Mandan UMC "Suba" VBS. Photos courtesy of Lisa Rhodes.

The theme for Vacation Bible School at the United Methodist Church in Mandan, North Dakota, was "Scuba: Diving into Friendship with God."  To stick with the water theme, participants were invited to raise money for the Dream Center in Bismarck to purchase water bottles.

"Our Vacation Bible School theme this year was scuba diving and being underwater. We wanted a mission project with something to do with water that the kids would get excited about," explained Lisa Rhodes, Director of Family Ministries at Mandan UMC. 

The Dream Center offers free meals, an on-site food pantry, and access to community resources. 

"Our Dream Center is a place in Bismarck, which is just across the river. They give out sack lunches, and during the summer, they go through about 220 bottles of water a day," said Lisa. 

That equals five to six cases of water daily needed at the Dream Center. The leaders of VBS decided to raise money to purchase water cases. 

"A case of water costs approximately five dollars. We decided that for every five dollars raised, we would put a paper bubble on the wall for everyone to see. We even had a VBS mascot in a scuba suit. Every day they brought in money, the scuba mascot would hang up the bubbles," shared Lisa. 

The bubbles were paper. They were made from the middle of a coffee filter. The center of each filter was cut out and put on the wall. Every night, the children would come, see how many bubbles were on the wall, and note the progress. By the end of the week, bubbles were covering the wall. 

No specific goal was set. The idea was to focus on what a team could do collectively to make an impact. When the week was over, funds had been collected to purchase 100 cases of water. 

"It was awesome! We were all working towards getting water for the Dream Center. We didn't set a goal. We just worked as a team to collect as much as possible," Lisa said.

Vacation Bible School ended with a celebration on Sunday when the total amount collected was announced. Lisa said, "When we finally announced the total, we were all surprised at how much we had collected. We had gotten some large gifts because that was something that people could get excited about. It has been hot here. So, they understand how it feels to be thirsty."

Fifty-two participants, ranging in age from three to fifth grade, attended VBS at Mandan UMC. For four days, participants gathered for supper at 5:30 p.m. Then, from 6 to 8:30 p.m., students rotated through stations: art, Bible story, music, drama, and games. 

An additional feature at Mandan UMC is VBS for adults. "We have an adult component to our Vacation Bible School. It is a fellowship opportunity that still includes some things like snacks, arts, and crafts. It gives the adults there an opportunity to get to know each other. It is in a separate part of the building, but they are still close to their littles," shared Lisa. "We have had great feedback."

Lisa Rhodes, left, shares the donation with the Dream Center.

One night, the adults at VBS had an ice cream social. The adult VBS participants made fire starters for their campfires, played games, and won prizes. 

This fall, Mandan UMC plans to start a community breakfast. Starting in September, once a month on Saturday morning, pancakes will be available for anyone who wants to come. Everyone who comes to eat will leave with food items to take home, like boxes of cereal. 

"It is just an opportunity to feed them physically and spiritually. We share and show the gospel with them," said Lisa.

The Saturday breakfasts will complement the Wonderful Wednesday program. Wonder Wednesday is an afterschool program open to children in kindergarten through fifth grade. It begins with a snack followed by music, crafts, games, and God's stories. Mandan UMC is a block from one of the elementary schools in Mandan. 

Friday Nite Lite is for youth in grades six through twelve. Once a month, from 7 to 11 p.m., youth gather with adults to hang out, talk, enjoy snacks, and play games. 

The congregation's goal is to give and share Jesus's love. VBS is one way Mandan UMC connects with the children and shares the excitement of giving. 

"They were excited to give their gifts. Regardless of the amount, they knew that we would turn it into water for people. It was cool to see the kids excited about giving beyond themselves," Lisa said.