Learning Leadership Through VBS

For more than ten years, PCHAS and Island Presbyterian Church near Corpus Christi have had a powerful partnership. Each summer, a leadership group from our group homes in Itasca travels to South Padre Island to help run the church’s Vacation Bible School. This year, five PCHAS teens served as recreation leader, Bible-story helper, craft station assistant, music leader and assembly leader. Tiffany, a former group-home resident who was part of the inaugural trip, assisted with this trip as she has for years now. Now a college graduate, Tiffany remarked that Vacation Bible School is “a really great opportunity for kids to step into leadership roles and teach about God and take the things they are going through and transform it into something beautiful and powerful.”

One of the most amazing things I get to witness in this trip is watching our youth, most of whom have never been to or experienced a Vacation Bible School. They learn to lead younger children through this program. Watching them lead, but also experience things like songs of praise to God, Bible stories such as Daniel in the lions’ den, and life application for the first time is such a wonderful opportunity as a PCHAS staff member. Our youth did amazing in their VBS roles, but they also adapted well to the constructive criticism and level of energy and enthusiasm it takes to lead VBS. Each day following all the hard work, our youth spent a couple of hours soaking up the sun on the beach and enjoying the waves. At the end of the week they were treated to a shrimp boil, which was a very new experience for most of them. Overall, it was another great year at VBS and we are already looking forward to next year!

Andrew Rogers

PCHAS Intake Specialist