The Vacation Bible School (VBS) remains an important outreach for Hope Church and is the main Sunday school event for the year. Once again we were privileged to have Bro Hai Seng Lim from Ebenezer BP Church, Melbourne as the main speaker, who spoke to the older children (age 5-12). Some of you know that Bro Hai Seng has a Sketch and Tell ministry. For this year’s VBS, he used these graphic art skills to speak on the broad theme of heaven, and specifically on what heaven was like and the parables of the sower, the Rich Young ruler, the Rich Man and Lazarus and the parable of the talents. The children were kept rapt by his quick skillful drawing of a number of characters within these parables using the iPad and projector, as well as his own YouTube videos.

 

Each year for VBS we have a missionary story in addition to the main Bible stories. This year the Sunday school leadership chose the life story of Sis Corrie Ten Boom for the missionary story. Some of you would know that Sis Corrie was a Dutch lady who hid the Jews during World War 2 and was imprisoned in a German Concentration Camp for her support of the Jews. She lost her father and sister to the German prison and concentration camp. After the war, the Lord used her mightily to reach out and forgive her enemies, even the concentration camp guard who had hit her sister. The children learnt a number of important scriptural truths from her life: lessons of courage, disobeying wrong laws, resilience in face of great hardship/fear of death, and ultimately forgiveness of her enemies. A parallel program on the same topics of Heaven and Corrie Ten Boom was given by a number of Sunday School teachers to the younger children (aged 2-5). The children were greatly blessed also by the music ministry, crafts and games that were organized daily (despite the inclement weather!).

 

There were about 23-29 children that  attended for the five days, and in total more than 35 children attended for at least one day. All attendees were greatly blessed and a selection of testimonies from the children is reproduced below.  We thank the Lord for the many teachers, helpers, and refreshment/lunch providers who continue to serve the Lord faithfully through this vital ministry. May God bless your service for Him. Indeed it is more blessed to serve rather than be served. Can I also encourage others within the church to take some time off work (even if one day) during next year’s VBS (mid July) to come and serve in this part of children’s ministry. Please plan early - we need more people to help out. I am sure that you will be blessed richly by the Lord.

 

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Cor 15: 58

 

Bro Joseph Selvanayagam

 

Children’s Testimonies

 

I learnt about heaven. The rich man went to Hell. Lazarus went to Heaven. He knew Jesus. I liked the craft. Joash (4)

 

I enjoyed watching the movie of Corrie Ten Boom. The hiding place was really awesome. Enoch (8)

 

The Corrie Ten Boom story is a great story of faith to keep you going if you are in any problems. Thoko (11)

 

I enjoyed learning parables and the missionary story. I learnt about heaven. Nikola (10)

 

I enjoyed the missionary story about Corrie Ten Boom and how she protected God’s people. I liked the games. I learned what happened in the parable of rich young ruler. Jeshua (9)

 

I really enjoyed the missionary story on Corrie Ten Boom. My favourite parable was the Parable of the sower.  I learnt that you have to forgive people even if they harm you. William (10)

 

I liked the story hiding place because it is about forgiveness and that God has a plan for all of us. Shruti (10)

 

I learnt many things during the VBS week. One of the amazing stories I heard was about Corrie Ten Boom – I learnt how brave she was and that her sister told her that God had a plan for her life and that she would get out of prison before the year finishes. We found out that God kept his promise. Shefali (12)

 

Things I liked about VBS: Corrie Ten Boom story, The Lord is preparing a place for me in heaven. VBS was good because you can make new friends and learn more about God and Jesus. Vina (9)

 

I loved going to VBS and learning about Heaven. The Corrie Ten Boom story was my favourite part of VBS. I liked how God even used the fleas in the camp. Grace (7)

 

I liked the story of Corrie Ten Boom. I also liked the parables of Rich young ruler and Rich man and Lazarus. Lizzie (8)

 

 

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14 Bedford Square, Colonel Light Gardens, South Australia 5041