As a mother, I’ll never forget the summer a few years back when my son returned home from a Vacation Bible School (VBS) camp at a local non-denominational church and asked “Mommy, why haven’t I been saved?”
If your children have ever attended a program at a bible-based church, perhaps you can relate to my experience. Vacation Bible Schools are wonderful, uplifting experiences that can enhance a child’s spirituality and social skills. However, for Catholic families and Catholic parishes, resources which provide a truly Catholic VBS experience may have been either non-existent or greatly limited in the past.
The creators of Growing With the Saints set out to create a VBS curriculum designed to meet the needs of Catholic parishes desiring to teach Catholic children the sacred traditions of our Church. With an emphasis on saints and sacramentality, Growing With the Saints set out to reach children with an experience that would be both entertaining and in line with Church teachings. Their program received an Imprimatur from the Diocese of Lafayette guaranteeing the accuracy of Catholic doctrine employed in the program.
I recently had the opportunity to review the complete Growing With the Saints program for 2006, entitled Saint Patrick and the Holy Trinity. The program, with a cost effective package price, contains all the elements necessary to run a truly Catholic Vacation Bible School in your parish this summer, with no hidden costs or surprises.
Program materials include a wide-ranging program overview outlining the five stage curriculum, which is designed for students of all ages from preschool through grade six. The comprehensive Coordinator’s guide is designed to help at every stage of the process, from the months prior to the VBS schedule to a complete post-program evaluation. Helpful forms as well as eye-catching reproducible clip art are included.
The meat of the VBS, the curriculum itself, is both trustworthy and informative in its teaching. I enjoyed the emphasis on teaching children not only the concepts of prayer and the Holy Trinity, but also on translating these teachings into our constant call to be Missionaries of the Word in our world. Relevant bible verses, activities, crafts, and even a “green themed” list of snack and beverage ideas are outlined in great detail, ensuring a high quality and fun VBS experience.
At the heart of any great VBS program is good music, and Growing with the Saints has included a wonderful, reproducible CD filled with 8 original compositions that are sure to get your little saints singing along.
My own children have graduated to the “youth helper” phase of VBS participation and I’m planning to present the Saint Patrick and the Holy Trinity to the Religious Education department in my home parish very soon. To ensure a successful VBS program for summer, now is the time to be researching a selecting a program. From the wonderful companion book entitled The Adventures of Saint Patrick, to the recipes for Shamrock Shakes, this program looks like a real winner and one that will provide our Catholic children with vacation memories and meaningful learning for years to come. For additional information on the program, visit www.growingwiththesaints.com or call 864-599-5697.
(Lisa M. Hendey is a mother of two sons, webmaster of numerous web sites, including www.catholicmom.com and www.christiancoloring.com, and an avid reader. Visit her at www.lisahendey.com for more information.)
