by Cori Hilsgen
news@thenewsleaders.com
Who are your heroes? Children from the area recently learned about heroes in their lives.
More than 100 children from the St. Joseph area gathered for a week of Vacation Bible School from July 30-Aug. 3 at Resurrection Lutheran Church. They spent the week studying about God’s heroes in the church.
Children, ages 4 years old through sixth grade, learned about faith through this year’s theme of “Hero Central – Discover your strength in God.”
Vacation Bible School participants learned about how God’s heroes have heart, courage, wisdom, hope and power to do good deeds and seek peace in the world. The participants learned by daily rotating activity-stations during the five days.
The main hero verse was “Do good! Seek peace and go after it” (Psalm 34:14b).
Vacation Bible School activities included Bible stories, music, snacks, games, crafts and science experiments relating to the theme.
Organizers Marian Bach and Laura Gorder from the Church of St. Joseph catholic church, Rachel Kuebelbeck from Resurrection Lutheran Church, and the Rev. Bruce and Joy Tessen, husband and wife from Gateway Church, coordinated the event with many area volunteers.
Bach said participants discovered the meaning of the attributes of heroes and how they can make a difference in the church and world.
For her, Vacation Bible School is always an exciting time with children and volunteers gathering from the three churches.
“It truly is an ecumenical endeavor that illustrates the joy of working together,” Bach said.
“What a great opportunity to reach so many children with good news of the Gospel,” said the Rev. Bruce Tessen. “Each (year) seems to get better and better. It was truly an honor to be the Bible Story teacher again.”
Each day, participants called the supersonic shuttle crew – a video with Captain Shield (Bach) and Flame the puppet (volunteer Susan Curtis) where the two reiterated the message of the day.
The group’s service project included donating to local heroes, such as personnel in the police and fire departments, first-responders and the Stearns County Sheriff’s department. Families and participants were encouraged to bring in items to help create appreciation packages. Participants filled more than 100 packages with a few treats, other items and a blessing.
A spirit meter monitored how much participants donated each day. During the last closing celebration, participants prayed over the packages – a prayer of thankfulness and safety for all those who serve the area.
Kuebelbeck said the children really collected a lot for the heroes and they were very excited about doing so.
“It’s wonderful to have the heroes have a presence here at Vacation Bible School,” Kuebelbeck said. “The spirit meter was a fun illustration of how when we come together with God at the center, we can do amazing things.”
Several area heroes, including members of the St. Joseph Police Department and the St. Joseph Fire Department, attended events of the week to represent their presence in the area to the children.
“The students asked thoughtful questions which the officers answered with sincere honesty and tact,” Kuebelbeck said.
This year, organizers created a preschool room for students who were 4 or 5 years old. This group did not rotate to the various stations, but spent the majority of their time in their own classroom. They did participate with the other students for each day’s opening and closing events.
“We were excited to offer this because younger students need more/less time to do tasks than their older peers,” Kuebelbeck said. “It was very well received by students, parents and volunteers.”
The preschool students received much of the same content at a more appropriate pace. Joy Tessen organized this group of participants.
Several children commented about their experience at Vacation Bible School.
“I know the people at Vacation Bible School work very hard to do this for us kids (to help teach us) to believe in God and build God’s Kingdom,” Gabby Gorder said.
“We get to play and collect things for our local heroes, the firefighters and policemen and -women,” Dawson Sieben said.
“I like the Vacation Bible School songs with actions and the different fun stations,” Jasmine Sieben said.
“I like story time the best because I learn the Bible stories,” Lauren Peters said. “I like the Vacation Bible School mottos like ‘do good,’ ‘seek peace’ and ‘go after it.'”
At the end of the week, participants received a hero’s activity book with a group photo on it.
More than 50 volunteers helped with the event. One volunteer, Joan Thralow, has been volunteering since Vacation Bible School first got started. She said in the beginning, when Resurrection Lutheran Church did not yet have a church, they held meetings at Colt’s Academy School, and Vacation Bible School was held under tents in Millstream Park in St. Joseph.
Thralow was a storyteller during the first years of Vacation Bible School. She first started volunteering because she brought her children and now she brings her grandchildren to the event.
Thralow, who lives in a patio home in St. Joseph, invites her grandchildren to come for cousin week during the day and then they all attend Vacation Bible School at night.
During one of the first years of Vacation Bible School, Thralow invited her neighbor, Darlene Bechtold, to also volunteer at the event. Bechtold has been volunteering almost as many years as Thralow.
Thralow said that as a Lutheran family, nobody had warned them what a Catholic-dominant area St. Joseph was when they first moved to town. Fortunately, they were made to feel very welcome by Bechtold, her husband, Herb, and their family, and by many other people.
This is the 34th year area churches have coordinated the Vacation Bible School event.
Children and volunteers gather Aug. 1 for music station during Vacation Bible School at Resurrection Lutheran Church.
Children, volunteers and St. Joseph police officers Eric Brutger and Celeste Walz join Pastor Bruce Tessen (front, right) during Bible Story at Resurrection Lutheran Church.
Organizers Rachel Kuebelbeck (left) and Joy Tessen (right) gather preschool Vacation Bible School participants Aug. 1 before they enter their room at Resurrection Lutheran Church.
St. Joseph police officers Eric Brutger and Celeste Walz (left) gather Aug. 1 outside at Resurrection Lutheran Church with participants and volunteers for snack time during Vacation Bible School.
Local firefighters Andy Loso, Shirlie Brill and John Prom (front, left to right) speak to children while Vacation Bible School coordinator Marian Bach (right) and others listen.
Vacation Bible School coordinator Laura Gorder welcomes participants to Hero Central activities held July 30-Aug. 3 at Resurrection Lutheran Church.
St. Joseph police officers Celeste Walz and Eric Brutger check the spirit meter which shows how much was donated to local heroes by Vacation Bible School participants.
