Summer of Vacation Bible School Concludes Co-Op Effort

A summer-long effort to educate the area's youth about the virtues of Christianity concluded this week at in Rancho Santa Margarita.

Part of a seven-church co-op that shared stage sets, props and scripts for a common theme—"Pandamania: Where God Is Wild About You"—Stonecreek hosted about 60 children last week as the "tour" came to an end. 

Dubbed “Pandamania 2011,” the traveling tour featured impressive jungle-themed sets, songs and activities aimed at presenting the Bible’s lessons with an entertaining and understandable approach. The students, ages 3 to 12 years old, greeted the lessons with enthusiasm.

“These kids are having an awesome time,” Stonecreek VBS coordinator Julie Cerovac said during Friday’s events. “They really enjoy the lessons and you see them singing the songs they’ve learned throughout the day, even after they’ve headed home. The impact on them is easy to see.”

Although the theologies may differ a little, the co-op is one of the great examples of churches working together despite the differences.

Stonecreek Church followed the Bridge Church, Trabuco Presbyterian Church, the Foothills Church and Mission Hills Church of Rancho Santa Margarita; along with Saddleback Covenant Church and Crossroads Community Church of Mission Viejo in the seven-church summer co-op.

Stonecreek joined the VBS effort this summer after the other six churches incorporated a “Sail the High Seas” theme last year.

About 30 volunteers helped guide the children through their daily events at Stonecreek. Many were teens stepping into mentorship roles for the first time. The teenage volunteers helped lead each of Stonecreek’s five separate groups of kids: the Silly Snakes, Playful Pandas, Black Panthers, Spotted Leopards and Mighty Monkeys. 

“One of the coolest things I’ve seen about the program this week is that so many of the volunteers are youths from our church,” Cerovac said. “They’ve been tremendous role models for the kids, and that has been a great thing for them.”

As usual, volunteers of all ages played an integral role for the VBS, which touched more people than ever this year. Estimates are that about 2,400 combined volunteers and children were involved in the seven-church summer effort. 

As the tour moved from church to church since June, it offered each congregation an opportunity to rejoice and reflect on their shared spiritual beliefs through theater, celebration and creative talent. 

Bridge Church member and VBS volunteer Jack Leonard, who played a large role in the VBS presentations with a background in stage lighting and theater production, said the increasing impact of VBS is apparent.

“Music and theater is a powerful influence, especially on young people,” Leonard said. “That’s why I think this program works so well. It encourages participation and gives children something they’ll remember for a very long time.”

When local churches first collaborated for VBS four years ago, The Bridge initially welcomed 60 students for the week-long, lesson-filled program. This year, the church brought in 200 children. 

That number is an all-time high according to Leonard, who hopes to see similar rapid improvement across the board as time moves on. 

“Hopefully attendance will grow at Stonecreek just as it did at the Bridge,” Leonard said. “We love seeing VBS make more of an impact with each year.”

Leonard cites Neil Blais, a member of Rancho Santa Margarita's first City Council, as a driving force behind the development of VBS. Although Blais has recently relocated to Texas, his effort continues to show and flourish each summer. 

Brainstorming has already begun about next summer’s theme. Meetings this winter will focus on finalizing the plans for another year of VBS, which promises to attract ever-increasing participation and awareness.

"The goal is to make a lasting impression on as many children as we can," Leonard said. "It takes a lot of effort from many people, but it's well worth it."