A new kind of Bible School!
What is Community Vacation Bible School (or CVBS for short)? CVBS reverses the standard model of VBS; insead of doing a children's program within the walls of the church we take the message of God's love for the world in Jesus Christ out into our communities. Every year nearly 600 children attend one of over three dozen sites to sing songs, dance, play games, do crafts, and most importantly hear stories from the Bible about who God is and what God has done for us. Spirit & Life has partnered in CVBS since our inception.
We do CVBS with 8 partner churches and the theme for 2019 is "In the Wild". "In the Wild" will involve encounters with Jesus - in the temple with 12 year old Jesus, at the river when Jesus is baptized, on the water when Jesus deals with the storm, at the tomb with Jesus, on the road with risen Jesus.
CVBS people are missionaries: adult and teen and tween volunteers and child participants (rising kindergarteners through rising 5th graders). They help the people they meet encounter Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Everyone, at Spirit and Life is encouraged to prayerfully consider how he or she will serve in this mission field. The opportunities abound: praying for all aspects of CVBS, helping with the enormous preparation at "Mission Mondays" or at "Craft Pack" or "Snack Pack" days, being part of the local mission 24-28 June or at one of the area shelter or senior center sites, being part of one of the national mission events in Pennsylvania or Baltimore or Montana, being part of one of the international mission events in Ecuador or Jamaica or Ukraine, making material or cash donations to the program. It's totally WILD how God calls us to this!
FIRST - we identify Host Homes. A Host Home is a local site for CVBS. It is someone's front yard or driveway or deck. It's a place for children in the neighborhood to come to encounter Jesus. When you answer the call to be a Host Home you will have lots of help: a Host Home Assistant, a Bible Leader, a Worship Team (songs and motions), a Craft Team, a Recreation Team (games). The Host Home will do CVBS every day 24-28 June and the Host Home chooses the time of day (morning, afternoon, evening) and the 2-hour time for the kids to come. During the 2-hour daily event there will be an opening, Bible, crafts, games, worship songs, snack, closing. Host Home volunteers (and all volunteers) purchase a CVBS t-shirt, are Protecting God's Children certified (for all 14 years and older), and attend one 2-hour CVBS training. You get to be a missionary without ever leaving home :). The deadline to sign-up to be a Host Home is 01 May 2019. [There are Host Home Information Nights at All Saints Church Thursday, 25 April and Monday, 29 April, 7:30-8:30pm to learn more!]
Second - we plant the seeds of CVBS service. How is God calling you to CVBS? Would you like to be a Host Home Assistant? On a music team? On a craft team? On a games team? Anyone who is at least rising 6th grade is encouraged to be part of this! We will be forming tween and teen teams and they will need drive/coach adults to serve with them. Would you like to help with getting things ready for this mission? Mission Mondays at All Saints Church begin 11 March and are 10am-noon. Craft Pack Day is Friday, 17 May 9am-1pm and Snack Pack Day is Wednesday, 19 June 9am-1pm. Our children will be encouraged to attend CVBS as missionaries to help other kids learn about Jesus.
Donations - are critical to CVBS. There will be CVBS Coupons handed out on 12 May that will need to be back by 02 June. Cash donations are very welcome to help with the costs of giving the children Bibles and more. There are 2 fundraisers: All American Steak House Manassas is Tuesday, 18 Jun, 4-8pm (flyer required) and Nando's Peri Peri is Tuesday, 11 Jun, 4-9pm.
CVBS registration for all ages goes LIVE on Sunday, 12 May at communityvbs.org. There is no coast to children and all receive a CVBS shirt. Look for the link on our Spirit and Life website!
CVBS Trainings:
Thursday, 06 June, 7-9pm
Sunday, 09 Jun, 1am-noon
Monday, 10 June, 7-9pm
Wednesday, 12 Jun, 1-3pm
Thursday, 13 Jun, 7-9pm
Monday, 17 Jun, 7-9pm
Commissioning Sunday will be 23 June and Celebration Sunday will be 30 June.
Contact Janice Chipman with questions/concerns/ptls at jlchipman@aol.com.