Jesus said, "I am with you always, even unto the end of days."
Our children spent three Saturdays on the lawn learning about God's creation and the blessing of water in our lives. There is no doubt that Jesus was among us as we came together to sing, create, explore, rejoice, and listen to stories about the gift of water.
Thanks to our church family and friends, we were able to offer a time for our children to enjoy being together and to learn how fortunate we are to be "Living by the Water."
Pastor Sarah reminded us that water used in baptism is the "visible sign" of the promise to nurture and teach the child.
Vacation Bible School (V.B.S) is a time when children come to be nurtured and learn that Christ remains in the world, They are able to meet new people, make new friends, sing and laugh and share in the love for Jesus. V.B.S. is a gift given to our children by the members of our church.
This year, adults, teens, college students and community members came together to teach and tell stories about water that God gave us to protect and enjoy. Water sustains our lives. It gives us food. Water is a place we go to for relaxation and fun. We have a responsibility to care for water and to use "self control" when swimming or boating. We learned that God created the waters and he is pleased when we care for his gift to us.
Many churches abandoned V.B.S. this year, when presented with the challenges in front of them. Without hesitation, F.P.C. embraced the idea that our children needed to spend time with one another thinking about God and the gifts he gave. We opened our hearts and minds and embraced the idea that we could bring our children into a safe and nurturing environment. Mask wearing, hand washing, rotating from station to station and following carefully planned activities on the church lawn were only part of how we reached out with our new format. Virtual interviews and singing were placed on the church website for children to view on Thursday afternoons. Our culmination of events was a trip to Cooper's Beach for an evening of social distancing and play in the sand or in the water.
Our church family and friends, continue to nurture the children, in a time when it might seem impossible. You have blessed the children with V.B.S. and memories that will remain with them forever. We should be proud of our faithful community of believers. We will never give up when it seems impossible to worship together and as Pastor Sarah said, "We are called to share new perspectives." Jesus will help us find our way.
Let us not forget that Jesus is with us and with him all things are possible.