By Aaron Wilson
Writer, Lifeway Christian Resources
NASHVILLE — Next summer, kids will let their imaginations and ingenuity run wild at “Spark Studios,” Lifeway Christian Resources’ 2022 Vacation Bible School theme that explores the creativity of God and His image bearers.
At “Spark Studios” kids will learn how they were created in Christ and designed for God’s purpose. Throughout the week, kids will sample different forms of creative expression — from painting and sculpting to robotics and inventing—to explore ways they can use their own talents to bring God glory.
“God’s creativity didn’t stop in Genesis. He is redeeming and reclaiming His creation and gives us an incredible gift in allowing us to be creative too,” said Melita Thomas, VBS and kids ministry specialist for Lifeway. “There’s something for everyone in this theme because every person is creative in some way or another. That’s one of the ways we are made in God’s image.”
Thomas said “Spark Studios” has a broad appeal across the gamut of creative expression, including classic fine arts like painting and sculpting, creative and dramatic arts like playing instruments and producing music, STEM-related arts (science, technology, engineering and math) like bringing inventions to life, and more.
“‘Spark Studios’ is home to every creative outlet and is a place where kids, and adults too, can get their creative juices flowing and enjoy the process of making something incredible,” said Thomas. “Along the way, they will learn that God is the infinitely creative Master Artist who is transforming His creation.”
“Spark Studios” uses the motto, “Created! Designed! Empowered!” and features Ephesians 2:10 as its theme verse, which refers to Christians as God’s workmanship, created for good works. The weekly Bible lessons will explore the life of David, both before and after he became Israel’s king.
“David was known as a mighty warrior and king, but he was also a musician and poet. He wrote psalms proclaiming the majesty and glory of God the Creator,” said Thomas. “God gave David the talents and skills he’d need when he was king, and David used them throughout his life to bring glory to God.”
As kids learn about David they will also be introduced to stories about Jesus—God’s forever King—with nods to David’s lineage and writings interspersed to help kids connect threads between the Old and New Testaments. They will discover that people in the Bible had expectations for a kind of king they thought they wanted, but that God had His own creative plan in sending His Son as the King who would lay down His life and pick it up again to save sinners.
“‘Spark Studios’ will help kids see that becoming a Christian is not the end of a journey, but the beginning,” said Thomas. “We are being reshaped and reformed by the Potter to become more and more like His Son.”
VBS remains one of the most popular church programs in the U.S., Lifeway Research shows. Six in 10 Americans say they went to VBS growing up, and 95% of parents whose child attended VBS say it provided a positive experience.
“Spark Studios” was revealed through a Facebook Live event on Tuesday, June 8. More information can be found at lifeway.vbs.com. B&R
