It’s not your normal newspaper headlines but it’s worth the mention. Bethany Gospel Hall, Stoney Ground, Anguilla, held its annual Vacation Bible School (VBS) under the theme “WORSHIP where kids encounter God.” This year God blessed the efforts and the results are amazing.
Our mission was to present the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and to make disciples of all men, “Matthew 28:19.” The just concluded week of VBS did just that. 92 children from across Anguilla came out to our Summer Programme and were richly blessed by the experience. Praise and worship, bible lessons, games, art and craft, along with tasty snacks and caring teachers, all formed part of the daily schedule.
Twenty four volunteers from across cultures dedicated one week of their vacation to ensure that God’s love and his word were shared with the children. A team from Jersey Shore Chapel, NJ, along with volunteer’s forms Virginia, Fort Lauderdale, St. Thomas UVI, Dominica and Anguilla, presented the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to the children. Thirteen of the 92 in attendance got SAVED and are now born again. All praise be to God.
The children were presented with the acronym “WORSHIP”: , W – Worship , O – Offering, R- Reverence , S – Serve, H – Hallelujah, I – Invitation and P – Praise. It’s important for this generation not to just develop social, intellectual and other skills. There must the transference of Godly principles and morals to our Generation. The children were presented with the truth of God’s word. We were all created to WORSHIP God and we must do so in Spirit and in truth. A few letters from the acronym WORSHIP stood out. The importance of Reverence for God, and the things dedicated to his honor and glory, along with the importance of Service and Inviting others to hear the good news of salvation, should be consistent character traits of each believer.
During the week the children memorized their scripture verses taken from the Old and New Testament. Tokens of appreciation were presented to the most outstanding boy and girl in the 4-6, 7-9, 10-12 and teenager’s categories. The closing rally brought together children, their parents and members of the community to witness the talents and gifts of Anguilla’s children. It was extraordinary. Dance, poetry, song, among others, were all done to the glory and honor of God. Elder Rosevelt, at a closing dinner held for all volunteers, local and overseas, stated that he was overwhelmed and thankful to God for allowing VBS 2016 to be a success. He further stated:” We can do great things for the Lord when we put our hearts and hands into service for him”.
The leadership and members of the Bethany Gospel Hall, Stoney Ground, expressed gratitude to all the children, their parents, donors, volunteers from Calvary Chapel Jersey Shore, NY, Virginia, St. Thomas, Fort Lauderdale, Dominica and Anguilla for their dedicated service. 1 Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
Bethany Gospel Hall has been serving the Anguillian community for over 40 years and is committed to the propagation of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, along with Creating a Caring environment for Children to know and grow in the Lord. Parents in the Stoney Ground community are encouraged to send out their children to our weekly Sunday School held at 4 pm every Sunday – and Youth Fellowship every Friday at 7 pm for children 10 years and older. God loves you. He really does and we love you too.