After several years without vacation Bible school, the Christian education committee at Culpeper Church decided to re-evaluate the traditional weeklong event and launched something new for 2021. Once a month, the church holds Sonrise Saturdays, a morning program with music, Bible stories, activities, and games.
Each month has a different theme. In June, two puzzle rooms explored the stories of Joseph and Paul and Silas. For July’s “Build It” theme, children learned about Solomon’s temple and constructed birdhouses. In August, they painted rocks and distributed them downtown. September featured a scavenger hunt, with 12 actors portraying disciples for participants to discover.
Between 10 and 20 volunteers are involved each month, including members of the youth group who illustrate Bible stories through skits.
“The monthly format has been easy to staff with volunteers,” said Katherine Ayers, a member of the Christian education committee.
It also has been popular with parents, as the Saturday morning time frame allows parents to take care of errands while their children participate.
