Libby Christian VBS attracts 180 daily

Friday was was the final day of this summer’s vacation bible camp at the Libby Christian Church, where nearly 200 children spent the first sunny week of summer with friends. 

This year marks Vacation Bible School’s 50th year.This year’s theme named the summer camp “Kingdom Rock - where kids learn to Stand Strong for God.”

Camp Director Sharon Brossman was excited to bring on a few guest staff members this year, four collegiates from Boise Bible College. Those who are serving through the Northwest include Nathan Gemeinhart, Danielle Alexander, Joe Harper and Jackie Bellamy.

These four volunteers helped direct in activities while assisted in others. Gemeinhart led the entire school via guitar through songs to be performed at noon on Friday  before the last lunch. After this week, the volunteers will continue on to support a Bible school in Milton-Freewater, Ore.

This year, program stations were spread into varied rooms, supervised by staff members with a full lesson plan. In one room, the “Imagination Station” was led by Steve and Patty Johnson along with Loni Vannice, who taught applications of science in a religious context.

Younger camp-goers had snacks and viewed movies that taught daily lessons and provided short discussion questions.

Another group spent the day constructing arts and crafts to be sent to Ethiopia, for a mission trip a handful of staff members will be taking in November. 

Their contact in North Africa, “Christian Missionary Fellowship,” will guide them through new Vacation Bible Schools, much like Libby’s program, and visits to hospices around the region to help aid people in need. The Libby community support showed in donations brought in by children, and measured in pounds.

Older attendees (fifth through eighth grade) enjoyed several outdoor activities including hiking, archery, and zip-lining. Physical exercise and fun was a staple of this year’s program, as kids could be seen doing jumping-jacks and stretching before taking on the next activity.

Brossman attributed much of the summer camp’s success to support from other churches and organizations around the community, to make the Vacation Bible School program worth going 50 years strong.

“When I look at enrollment in schools,” Brossman said, “I feel like we get to reach a good percentage of them.”