By Sallie Bachar
Catholic Herald correspondent

Vacation Bible School takes off

RIB LAKE -- The cluster parishes of St. John the Baptist, Rib Lake, welcomed approximately 20 youngsters, ranging in age from 4 to 11 years, to a week-long vacation Bible school held July 30 to Aug. 3. The school, now in its eighth year, is open to anyone regardless of denomination, however, only children from the cluster parishes attended this year.

Velma Mann, a member of St. John Parish, has served as coordinator of the program since 1996. It is staffed by several adults and youth. Some of them, like Ella Guy, the "Koolaid Lady" who prepares and serves the refreshments, have been volunteering since the school started.

The curriculum is based on a study guide called "Son Zone Discovery Center." Said Velma, "It was chosen in the beginning when we had children from other faiths attending because it is a nondenominational program." The parish has continued using it because it is easy for the volunteers to facilitate.

Using the theme of a rocket ship to capture the children's attention and imagination, the planner and study guide provided detailed props of a spaceship, control center and laboratory. Lana Thums, a volunteer for the last six years, spent many hours constructing the props out of large cardboard boxes. A timeline then illustrated God as the beginning and Creator of the universe with Jesus, the Son as the center. The spaceship presented the children with a fun way of discovering God.

Each morning opened with a skit that related to the lesson for the day, beginning with the story of creation and focusing on why we are here. The lessons continued with the questions of why bad things happen, what God is like in the person of Jesus and why Jesus had to die.

The teachers provided music, arts, crafts and games all related to the lesson of the day and the activities were geared toward the different age groups and their levels of understanding.

On the last day the children celebrated Mass with their families and enjoyed a picnic lunch afterwards. "Even the dads stopped in for a hot dog and older and younger siblings came for the fun too," said Velma.

In the first year the parish conducted the bible school 94 children were enrolled, coming from communities beyond the cluster parishes. The enrollment has since dropped throughout the years, Mann said, as the schools and communities offer other summertime activities for children and as parents' time becomes more limited.

Fr. John Long, pastor, was very pleased with the attendance, saying that families from all the cluster parishes participated in the bible school. He even got involved in the fun and made T-shirts for all the students.

Besides the volunteer teachers, parents and other adults drop in to help out also as well as teens looking for service hours and other youth who come just because they like to help. "The older kids take care of the younger ones and it's kids helping kids," commented Velma. "It's really a neat thing."

"The kids are here because they want to be," she said, "not because they have to and that is what makes it so much fun."

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© Superior Catholic Herald, 2001