Vacation Bible School Craft Ideas and Games

When children hear the word Vacation Bible School, they often dread the educational aspect of things. After all, what child wants to enter summer leaving one school for another? But what most children aren’t aware of are the number of entertaining games and activities offered through VBS programs.

Vacation Bible School programs create a structured learning environment in which young minds can learn about the Bible all while having fun. Listed below are some of the most creative games and craft ideas for children to take part in at Vacation Bible School.

Bible Jeopardy

Based off of the well-known Jeopardy Game Show on television, Bible Jeopardy allows children ages 7 to 11 to take part in a competitive trivia game. Participants will be separated into groups of three or four, with players from each team taking turns to answer questions worth 100 to 300 points. Each team will be equipped with a buzzer, which can be made in the form of a simple soda can filled with pebbles, nails, pennies or marbles. Each team’s buzzer should be equipped with something different in order to identify them separately. When a question is presented, the first team to buzz in and answer the question correctly will receive the designated amount of points. The team with the highest amount of points at the end of the game will win a prize.

Not only will Bible Jeopardy teach excited children the importance of teamwork, but it will enable them to stretch their minds and think critically about Bible-related trivia.

Memory Challenge

This memory challenge game tests participants’ retention of Bible verses. The object of the game is simple: Using a chalkboard, whiteboard or poster board, write the Bible verse with a few select words purposely missing. On another board, list the missing words, along with a few similar words to throw the participants off. The game can be played one-on-one, so that the first player to correctly fill in the missing words wins.

Children of all ages can join the fun of learning new verses and testing their memorization skills. 

Pin the Rock on the Goliath

This game takes the classic “Pin the Tail on the Donkey” concept and applies it to a well-known biblical tale. The object of the game is to get players to take a small ball of sticky tape and attempt to get it on Goliath’s forehead. Much like the donkey in the original game, Goliath will be a large, drawn figure mounted on a wall. Blindfolded and spun in circles, children will have a blast trying to find Goliath’s forehead. It is important to note that throwing should not be permitted in this game, but the real fun comes in the often-hilarious results.

This game is simple, quick and fun, and each child has a moment to shine and step in David’s courageous shoes.

Easy-to-Do Crafts

Although children love to get their hands dirty with arts and crafts, the messes they leave behind are not as fun. These easy-to-do craft ideas will still allow children to jump in colorful piles of glitter and glue, but the clean-up is sure to be minimal.

• VBS Crowns: Every child loves to feel like a prince or princess, a king or queen. Made easily with bulletin board borders and a handful of stick-on jewels, these crowns will be sure to make any child feel special. As an added learning tool, they can also be used when teaching a lesson about King Solomon, Jesus, David and others.
• Praise Mobile: Handwritten messages praising God will be strung on short, wooden dowels for all to see. Using colored cardstock paper, children can create various shapes on which to write heartfelt notes to God or about God. The idea behind this craft project is that praising God is a way of being closer to Him.

Children who join Vacation Bible School expect to have a lively, entertaining summer. With these various games and craft ideas in mind, VBS-goers will not only get educated in Bible teachings, but they are sure to have a great time!

Types of Study Bibles

If you would like to learn more about the Bible and what scriptures mean, you might consider reading a study Bible. There are many different types of study and devotional Bibles available that lead you through the Bible with specific reading plans or were written for a certain type of person. Below are some of the different types of devotional and study Bibles.

Devotional Bibles 

Devotional Bibles provide readers with more than just side notes and references. They are often filled with kind and inspiring words, and this type of Bible aims to target such material to a specific group, whether that group consists of women, men, seniors or educators. Devotional Bibles are often viewed as healing instruments, for they provide words of wisdom, powerful advice and uplifting ideas.

Parallel Bibles 

Parallel Bibles are practical and resourceful in the way they are used to help readers understand terms that can be difficult to follow. A parallel Bible can carry as many as four translations within its pages, enabling the reader to easily compare two or more versions of the Bible in the same language. This tool is especially useful because it allows the reader to see where differences occur in each version’s translations, creating room for further study and understanding.

