'Hometown Nazareth': VBS invites children to travel to biblical times

By Jeremy Henderson, Army Flier Staff WriterJune 4, 2015

'Hometown Nazareth': VBS invites children to travel to biblical times
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'Hometown Nazareth': VBS invites children to travel to biblical times
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FORT RUCKER, Ala. (June 4, 2015) -- Children are invited to travel back to biblical times and immerse themselves in Jesus' world during Fort Rucker's Vacation Bible School June 8-12.

Nancy Jankoski, Fort Rucker Religious Support Office director of religious education, said several stations scattered throughout the Spiritual Life Center will provides a complete sensory experience for participants.

"Everywhere they go -- whether they are in the bakery receiving their daily snack and learning how it was made, the carpentry shop putting together a toy a first century child would have played with, learning to write Hebrew or play an instrument -- they are immersing themselves in the culture," she said.

The school, held daily from 8-11:30 a.m., is a Christian-based program not focused on a single denomination. It instead focuses on the importance of faith, according to Jankoski.

"We are using volunteers from all the different Christian chapel congregations," she said. "We zero in on all the things churches teach in common and not on denominational differences. We want to show children how faith can enrich their lives."

Instead of being divided by grade level, children will be placed into groups based on the 12 tribes of Israel, she added.

"They will have a poster with their tribe's name in both English and Hebrew," Jankoski said. "So they will learn how to write a little bit of Hebrew."

Once assigned to a tribe, children will visit various stations within a marketplace designed to resemble biblical times, she said.

"They will come to each one of these marketplace shops every day for 10 minutes or less," Jankoski said. "They will have a quick touch it, taste it, feel it experience of what it was like to be a child in Jesus' time.

"We will have professional baker here preparing treats for the kids using Bible-time recipes," she said. "They will be able to come every day and get some piece of tea cake or candy. She will also be baking fresh bread everyday so the kids can dip the bread in olive oil or honey and have a lot of fun snacking on Bible-time foods."

Additional stops include a music shop, barber shop, beauty salon and an area for crafts.

The person who is leading this shop will talk to them about the importance of music, not only in Jesus' day, but also ask what kind of music they like and how it makes them feel.

"Music is an important part of a person's life," she said. "Everyone enjoys some kind of music. A lot of times, when you are happy or sad, music touches your heart. We can relate it to 21st century kids, as well as first century kids."

Jankoski said children will do a daily craft related to something from biblical times.

"They will make palm branches for the triumphal entry," she said. "They will make backpacks that they can decorate, keep and use. We try to make it something the kids will enjoy playing with. Making backpacks they can use when they go on vacation or overnight to their grandparents' house, but it is also connected to biblical times. When the people of bible times moved from place to place, they had to carry their stuff in some kind of bag or sack."

According to Jankoski, tents set up in one of the main passageways have drawn quite a bit of attention and will serve to demonstrate life as a Roman soldier in biblical times.

"Children are going to get information about why people joined the military in bible times, what kind of benefits soldiers received in those days and life in camp," she said. "It will detail what it was like in the garrison, and the rotation of duties like cleaning out the latrines and standing guard duty.

"When you are out in the field, you have to create a tent," she added. "We will talk to them about the materials that were used and we will let them crawl into the tent. They will learn why it is important to be in the center of the tent because of body heat and, when it rains, you're not the one getting wet."

Children will also have the chance to play hopscotch.

"We think of it as a kids' game," Jankoski said. "But hopscotch was actually invented in the first century by the Roman army as a physical training drill for soldiers. It will be noisy, but it will be a good kind of noise. Kids learn better when they are able to move around and do things."

Jankoski hopes another new addition to the program will allow children to further immerse themselves in "Hometown Nazareth."

"Just outside the breezeway door we will have a live petting zoo where kids can come and learn about animals native to the area," she said. "They will learn how some animals, like mules, were used for bearing burdens and other animals, like chickens, were used for food."

Registration is open to all children kindergarten through sixth grade, but priority will be given to children of military members, government civilians and contractors.

"It is open to anyone who wishes to come," Jankoski said. "We won't turn anyone away, as long as we have space.

"We have some parents who have one child eligible for VBS, but one child who is a little younger," she added. "We will allow those parents to attend the program with their preschool kids. We will give them a copy of the schedule. They can take their preschooler to as much or as little of the program as they choose and they can take their child home after he or she has absorbed as much as they can absorb."

For more information or to register, call 255-3946 or 255-2989

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