This year's VBS theme, Galactic Blast - A Cosmic Adventure Praising God!, promised an out of this world experience learning all about God.  And once again this year our VBS leaders, volunteers, and kids made that promise a rousing success.  Over 70 kids learned about God and our place in the universe!  Everyone had an amazing time dancing to some wonderful music like "Galactic Blast," "Revolution," and "A-M-A-Z-I-N-G."  Each night the kids learned a different Praise Phrase - Our God is Wonderful, Our God is Incredible, Our God is Amazing, and Our God is Awesome - to which we always responded "PRAISE GOD!"  The kids got to hear some wonderful Bible stories from the following Bible passages:  Genesis 1:1-2:4, 1 Kings 19:4-18, John 4:1-42, and Luke 24:13-32.  Some wonderful crafts were made each night (even Pastor Rainey got his done with some help from the kids) including a bookmark, clapping hands, and a glow in the dark cross necklace.

In addition to the fun we had all week, the kids also participated in a mission project to raise money for victims of the tremendous flood that devastated so many people in the Bellevue community and throughout Nashville in May.  The goal was to raise at least $250, with the stretch target of reaching $500 (if the kids raised more than $500 then they got to throw water at our missions leader Ms. Kimberly).  Of course, the amazing kids were able to dig deep and come up with more than $500 that will all go to some of the families in our congregation that were displaced by the floods.  Congratulations to everyone for their enormous efforts to bring in so much to help out those in need.

Thank you so much to Ms. Gina for coordinating our VBS again this year, and to the many great volunteers that make this experience so wonderful year after year.  It is only though the great efforts of so many that we are able to provide this amazing ministry to the children of the community.  Thanks also to all the wonderful children that attended this year.  Your smiling faces are such a blessing to our congregation and we cherish our fun times with you each summer.  We invite everyone to visit our congregation any time to join us in the blessings that God has bestowed on us.