MANCHESTER – Redeemer Lutheran Church of Manchester hosted an exciting Mighty Fortress Vacation Bible School (VBS) from August 7 through 11, welcoming over 75 children and 50 volunteers from Manchester, Whiting, Toms River and Jackson through their doors. It was a great time for kids to grow in faith as they explored God’s Word.
VBS was held Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and open to children of all religious denominations. It’s free and funded by congregates who donate money to the annual summer event. Churchgoers from Redeemer Lutheran donated their time during the week to run activities and programs with the kids.
Mighty Fortress offered an opportunity to introduce children and their families to Christ and the church. It helped the children of Redeemer Lutheran grow in their faith in Jesus, while also reaching out to children in the local neighborhood. This makes VBS a key outreach ministry in both the congregation and within the local community.
At Mighty Fortress VBS, children learned that in Jesus, the victory is won. Kids confidently celebrated that Jesus, their champion, has won the victory over sin, death and Satan, and that He acts through His Word and keeps His promises. Because the victory is won, every day is a day to celebrate. At Mighty Fortress, kids looked into the Bible, God’s Holy Word, to discover that God is our Mighty Fortress, our Shield, and our Deliverer, and discovered God’s victory in the Bible stories of the Walls of Jericho, Hezekiah, Josiah, Palm Sunday and Easter.
During the week, money was also raised for Sharing God’s Mighty Word, an outreach project that sends Bible-based literature to kids around the country. The project focuses on reaching inner-city children, Hispanic children, Native American children and those who are in crisis. With the help of the students and their families, volunteers and the congregation, a total of $644.48 was able to be donated to this worthy cause. It’s not just kids overseas who lack Bibles and other Christian books, it’s also kids within the U.S. and often in our own communities. The kids who go to school with our kids, who live a few houses down, and who live on the other side of town may have never even held a Bible. Sharing God’s Mighty Word focuses specifically on delivering Bible-based books to kids who are close to home.
Redeemer Lutheran Church holds a Vacation Bible School every year and is looking forward to many more years to come. If you would like more information about the church or to be put on the VBS mailing list, please call the church at 732-657-2828.
