Fort Knox chaplains, volunteers light the way to Vacation Bible School for 150+ children

By Eric PilgrimJuly 24, 2026

Fort Knox chaplains, volunteers light the way to Vacation Bible School for 150+ children
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Children participating in Vacation Bible School July 20-24, 2026, help lead others in songs played throughout the week. More than 150 children participated in the camp. (Photo Credit: Eric Pilgrim) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Knox chaplains, volunteers light the way to Vacation Bible School for 150+ children
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A young girl raises her arms in praise during the last day of singing at Vacation Bible School July 24, 2026. (Photo Credit: Eric Pilgrim) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Knox chaplains, volunteers light the way to Vacation Bible School for 150+ children
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Volunteers participated in all the singing as well as providing guidance and assistance for children participating in VBS. (Photo Credit: Eric Pilgrim) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT KNOX, Ky. “Illumination Station. Join the celebration. Jesus, he is the — light of the world.”

Dancing to the intro song at this year’s Vacation Bible School July 20-24, over 150 Fort Knox kids in grades 2 through 6 tried to work out the lyrics and hand and arm movements that go with this year’s theme song. Several volunteers joined them.

Fort Knox chaplains, volunteers light the way to Vacation Bible School for 150+ children
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Children watch as volunteers try to thread the words of the theme verse written on foam noodles. Three teams raced to be the first to accomplish the task. (Photo Credit: Eric Pilgrim) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Knox chaplains, volunteers light the way to Vacation Bible School for 150+ children
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A volunteer helps a young boy with his project July 21, 2026, during one of the crafting events. (Photo Credit: Eric Pilgrim) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Knox chaplains, volunteers light the way to Vacation Bible School for 150+ children
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A young boy uses a flashlight to illuminate words that were otherwise hidden in the darkened room. (Photo Credit: Eric Pilgrim) VIEW ORIGINAL

New Fort Knox Garrison Chaplain (Col.) Erik Spicer, who arrived in time to witness the celebration, said Vacation Bible School is a creative way to help build resilience in military children.

“This is a wonderful ministry,” said Spicer. “From experiencing it as a child to volunteering since my teen years and then even now, it’s great because it gives kids something positive to be a part of during the summer.

“It really pulls them out of a lot of the comfort zones that kids have found their way into these days.”

Fort Knox chaplains, volunteers light the way to Vacation Bible School for 150+ children
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A young child skips down the black-lit hallway of VBS. The theme for the 2026 camp was “Illumination Station: Jesus is the light of the world.” (Photo Credit: Eric Pilgrim) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Knox chaplains, volunteers light the way to Vacation Bible School for 150+ children
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Children check out parts of their clothes that glow under black lights while heading to their next event. (Photo Credit: Eric Pilgrim) VIEW ORIGINAL

Volunteers turned the main hallway of the Religious Support Office facility into a black light extravaganza. Themes each day reinforced the overall theme from John 8:12. Event organizers called them the five big P’s: Jesus is God’s promised son, God’s perfect son, God’s powerful son, God’s proven son, and God’s plan for forgiveness.

Fort Knox chaplains, volunteers light the way to Vacation Bible School for 150+ children
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Children got to bounce balls in a parachute, hoping to avoid spilling them where they stood. (Photo Credit: Eric Pilgrim) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Knox chaplains, volunteers light the way to Vacation Bible School for 150+ children
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Children chase each other and try to avoid getting tagged during one of the recreation activities July 21, 2026. (Photo Credit: Eric Pilgrim) VIEW ORIGINAL

Karen Grube, who led the large gathering lesson each day, said VBS provides a unique opportunity for children that they may not have otherwise.

Fort Knox chaplains, volunteers light the way to Vacation Bible School for 150+ children
Karen Grube leads the children in a key Bible lesson at the start of the third day of activities July 22, 2026. (Photo Credit: Eric Pilgrim) VIEW ORIGINAL

“Having VBS at the end of the summer is really great for these kids because a lot of them are new, and they don’t know anyone yet,” said Grube. “This allows them to see faces that they’re going to be going to school within a few weeks, and it makes that transition easier for them.”

Visit Fort Knox News at www.army.mil/knox for all Central Kentucky's latest military news and information.

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Editor's Note: For more photos of the five-day event, go to https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortknoxky/albums/72177720334820280