Our VBS children didn’t want to go home. We closed our “Block Party” VBS this past week with a lawn party that persisted into the darkness. Children raced across the lawn, chasing bubbles and beach balls, while clinging to new friendships and renewed friendships. Anyone passing on Thorn Street would have seen children who felt loved, safe, valued, and free, and a little sticky from the ice cream and watermelon.
In the Spring, we chose “Building God’s Community” as our goal. Across four days in August, we built a new corner of God’s community with children and youth from 8 school systems, including 4 middle schools and 3 high schools. The groups (preschoolers through middle-schoolers) shared a glorious version of “Build Your Kingdom Here” for families in the Simpson Room, then spilled onto the lawn to celebrate.
The VBS leadership team would like to thank a hands-on team of more than 40 volunteers who poured their hearts into building this community. We thank Pastor Hannah and the Leadership Board for the encouragement and freedom and trust they provided. We thank the marketing team. We thank the decorating team. We thank the Guardians. We thank Elizabeth P. for assisting in so many ways. We thank all who contributed school supplies for our mission project, or Legos, blocks, and cardboard boxes to meet our other needs. We thank the squad leaders. We thank the storytelling, music, workshop, recreation, registration, and snack teams. We thank the preschool and middle school teams. Preschool and middle school have grown every year since the pandemic. Our volunteers demonstrated the commitment, courage, teamwork and action we were teaching to the children. We thank our siblings at St. Matthews AME Zion and St. Paul’s Lutheran churches of Sewickley. We thank God for this opportunity to see and share God’s love with an enchanting group of children and youth and a passionate, tireless, creative team of volunteers. We are blessed.