Inter-America’s New Vacation Bible Program Explores ‘A World in Miniature with Giant Lessons’

 March 10, 2023 | Miami, Florida, United States | Libna Stevens, Inter-American Division News

The Inter-American Division (IAD) recently unveiled its new Vacation Bible Experience program during an online workshop training this week.  The one-hour workshop was held for directors, teachers and volunteers throughout the Spanish-speaking regions of the Inter-American Division (IAD) territory who will run Inter-America’s Vacation Bible Experience (VBE) this summer.

VBE is an annual church event which seeks to reaffirm bible principles and values for children and adolescents. This year’s VBE, themed “A World in Miniature, Giant Lessons,” will feature metaphorical lessons from five insects, designed to teach values drawn from the story of Moses. There will also be crafts, games and other activities.

Workshops in English and French will be held on Sunday, March 12, 2023.

“We are so excited to present this evangelistic program to children and adolescents in our churches and the community highlighting five amazing insects that teach numerous lessons that can help them in their life,” said Edith Ruiz, children and adolescent ministries director for the IAD.

“Our goal is to connect children and adolescents to the Word of God and guide them to fall in love with God’s creations, even the insects, who have a purpose and teach us many lessons,” she said.

The comprehensive VBE program includes themed shirts, pencil packs, an official patch, the instructor’s manual, and other resources available to order, said Ruiz. “Most unions have put in their orders and will soon receive the materials to prepare and train across their conferences and congregations for the bible experience this summer,” she said.

The online workshop, produced at the IAD headquarter office in Miami, Florida, featured 13 children and adolescent ministries leaders from several unions in the IAD. The trip provided the leaders with an opportunity for networking and a better grasp of the activities planned for the VBE.

Raiza Ramírez, children and adolescent ministries director in the West Venezuela Union territory, said it was important to learn this year’s VBE firsthand.

“This theme is going to be so interesting and attractive to so many of our children in the community,” she said.  Ramirez said the annual program is not only a big hit across Adventist churches and small groups, but also in schools run by other denominations and many public schools.

“We have also used [VBE] to get to communities that do not have any Adventist presence by working closely with personal ministries leaders to target unentered areas. “Through VBE programs, we have a plan where food, clothing and school supplies are distributed thanks to the many donations we receive from parents and church members,” Ramirez said.

VBE brings about a ray of hope to thousands of children throughout Haiti that are faced with many challenges including church and school closings due to violence and political unrest throughout the country, said Jeannine Extrat, children and adolescent director of the Haitian Union.

“For the past few years since the pandemic we have had to provide our workshops online because many of our churches are not able to open or gather children for the summer program but we are managing to be as creative as possible,” said Extrat. One of the challenges is obtaining decorative and craft materials to illustrate the theme, she said, but teachers manage to do the best that they can with what’s available for the churches that can hold in-person VBE programs.

“Our role in this work is to encourage each of the conference, mission and local church leaders involved in the VBE program to hold firm in the faith and cling to God to continue to impress in the minds of children and adolescents the bible truths that will carry them through in their lives,” Extrat said.

“We have a great opportunity to guide children, and in turn their parents, to create better ways of overcoming challenges, persevering and serving others in their path,” Ruiz said.

The VBE workshops for all three languages are available to watch online

 

In Spanish, click HERE

In English, click HERE  (available March 10, 2023)

In French, click HERE  (available March 10, 2023)