This article is an excerpt from the Summer 2024 Parish News, for the full issue, please click here
Foundation of Faith: A Legacy of Service
I was seven when I went to my first Vacation Bible School at a little church in South Carolina. I remember details like being in awe of the teenager who accompanied our camp songs on guitar, my macaroni ark and matchstick cross, games on the lawn while dodging sudden thunderstorms, and sweet treats the likes of which we rarely got at home. I remember seeing Bible stories come to life with colorful props and youthful actors in bright costumes. I also remember the little house we built on sand falling down while the one we firmly attached to rocks stood the entire week. On the last day, my VBS teacher gave me a palm-sized New Testament, a little white book with hundreds of tiny pages that crinkled when I turned them. She had written my name on the first page in INK. Growing up with three older brothers, I was thrilled to have something of my own. More than 50 years later, I still have it.
People often ask why I volunteer at Metuchen’s summer VBS even now that my kids are grown. I’m simply paying it forward, bringing that summer escape to a new generation, hopefully showing through VBS that religious education can be fun, that here at First Presbyterian, we enjoy sharing our faith with hospitality and creativity. Through VBS we strive to give families an opportunity to learn about how our church serves the community, to welcome people of all faiths and to provide our youth with meaningful opportunities for leadership and personal growth.
I imagine a future where the children of today’s VBS return as adult leaders, bringing their own children. That’s a life built on a solid foundation. — Julie Walton Shaver