By Jill Easterling–

It is VBS time again and the kids of Johnson United Methodist Church in Norton, Ohio spent a fun filled week stepping back in time to the days when Jesus was a kid. The church and the Family Life Center were transformed into Hometown Nazareth
complete with a Jewish market surrounded by palm trees and an old stone house where Jesus’s lived as a child.

Each night the children would learn what it was like to live in Nazareth when Jesus was just a kid and the world did not yet know that he was sent by God to save us. Visits to the market would involve interacting with the market vendors selling their goods that included pottery, plants, carpentry items, stones from the rock quarry and period food including flat bread, cheeses, fruit, nuts and honey.

After the market everyone would create fun filled crafts and play games that helped everyone learn their bible verses that would be recited to the Rabi’s for blessings. But no trip to Nazareth would be complete without visiting Mary’s house to learn about the exciting events going on at Jesus’s home as Mary graciously dealt with her neighbor Eunice who didn’t believe that Jesus was anyone special.

The children at VBS Hometown Nazareth love to help others. This year the classes were divided up into twelve tribes that competed to raise money for Dorie’s Promise in Guatemala. In the end we raised over $1000 for Dories Promise.

We had a great time at the VBS BBQ letting the wining tribe have the first throws at the dunk tank where the line was long to get wet on a hot Sunday afternoon. The blessings of this fun filled week where all around us as seen in the faces of the children and adults basking in the warm glow of the Holy Spirit. Everyone was lifted up to a higher purpose and shared their giving nature with those close to our hearts in a home called Dorie’s Promise.

See all the tribes on our Flickr page.