Vacation Bible School

Where can you hop aboard a tour bus that seeks to explore a place that boasts rough terrain, harsh deserts, tropical rainforests, and the Great Barrier Reef all without ever having to leave your own hometown? What about a place where you can visit this summer to hear more about the love God showed to His people through this Son, Jesus Christ? Think you know?  

Come find out if you're right this summer as our tour group journeys into the Word for another summer of adventuring, learning, and growing at Zion Lutheran Church in Pierce, NE. During Vacation Bible School, this year, we invite everyone to pack their map, binoculars, and their Bible as we prepare to explore the various and unique landscapes that make up the breathtaking continent of Australia in the pursuit to find excitement and explore the truth of Jesus' guiding and enduring presence with His people. 

The theme for Zion Lutheran Church, Pierce, VBS this year will be "Epic Australian Adventure" by Concordia Publishing House, and it will be taking place Monday, June 2nd, through Friday, June 6th, from 9:00AM to 12:00PM each day, with the VBS closing to take place during the 10:00AM church service on Sunday, June 8th. All students going into Pre K through 6th grade are welcome to join as participants, and anyone 7th grade and older is encouraged to lend a hand as a volunteer. 

Don't be late for the next scheduled tour!

Reminder, all students involved in VBS this year are welcome to participate in the VBS closing service, so we can really show the congregation what we learned throughout the week. If students are planning to participate in this service, please plan to arrive to the church and meet in the Zion gym by 9:45AM on Sunday, June 8th, so we can practice and assemble in groups. The students will sit with their class for the duration of the service as they will sing several times throughout.  

VBS INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE IDEAS:

Although it may be hard to believe, VBS is just over a month away. Keeping that in mind, we are asking the congregation to consider aiding our VBS program by lending their support through a variety of ways, such as: 

1. Please continue to keep our students and volunteers in your prayers. 

2. We need volunteers who would be willing to serve in a variety of areas. Please consider registering to help with VBS by filling out a paper registration, found at the church office or on our church website, or by completing registration online at our church website, https://zionlutheranpierce.com/, under “Educational Ministries” and the VBS tab. 

3. Students are now able to be registered, so please consider inviting friends or family members. Paper registrations are available in the church office or can be printed from our church website, and online registration can be completed from our church website, https://zionlutheranpierce.com/, under “Educational Ministries” and the VBS tab. Paper registrations may be returned to the Zion Church offices during our regular business hours.  

4. For your convenience, a donation board will be featured in the Narthex starting in mid May, so if you are able to buy or provide a few needed items from our wish list, that would be very helpful. For those interested in making cookies, peanut products (including peanuts and peanut butter) are sticky prohibited. We will begin looking for cookie bakers in mid May. 

5. For those who would like to support our VBS but cannot volunteer or provide items, we will be accepting monetary donations, as well. Checks can be made payable to Zion Lutheran Church, and they can be sent to Zion Lutheran Church (520 E. Main Street, Pierce, NE 68767). 

Reminder Vacation Bible School will be taking place June 2nd through June 6th from 9AM to 12PM, daily. For question, please contact Mr. Jareske by email (dcejareske@zionlutheranpierce.com) or by phone (402-329-4313).

VBS VOLUNTEERS: 

Looking toward the month of May, VBS will once again be here before we know it! As in previous years, we would like to invite all volunteers, including group leaders, assistants, and stations leaders, to plan to attend our major VBS training and decorating day on Sunday, June 1st, beginning at 12PM on this date. We will plan to meet in the church fellowship hall to eat lunch, which will be provided, and discuss relevant information pertaining to VBS for this year. After the meeting concludes, we will then plan to move around the church and finish with any decorating that remains at that time. If you are a volunteer this year, especially if you have not attended our planning meets up to this point, please plan to attend this meeting on this date. This event takes a lot of planning and preparation, and so we appreciate any help that anyone is able to offer. We will look forward to seeing everyone soon! 

VBS COOKIE HELP: 

Also, to help with the Snack Station, a signup sheet for cookie and snack donations will be featured in the church narthex and online using our church website/Facebook page beginning in mid May. You can also call the church phone number (402-329-4313) to signup throughout the week, Monday through Thursday. For those interested in making cookies, we would like to offer a reminder that peanut products (including peanuts and peanut butter) are sticky prohibited.

VBS STATION NEEDS: 

Thinking ahead about our Science, Games, and Craft stations this year, we will soon be putting together a list of a few items that can be claimed, purchased, and donated by anyone who might like to assist VBS by donating items this year, as we know this congregation loves to be able to support VBS even if they cannot donate their time during the week. If you are one of those people, and you would like to donate to help with the purchasing of needed items, claiming and donating one of the suggested items from the board in the narthex beginning in mid May would be a huge help. The list of needed items can also be found and claimed, online, using our church website and church Facebook page, again beginning in mid May.  

Thinking ahead, if you would be willing to donate, please either plan to take and return one of the cards from the Zion Lutheran Church narthex bulletin board with the suggested donation, contact the church office (402-329-4313) to let us know which card you would like to claim, or sign up online using our website/Facebook page. The cards and donations can be returned to the basket sitting by the VBS display table in the church narthex Monday through Thursday during regular business hours and on Sunday mornings beginning in May. Donations can also be dropped off at the church office. For monetary donations, checks can be made payable to Zion Lutheran Church, and they can be sent to Zion Lutheran Church (520 E. Main Street, Pierce, NE 68767). 

VBS SUPPORT: 

It truly is a wonderful and humbling opportunity to be able to offer VBS to this church and community, but truthfully, offering a VBS of this size does come with an associated cost each year. With that in mind, we do rely on the generosity of this congregation and community to be able to provide an experience of this quality, so if you feel so moved to donate to help support our VBS program, an offering box will be featured in the church narthex throughout the month of May for this purpose. Donations can also be brought to the church office, Monday through Thursday from 9AM to 4PM. For those who are already planning to donate this year through their time, talents, and treasures, please know that we really do appreciate everyone who has worked to continually support our VBS program. Thank you!