Day 2: Connect with Love

Another fun-filled day at VBS! We began with the Tourists and their Tour Guides gathered at the courtyard area just before they marched into Worship Rally at Times Square. Today’s Day 2 song is entitled “Love You More”. But everyone seems to just love our Big Apple Adventure theme song. Everyone was moving and shaking expressing God’s love to one another.

During Bible Study at Battery Park, Tourists learnt about how they can connect with love. They were told of a story of a woman who responds to Jesus with love. Like her, we can show great love to Jesus as well! Today’s Bible story is taken from Luke 7:36-38, 44-48.

Soon after, more adventures at the different rotation sites lay ahead for the Tourists at the Big Apple Adventure!

Midtown Snacks served Cityscape Waffles with toppings, Ice-cream and a yummy Chocolate drink. Mmm… so very appetizing – thanks to the aunties who prepared them.

Tourists at Playground 1017, challenged other teams in games called “Brooklyn Bridge” and “Loop-de-Loop”. At Music Backstage, Tourists learnt the fast and tricky actions to the upbeat melody of “Love You More”.

It was enlightening to hear about Chris Julian and Zoe Church at Missions Central. The both of them connected with college students with love by meeting with them in places where they regularly hang out. Christ’s love is reflected by the relationships built with the students. Likewise, the International Student Ministry (ISM) of FBC shows love to international students who are studying at nearby colleges.

At Crafts District, the craft of the day was the ‘Big Apple Ornament’. Included in every Tourists’ ornament is today’s Bible verse taken from 1 John 4:19 – We love because He first loved us.

There are many ways we can  show our love for Jesus. God’s love for us is unconditional demonstrated by sending Jesus to save us. Just like how Jesus loves us, we can also show His love to those around us, be it our friends, neighbours or even strangers.

VBS Family Day this coming Saturday (26 November)! Hope to see you and your parents there with us.

Till we grab a cab to the Big Apple again tomorrow! See you!

Day 1 photos

Day 1, a set on Flickr.

Day 1: Connect with Faith

It was a cool and nice morning as the 1^st day of Vacation Bible School 2011 – Big Apple Adventure, kicked off. Following the theme of one of the world’s famous tourist’s attraction, the children in VBS are known as Tourists, while the helpers are the Tour Guides.

All of the Tourists came in the morning with much excitement as they awaited the adventures ahead of them. Though the registration booths were chaotic, Tour Guides were able to group their Tourists together according to their classes and marched in to the Worship Rally at Times Square.

Here, we started off with singing the National Anthem and pledging to the Rukun Negara and the Bible. Tourists also got to sing and dance to the VBS theme song, “Big Apple Adventure” and Day 1’s song, “By Faith”.

Shortly after that, they were guided to their respective classes for Bible Study at Battery Park. Today, they read and studied a Bible story from Matthew 8:5-13. It is about how a Centurion acted in Faith. Tourists also learnt that they too can connect with faith.

Throughout the day, Tourists went to various rotation sites when the VBS Bell rang. At Crafts District, Tourists had a creative time making the ‘Faith Cityscape Foldout’ to remind them that they can always have faith in Jesus Christ. 

It was definitely a fun time of recreation at Playground 1017. Tourists were filled with energy as they played a game called ‘Lost in New York’. Some of them were blind folded and they were to have faith in their friends to guide them through obstacles. 

Meanwhile at Music Backstage, Tourists were taught of the steps to the song “By Faith”. 

At Missions Central, Tourists were introduced to Ben Hayes who showed faith in God to start a church in the Houston Medical Centre area. Through this, many people in that medical community are hearing about Jesus. Similarly, our home grown missionary Anita Loi shared her courage and faith in God to minister to the kids in Cambodia.

Snack time at Midtown Snacks smelt so good as Tourists got a taste of the delicious ManHOTten Dog along with Jesus Trail Mix and Playground Punch.

All throughout the day, Tourists and Tour Guides were reminded that we can have faith in Jesus and as it  is stated in the Bible; So, faith comes from what is heard,  and what is heard comes through the message about Christ (Romans 10:17).

See all of you again tomorrow on the second day at the Big Apple Adventure!

VBS Deco

VBS Deco, a set on Flickr.

Attention:

*Children registration has CLOSED.

All VBS volunteers:

- If you did NOT attend Meeting on 24/9, please collect your VBS materials from the VBS Desk.

- FINAL BRIEF MEETING for all VBS volunteers is next Saturday, 19^th November 2011 from 2:00-5:00pm. Attendance is mandatory.

All parents of children attending VBS:

Your child's letter of confirmation for VBS and assigned class is ready for collection from the VBS Table. Please also collect the letters for your child's Passport(s).

CHURCH PRAYER WALK

There will be a Prayer walk next Sunday, 20^th November 2011 at 1:00pm (after 2^nd service) around our Church grounds for protection and blessings of children and visitors during VBS Week.

NEW YORK is a City of eight million people who speak hundreds of languages and represents many different cultures. In this city teeming with people and vibrant cultures, our Creator, God knows each and every person there by name. He wants to CONNECT each and every person there with His son, Jesus Christ.

This is the exciting destination and theme for our Vacation Bible School (VBS) this year. Jesus connected with many people; He encountered with people who demonstrated their faith, their love and their trust. By His own example, we are challenged to reach out to all walks of people and to all nations. We are commissioned to be missionaries to the world.

Today, we are missionaries and we need only to walk across the street to meet and share with our own neighbours. We are to connect our faith and our life, just like the characters in the Bible who came to cross-roads in their life - and they stepped out in faith to make a personal connection with Jesus Christ. Syabas to many of you who are already doing this every year for VBS!

This year's VBS theme also challenges our Church to CONNECT with people and seeks us to do more. The lyrics of the first day's song By Faith reminds us to obey and walk in God's ways. As the children learn about faith and God's love, they will also come to realise that their task is to obey God. They are to tell others about Him and bring glory to Him in everything that they say and do.

Most exciting is our Missions’ curriculum where the children will witness missionaries at work and how to be like them. Wow! Sounds like something that not only kids should do but what each and every one of us should be doing.

Every year we say that our VBS is an evangelistic one as our Sunday School children are required to bring a “Passport” and we share the message of Jesus with children from unchurched families. This year's VBS theme appears to question why we say our VBS is evangelistic.

Is it enough to just invite children from unchurched families? The VBS curriculum and the songs we are singing in our heads urge us to do more than that. Live it out! Shout it out! We are to step out in faith and to share the message of Jesus with everyone around.

If you have not been able to sign up as a volunteer for VBS this year, please partner us in our evangelistic quest on Saturday, 26th November when we hold our VBS Family Day. Bring your child's “Passport” and the “Passport's” family to our Church.

Seek opportunity to share God's message and your faith with the unchurched family. For... faith comes from what is heard and what is heard comes through the message about Christ; Romans 10:17. (VBS 2011 Scripture)


Blessings, 
VBS 2011 Committee

High 5! photos

High 5! Share Your Faith Workshop, a set on Flickr.

Share Your Faith Workshop by Art Hallet