Pilgrim’s 2013 VBS children, many wearing their VBS t-shirts, prepare for their long awaited watermelon-seed spitting contest as they pose for a group picture on the last night. From left to right, they are Zylan Ellis, Sanyia Hopkins, Cooper Sampson, Clay Ellis, Luke Land, Emma Morton, Kylee Vineyard, Ben Morton, John Morton, and Mikaela Haufler.
In 2013, Pilgrim Lutheran Church offered Vacation Bible School (VBS) to its members and to the community from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Sunday, June 23, through Thursday, June 27. Crafts, games, lessons, music, and “snacks” (a light dinner, given the start time) all centered on the theme “From Above”. Participants realized that, though as fallen human beings we are unable to go to God, God, in His mercy and grace, comes to us from above, especially through Baptism, in order to save us.
As many as 11 different children came to the 2013 VBS, with an average attendance of 8 children each night. As many as 30 different adults took part in some way, either helping to conduct the VBS or participating in the adult class Pastor Galler taught during the children’s Catechism, Game, and Craft time. God blessed us with wonderful overall directors, Sarah and Josey Land, and with directors and helpers for every activity, as described in the captions for the pictures on this page (click each one for a larger version).
Each night’s time began with a liturgical Opening that included the main Bible story of the day and ended with a liturgical Closing that included a reading from John chapter 3. Here, before the Opening started on the first night, Pastor Galler, with Sharon Sampson’s help, leads the children in learning the first song, “Create in me”.
Each day, Pilgrim’s VBS both taught God’s law that shows us our sin and proclaimed the Gospel that God comes from above to save us by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. The following gives each day’s emphasis and main Bible passages.
- Sunday: God Saves Us From Above – The Tower of Babel
(Genesis 11:1-9 and John 3:1-3)
God comes down “From Above” to confuse the language and so scatter the disobedient people at Babel, and Jesus tells Nicodemus that birth “From Above” is necessary for him and for us to see the Kingdom of God. - Monday: Jesus: God From Above – The Bronze Serpent
(Numbers 21:4-9 and John 3:13-16)
At God’s command, Moses lifts up a serpent on a pole at which the people of Israel look in faith and are saved, and the Son of Man similarly comes down “From Above” to be lifted up so that we might believe in Him and be saved. - Tuesday: Baptism: God From Above – The Philippian Jailor’s Conversion
(Acts 16:25-34 and John 3:17-18)
Like the Philippian jailor and his whole family, we are saved as we believe in the Lord Jesus and receive His forgiveness through such things as Holy Baptism, for God gave and sent His Son “From Above” to save us! - Wednesday: The Church: God From Above – The Church in Jerusalem
(Acts 2:1-6, 38-42 and John 3:4-6)
The Holy Spirit comes “From Above” to bring about the preaching of the law and the Gospel, in all its forms, and thereby grow the Church, bringing birth “From Above” that in many ways eludes our understanding. - Thursday: Vocation: God From Above – Zacchaeus
(Luke 19:1-10 and John 3:20-21)
Jesus came “From Above” to seek and to save Zacchaeus and all of us lost in our sin and to be present with us in the Sacrament of the Altar, and He enables us, in vocations we receive “From Above”, to love Him in our neighbors.
Part of the Opening each night included a “skit” that helped elaborate the specific theme of the day. Here, on the second night, Danny Sampson plays a man weighed down by his sins, and Pastor Galler removes them while telling how Jesus Christ came from above to die on the cross and so take away our sins.
The “From Above” VBS materials were produced under the auspices of Higher Things, a registered service organization of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. As it was Higher Things first attempt at producing VBS curriculum, so it was Pilgrim’s first use of a non-Concordia Publishing House curriculum. There were no videos, cutesy songs, or pre-made crafts, but some thought both that the children were more involved and engaged with every aspect of the school and that the Bible stories and a right regard for worship were more prominent in this year’s material. The opening and closing liturgies had some familiar elements but also presented new ones, and the children and adults present sang some familiar songs from the hymnal and learned some new ones, too. Overall, there seemed to be the right combination of familiarity and innovation, seriousness and fun in every activity, from beginning to end.
We pray that, from the seeds planted, God will bring forth fruits of faith in the lives of these children! To Him alone be the glory!
Immediately after the Opening each night, Arcele Wilburn and her daughters Connie and Brandi served everyone present a light dinner, with a dessert for the children that related to the main Bible story of the day. Here, Arcele explains the lesson connection on the second night, as Mikaela Haufler prepares to ask a question.
As part of the “Bible Breakaway” that applied the main Bible story, leader Barbara Wuthrich on the second night re-enacts Moses’s intercession for the Israelites. The children learned how, just as Moses lifted up a snake in the wilderness to save the people by faith, so God sent Jesus from above to be lifted up on the cross to save us by faith.
The “Bible Breakaway” time each night included a skit. On the third night, the skit enacted the account of Paul and Silas and the Philippian Jailor, who, along with his whole family, was given birth from above through the water and Word of Holy Baptism. The cast for the skits consisted of Sallye Key, Josey Land, and Grace and Hannah Morton.
With Holy Baptism a main focus of the 2013 Higher Things VBS curriculum, the children learned and reviewed the four questions and answers about Holy Baptism that make up Part IV of Luther’s Small Catechism. Their Catechism Time was conducted by “Nick the Doctrine Detective”, played by Danny Sampson, shown here on the first night.
Like any good VBS, Pilgrim’s included time each night for the children to play outside. Steven Sampson and Tim Jeffers led them in games that related to the main Bible story for the day. Here, on the first night, John Morton and Clay Ellis build a tower of cups that helped recall the Tower of Babel told of in Genesis 11:1-9.
Each night students made their own reminder of the day’s main Bible story. Craft time was led by Angela Sampson with the help of George A. Heil. Here, on the first night, Angela explains to the children how to make the paper Tower of Babel. The crafts were done from scratch, with supplies donated by the congregation.
