St. Alphonsus' Vacation Bible School

Children discovered the wonders of God’s universe while learning God’s love and earthly mission for them dwell inside their hearts during St. Alphonsus Church’s  in Greenwell Spring’s vacation Bible school on June 14–18. 

Themed “To Mars and Beyond,” 130 children were “voyagers” on a journey through space, exploring where God’s power can take them. 

Each morning the children assembled in “an outpost on Mars,” at the St. Alphonsus Family Center. Then they “lifted off to distant planets” on the church campus on special missions to collect power sources. 

Along the way, they heard how God walked with heroes of the Bible and that God is also with them. 

Each day had a theme: faith, boldness, kindness, thankfulness and hope. 

“One of the things we do at VBS is that each day is immersed in activities which emphasize the day’s theme. Kids need repetition,” said Elizabeth Norwood, director of adolescent formation at St. Alphonsus. 

Bible stories were read to emphasize the daily theme.

“All the stories from the Bible teach you about togetherness and faith, they help us to connect to those (virtues),” said fifth-grader Lola Hill, a member of St. Alphonsus.

Arts and crafts also provided a chance for children to express the faith lessons learned.

Sixth-grader and St. Alphonsus member Wesley Lipari said VBS “teaches you about the Bible stories in a fun and creative way.” His favorite Bible story was about Daniel in the lion’s den.

Other ways of creatively teaching and expressing the faith were upbeat music and songs, which especially inspired St. Alphonsus members Anna Claire Brummel, who is in seventh grade, and Micah Deville, who is in fifth-grade.

Brummel said, “I like the theme song (‘On Our Way to Mars’) because with everything going on, all the emphasis is on the Bible.”

“(My favorite song is) ‘Even When the Lion Roars’ because it shows us that God raises us to victory, no matter what,” said Deville.

Another popular activity was recreation time, from water balloon tosses outside to games in the “dark recesses of the galaxy illuminated by celestial objects” in the activity center. 

At the end of the day, the children regrouped in the family center to discuss what they learned and determine if they had collected enough power sources to continue their journey. From their responses they had an abundance of fuel, according to Norwood. 

On the last day of the VBS, the children presented a program to show their parents what they had experienced during the week.

“I’ve had parents tell me their kids can’t stop talking about (VBS),” smiled Norwood.

About 50 adults and youth volunteers accompanied the children on their voyage. Before each session began, they prayed together and talked about the day’s theme and what they would be doing.

She noted parents, many grandparents and St. Alphonsus parishioners were involved as well, donating a majority of the snacks and other needed items.

Teens also joined in, setting up the stage in the gathering place and doing tasks to help keep the VBS running smoothly.

“I’m impressed with how many teens were involved,” said Norwood. “It’s good to see the teens’ faith in action.”

For first-time volunteer Jackson Whitlow, a 10th grader at Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, his fond memories of attending VBS as a child prompted him to volunteer so other children could have the same experiences. 

“It is great working with the other teens. It’s always good to meet people and talk about your faith,” said Whitlow.

St. Alphonsus also reached out to the community by having a food drive for the church’s food pantry.

Because the VBS was open to everyone, it was also an evangelization tool, Norwood noted.

“It helps them to create a sense of community where they interact and support each other,” said Norwood.