Parallel Bibles are most commonly arranged to have the collective works of the King James, the New King James, the New International and the New Living Versions.

  

One Year Bibles 

One Year Bibles take readers through the Bible in just one year’s time. This type of Bible has mass appeal for it comes in a variety of editions. Despite the number of various One Year Bibles, the idea behind each one is the same: to help readers meet the daily challenges of life through valuable biblical teachings and logical lessons. For each day in the year, readers are introduced to short, significant passages from the Bible, enabling them to absorb God’s Word in a fresh, creative manner.

Rainbow Study Bibles 

The Rainbow Study Bible is perhaps the best study tool for those who are new to or less experienced in reading the Bible. This type of Bible was designed for those specific readers in mind, and it is the perfect tool for beginners. To make reading the Bible an easy, fulfilling experience, the Rainbow Study Bible uses a color-coding system designated by topic. Some variations of the Rainbow Study Bible feature color-coded verses for memorization, colorful maps and calendars, easy-to-use reference guides.

Chronological Study Bibles 

The Chronological Study Bible allows readers to grasp the teachings of the Bible from a unique perspective. Readers will feel as though they are being taken on a journey that starts at one point and ends at another. The Chronological Study Bible allows readers to study scripture in the actual order of the events that happened. By studying such events chronologically, readers are given a stronger sense of history and a greater appreciation for the lessons of God.

There’s no such thing as the “right” Study Bible. The one that best suits your needs might not be the best one for someone else, but so long as you are learning and living under the Word of God, you’re in good hands. 

Significance of Church Candles

Church Candles

The interior of each and every church is unique and varied in one way or another. However, most churches encompass similar features typically found at other locations: a wide altar, wooden pews, glass stained windows, and religious artwork and statues. But perhaps the most notable similarity between churches is the ubiquitous presence of church candles.

Offered in a variety of shapes and sizes, candles have been used frequently in churches to serve a number of different purposes and events, including fellowship services, candle light ceremonies, communion, baptisms and weddings. The use of church candles has traditionally been to provide light and rid the world of all darkness, but the significance they hold has come to be much deeper than just that.

Church candles can signify unity, such as the unity of a religious group or a pair of newlyweds. When members of a congregation participate in a ceremony that involves candle-lighting, it is an expression of their commitment to God and their Christian walk. A bride and groom who light a single candle during their wedding ceremony are not only conveying their love for one another, but the union and bond they now share. This is a way for them to demonstrate that symbol to everyone in attendance.

This everlasting bond is why the church candle has also been viewed as a symbol of love. The radiant light of a church candle generates a feeling of warmth. Such heat can resonate within a newly married couple, whose life together is symbolized by the glowing flame of the candle: though sometimes painful, it is mostly warm and kind.

Church candles are additionally viewed as objects of truth. The flame of the candle serves as a guide to those who are lost on their way to understanding the Word of God. The strength of the flame lies in its ability to fight away all darkness, which represents all the evils of the world, including ignorance, fear and death. These evils can sometimes lead truth seekers down a path of wrong-doing and disbelief, but the church candle illuminates said path, guiding believers to goodness and truth about God.

The church candle carries a variety of different spiritual and symbolic meanings. While the flame of the church candle burns brightly to fight off the darkness, it also serves as a significant symbol of faith. Candles that are lit in church are an expression of worshippers’ praise and admiration for God. Jesus himself is known as the light of the world, and the use of church candles can remind us that Jesus is always present. Believers carry the light of Christ with them and they absorb the heat of the fiery glow as constant reminder of God’s love. 

Candles are a ubiquitous presence in church. No matter when or how they are used, church candles have come to mean something significant to each and every believer. Not only do they provide light and warmth, but their beauty and radiance serve to remind believers of God’s work and His love.