Vacation Bible School

Children discover the G-Force in Seaford

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Learning the lessons in the Bible can be an overwhelming task, especially at the end of summer. Nevertheless, children were dancing, singing and laughing while they did so at the Seaford United Methodist Church. From Aug. 10-14, the church held its annual vacation Bible school with the theme “G-force” (God Force), which reminded children to act with God’s intentions in mind.

“We want the children to have fun and learn about God’s love for them,” said Director Isabella Cavaco. The G-Force theme was all about action, both on a biblical level and modern-day level. Children in pre-K through sixth grade were separated into groups based on vehicles, such as bikes or boogie boards. Each day was a different action with Monday as “move,” Tuesday as “act,” Wednesday as “care,” Thursday as “follow,” and Friday as “share.”

A typical day at vacation Bible school included opening and closing ceremonies with a show put on for the kids by Pastor Steven Knutsen and Chester the puppet. The rest of the day consisted of 25 minutes each at different stations, including the Bible nook, crafts, science and games, and a snack break.

“We try to build a biblical environment,” Cavaco said. She went on to explain how the crafts and science and games sections served to further the lessons learned in the Bible nook. An example included the tornado in a bottle the children made on Monday after learning about Moses’ journey out of Egypt. Kathy Colquhoun led the children in other methods of movement, including an exercise routine and a slinky demonstration.

Crafts also served to provide a metaphor for the biblical lessons, and allowed the children to release their creativity. Marge Steward led the children in coloring activities and craft-making throughout the week.

In addition to the station leaders, teenagers also volunteered to help out and make sure the children were learning and enjoying themselves. “I started working here ever since I could,” said Brooke Mortis, 17, of Wantagh. According to Mortis, teenagers could volunteer to work as soon as they were too old to attend.

She and her friend, Kristen Fowler, 16, of Seaford, described how they loved seeing the children get excited and scream and dance to the songs. “It’s great to see how they get comfortable,” Mortis said.

Friday ended with something more than the usual closing ceremonies. The day’s theme was “share” and children were able to do this with their parents as they sang songs and displayed what they learned all week.