Christian Church Plans ‘Olympics’ VBS

Prairie Grove Christian Church will have an Olympics theme for its Vacation Bible School this year. Registration is at 6 p. m. Sunday, July 10, and VBS runs through July 14, going from 6:15-8:30 each evening.

The Opening Ceremony will be held Sunday night and also will be used as a family night to give an overview of planned activities for the week. Family night includes an Olympic Village with food from different cultures, games such as a javelin throw with pool noodles and inflatables.

A committee of church members writes the VBS curriculum each year, said Kim Kirschner.

“I think we like having something unique and different from the other churches out there,” Kirschner said, noting many churches use the same curriculum and this gives children something different to learn.

“We like to gear our lessons to what our students in Prairie Grove are dealing with,” she added.

She said selecting an Olympic theme was an easy choice with the 2016 Summer Olympics on tap to begin in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in August.

The Olympics’ theme will focus on Paul’s life, as told through the Bible, she said. Each evening, children will see a Bible drama and learn from a Bible lesson or story. This is reinforced through an object lesson using crafts and through snack time and game time.

One example, she said, is the Bible story from Acts 9 where Paul (known then as Saul) is blinded on his way to Damascus. The lesson from the story, she said, talks about having balance in your life and how it can be hard to balance everything.

VBS is open to children who are 4 years old through fifth grade. Junior high students in sixth- eighth grades go to their own program, geared for their age level.

The church usually has 250-300 children each year at its VBS week. Another 100 church members volunteer as teachers and in other roles. Others who helped write the curriculum include Kelsey Tibbit and Jennie Martin

The church is located at 611 Wayne Villines Road, phone number 479-846-4181.