Summer is just around the corner, and that means we have some fun in store for your kids! If you’ve been around Saint Benedict Parish in summers past, you’ve probably noticed that the building transforms for one week to welcome a bunch of kids into our church for a ton of fun! We call this week of awesomeness VBS (which stands for ‘Vacation Bible School’).

Last year when we couldn’t meet in person, we offered a virtual VBS, which allowed kids from our local community, as well as new friends from around the world, to bring the fun of VBS into their own homes. For one whole week last year, kids were tuning in and hearing Bible stories, learning verses, worshipping God, and having a blast right in their own living rooms and kitchens. Families could simply click the ‘share’ button to invite their friends with kids to join in. We had so much fun that we’re doing it again this year!

So, get ready to PRESS PLAY on our SBPkids Summer VBS Event! Keep reading for all the exciting information you need to participate with your kids or to get involved!

Our VBS this year is called Press Play! We’re turning up the volume to remind each kid that they can have confidence because of Jesus. When kids begin to see themselves the same way that Jesus sees them, then real confidence begins to take root and grow. Kids will learn the truth that they are known, they belong, they are forgiven, they can change, and they can make a difference. 

VBS is designed for preschoolers through preteens, but the fun is happening online so kids of every age can join in! (And, if you consider yourself a teen or adult kid-at-heart and you’re local to Halifax, you are invited to join our VBS team this summer to help us launch this incredible experience!)

This year, we’re adapting the VBS experience to best fit your schedule. Instead of asking families to help facilitate VBS at home with their kids for one full week, we’re spreading VBS out to one day a week for five weeks! This summer, Tuesdays are the days that SBPkids want to look forward to! For five Tuesdays starting on June 28 and going all through July, we’ll be singing awesome songs, learning life-changing truths, and having the most fun possible! Plus, we’ll stream VBS in the mornings AND the evenings so that every family can experience the fun when it works best for them. The five VBS days will all be online and is open to kids around the world, but stay tuned to see if we can have a big final party in person to celebrate the fun we’ve had when it’s all over!

VBS has always been a great opportunity for kids to invite their friends to join them, and this summer we want to encourage you to think about how you can share the VBS fun with the kids in your life! VBS is a great way to introduce both Jesus AND church to kids! Think about who you can invite, whether you have kids or not Maybe you want to send them the link to sign up or share the videos this summer after they go live. Or perhaps you want to host your own backyard VBS and invite your friends and neighbours to take part. Don’t keep the VBS fun to yourself! Press Play and Get in the Mix!

To register kids for this summer’s Press Play VBS or to sign up to be on the VBS volunteer team, go to saintbenedict.ca/VBS.