The Daily Vacation Bible School of the Armenian Evangelical Emmanuel Church will start in July and last for 5 weeks. On the occasion of this being a part of the vital mission of the church within the community, we had an interview with Mrs. Nara Kouzikian-Khachadourian, to give us further details about the DVBS 2011 and its mission.
(Interview by Raffi)
(Interview by Raffi)
Nara - Our schedule is a five-days program lasting a month. This year will be the first year to add a fifth week to our DVBS program. Basically, Fridays are the days we go on trips with the children. As for the other days of the week, we have a schedule that starts at 9a.m. and ends at 1 p.m. Everyday will start with a worship session, during which the children and the leaders will sing songs praising the Lord. Afterwards the group will be divided into two groups; elementary and early childhood. The elementary children will be hearing about kings and queens from the Bible and will eventually come to the understanding that we are princes and princesses because we are the children of the KING and that He works in our lives just like He did in the lives of those in the Bible. The early childhood division will be hearing about the Creation and will be coming to the understanding that we are created in God's image and we are unique. After some refreshments and free play, the children will be introduced to other activities. Some of the activities for the elementary are P.E., being introduced to different genres of music, drawing, acting and dancing. As for the Kindergarten kids, the activities are singing, dancing, arts, cooking and game centers. The schedule also includes indoor and outdoor games as well as playing in the kids' pools. Just like last year we will have Special Wednesdays this year. Every Wednesday will have a theme such as Apple Day, Armenian Day and so on; the children will be asked to come wearing certain colors and will be getting information about the theme of the day.
Raffi - Who are the DVBS teachers and the volunteers?
Nara - The DVBS leaders are volunteer workers who come from the junior youth group and the youth group of our church. They are usually students who have the time during the summer to serve in our Lord's field.
Raffi - How essential do you see the mission of the DVBS in the lives of the children, the parents, the church and the community?
Nara - In the area of Amanos/Dora where the Armenian Evangelical Emmanuel Church is located, there aren't many pastime activities for children. The children either spend the summer playing computer games or playing on the street. DVBS is a clean environment where children can pass time with children their age in a controlled context. Once the children come to DVBS our mission becomes conveying God's message of love to them and eventually their parents. We are trying to reach the population of the Amanos/Dora area one kid at a time. Therefore I believe the DVBS is very essential in the lives of these kids. One fruit of DVBS if I may say is the current group of leaders whose 50% used to be a kid in DVBS in the past.
Raffi - What kind of mission is the church doing through the DVBS?
Nara - Basically the mission of DVBS is to embrace as much children as possible with as low price as possible, but most importantly it is to share God's love with them. Therefore it is safe to say that DVBS has a social and a spiritual purpose.
Raffi - What are the blessings that you cherish and thank?
Nara - First and most importantly I thank the Lord for the opportunity to serve in DVBS. It is just amazing sharing the Good News with children. The Lord has blessed us in many ways. In 2007 when we tried to restart DVBS after a break of 2 summers we had financial difficulties but He provided. He has continued to bless this service by bringing more families our way. I remember when we restarted in 2007 the number of kids attending was 35 which increased to 100 till 2010. He has also blessed this service by speaking to young people's hearts and guiding them to serve Him. Our relationship with Him has blossomed because of this service.
Raffi - What are the difficulties that you face and you would want us to pray for?
Nara - Although greatly blessed, the DVBS does face some difficulties. The financial issue is always there and we do our best to get by with what we have. I would really appreciate any prayers coming our way. Please pray for the leaders to grow as individuals and believers, and to stay fully committed to this service throughout the five weeks. Please also pray for the children and their families so we can speak to their hearts and they can accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Finally pray for our financial needs.
Thank you to all those who took the time to read about our little service. Thank you to all those who are praying for us. Thank you Chanitz blog administration for this opportunity.
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Thank you to all those who took the time to read about our little service. Thank you to all those who are praying for us. Thank you Chanitz blog administration for this opportunity.
jacket and your personal belongings.
