Jan's husband and active member in our church, focused on "What if being open and hospitable to ALL people is not a chore that God assigns, but a way to grow closer to God?" Both classes were inviting and offered thoughtful lessons.
We surely honored God through our VBS event and look forward to making a difference again next year!
It’s hard to believe that Vacation Bible School at SSUMC is already over! More than 30 kids ages five years old and up had an adventure to “Mars and Beyond,” finding God’s love at work in the universe. It was a blessing to see all these wonderful people having fun together at church, what a fantastic God-centered family!