Economies of scale can apply to Vacation Bible School — it takes just as much preparation to bring a quality program to 14 children as it does to 150, according to Angela McGraw, youth leader at First Christian Church in Pratt.
So next week, four churches will unite to reach that larger number, some who regularly attend Sunday School and worship with the various congregations and others who never enter a church otherwise.
The leaders are convinced they have an impact.
“It’s so concentrated,” Dona Cochran, a volunteer with Pratt Presbyterian Church, said of the week-long program where music, activities, drama, stories, crafts and recreation all center on a single theme.
The scriptural focus is Exodus 15:2 — “The Lord is my strength and my might.” The theme is Camp EDGE (Experience and Discover God Everywhere).
Making it easier for the leaders isn’t the real reason for combining forces. The children enjoy worshiping with school friends they don’t go to school with, McGraw noted.
They realize they all serve one God and one religion, said Clovis Young, First Baptist Church volunteer.
“We teach scriptural principles we all agree on,” said Sheryl White, director of lay ministries for First United Methodist Church.
The children will also collect shoes and money for Soles 4 Souls, a ministry that provides shoes for people around the world. A final program will be held at 7 p.m. July 10 so parents and others can experience what the children have been learning.
This is the fourth year for the combined Bible School, held at the Methodist Church.
Pratt, Kan. —
