Each year a new theme comes alive at Notre Dame Church in Greeneville for the annual vacation Bible school.
This year the theme was “True North—Trusting Jesus in a Wild World.” Participants gathered each Wednesday evening in June to attend Mass, share a simple meal of Tundra Treats, and participate in Sing & Play Peak that included videos of animals native to Canada such as the sea otter, king crab, bear, eagle, and moose. Then they divided in groups as they traveled to different stations: Wild Bible Adventures, Glacier Games, Sticky Scripture, and Imagination Station, which included science experiments.
The main point for day one of VBS was “when we wonder, we can trust Jesus,” and the Bible story for the day was from Matthew 3, where John the Baptist prepares the way and baptizes Jesus. For day two, the theme was “when we feel alone, we can trust Jesus,” and the Bible story was from Matthew 6:25-33, where Jesus teaches about God’s love for us.
Day three’s main point was “when we feel powerless, we can trust Jesus,” and the Bible story was from Matthew 8:5-13, where a Roman officer trusts Jesus. Day four’s theme was “when we need hope, we can trust Jesus,” and the Bible story was from Matthew 26:47–28:8, where Jesus dies and rises again.
Each year the students attending the Notre Dame VBS participate in a service project, and this year it was for the Roby Fitzgerald Adult Center in Greeneville. They collected nonperishable items for the new “Miracle Market,” a food pantry for the community’s senior adults located at the center to assist seniors in supplementing basic food items.
The event concluded on the first Wednesday night in July with a potluck meal for families and plenty of water fun with wading pools, water balloons, water squirters, and a sprinkler.