Word: summer
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...suffered a bit from being so good-looking that he became known mainly as a hunk. It was hard to play ball with him in the summer, when he always seemed ready to take off his shirt, because of the gawkers that would gather. But I was always surprised more by his solid common sense and the depth of his reflectiveness...
...give their children some basic spiritual or religious teaching, a program like Vacation Bible School can be a good start. Unlike Sunday school, most V.B.S. programs tend to be ecumenical and welcome children with varying religious backgrounds or none at all. The schools usually offer weeklong sessions during the summer, and local churches often stagger their schedules so kids can bounce from one program to another...
Most of us cling to a version of summer left over from our childhood--a memory of opened hydrants, a lifeguard's whistle, the smell of cocoa butter on skin. For me, this has to include Vacation Bible School, held every summer at the Methodist church in my hometown. Kids would gather in the musty sanctuary for songs featuring hand gestures that seemed, for our brand of Methodism, dangerously close to dancing. We played Bible tag, memorized the books of the Old Testament and drank gallons of Kool-Aid out of waxy paper cups. Our teachers entertained us so well...
After years of dormancy, Vacation Bible School is once again attracting families who want to expose their children to spiritual teachings. This summer churches, synagogues and mosques are offering educational and camping programs, and are seeing a boom in attendance, according to the National Council of Churches. The organization points to the highly competitive market for Vacation Bible School materials, with 20 publishers offering dozens of snazzy programs that are designed to appeal to kids' interests. "A Great Bibleland Dig," for instance, combines archaeology with Bible stories...
...spent a week back at V.B.S. in my hometown this summer, happy to see the little church being host to 65 kids each evening from 6 to 8 (a modern accommodation to busy daytime schedules). The kids still sing and do lessons and crafts, and the Kool-Aid still flows. Thirty adults, all with jobs and families, volunteer their time to help teach in the program, which is offered at no charge to any child who walks in the door...