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By Carrie Debrone
Kitchener Citizen​

When a community program lasts, you know it’s organizers must be doing something right.

Every July for the last 60 years, Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Kitchener has opened its doors to young people in the community delivering what could arguably be called the greatest outreach program in the city.

The very popular Vacation Bible School at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 322 East Ave., this year averaged 157 pupils and 74 staff each day of its one-week program.

Started in 1950, by Pastor Daryl Maier, the school has missed only three years of operation. In 1961, there was no VBS because renovations were being completed to Holy Cross, church. The VBS was not run in 1971 due to a synod convention or in 1986, when the church was again being renovated.

When Maier left in 1952, Reverend Lloyd Wentzloff took it over, continuing to oversee its delivery for 40 years, until his retirement in 1993.

“After the war the city really expanded and we had the opportunity to reach out to the many new families in the city. Now the second generation is still involved with Vacation Bible School,” Wentzloff said.

Started as a two-week program, the Holy Cross VBS was switched to one-week in 2005.

Although attendance has fluctuated slightly over the years (in the late 1990s the school averaged more than 200 students and more than 70 staff) this year’s numbers are typical—making the program larger than some public and private schools.

Data collected over the years shows more than half of Holy Cross’s VBS students come from different churches or have no home church. The other students are members of Holy Cross Lutheran Church.

“For me the real goosebump moments during the week come when I hear kids going home singing Bible songs or repeating the Bible verses they’ve learned here. Those things stay in their hearts and minds,” said Beth Gibney, who has been Supervisor of the VBS music department for many years and who is Parish Life Coordinator at the church.

“We’ve been very blessed to be able to deliver this program to young people in Kitchener for so many years. I would say it’s our biggest mission outreach program to the community,” she said.

Each year the new batch of students who come to the school also bring challenges. This year one child who attended while on vacation from her home in Germany, spoke no English.

“We helped as much as we could and she was very engaged and participated very well,” Gibney said.

Over the years, VBS staff have also been able to include children with special needs by assigning volunteers to work exclusively with that child.

One of the key components of the annual themed weeks, is a musical that dedicated volunteer staff and many committed students prepare and present at the end of the VBS week. They have only from Tuesday to Saturday of that week to cast, learn roles, make props and perform.

“The musical is very important and something that the community considers very valuable. Some of the kids who perform say that they have never had the opportunity to be in something like this. I had one little girl tell me that she had never worn a dance costume before and she was so happy to have the chance to be a part of the show,” Gibney said.

“We try to include everyone and teach the kids that it’s not a competitive thing –that it’s a cooperative thing. Over the week you see the kids catching themselves and wording how they say things differently to include everyone. I’m not sure that you encounter that in any other place but here,” Gibney said.

“I guess one of our secrets to success is that we keep trying to reinvent ourselves and remain relevant to the kids of today. When kids return every year, you can’t just continue to do the same things over and over. We try to make the program age appropriate and gear the activities to the annual theme. We have a lot of creative energy here and a lot of human power,” Gibney said.

This year, for example, the theme was “SonRise National Park” and volunteer Brian Hallman brought in live animals for the senior classes to learn about.

The school, which runs from 9am to 11:30am Monday to Friday (the first week in July) opens each day with a 20-minute chapel service.

“Some of the kids who come have never been to church so we want to give them a taste of that,” Gibney said.

The students are then split into age appropriate classes, which are part of several departments including nursery, junior and senior kindergarten, primary (grades 1 and 2), middler (grades 3 and 4) and senior (grades 5, 6 and 7). The class will listen to a Bible story, make a craft, play games or sports, enjoy a snack and often hear from a special guest or speaker. Many of the activities have a musical component to them.

“Every year we get a new group of people coming to VBS. It’s fun to be part of something this big. They make you feel accepted,” said Sydney Cumby, who was one of the main characters in this year’s musical.

“It’s so much fun. Since grade four I have enjoyed it even more because I’ve been in the play,” said Emily Thompson who has attended VBS for eight years.

“I think it’s fun. I’ve made new friends here,” said Kassi Griffin, who came to VBS for the first time this year.

“It’s a wonderful way that we can reach out to the community. We don’t charge for it and its open to any child,” said Debbie Pritchard, who attended the Holy Cross VBS as a child and later became a volunteer VBS teacher.

I have such wonderful childhood memories of VBS. My own children grew up here,” she said.

Now in their early 20’s they also help every year at VBS.

“I think it’s really given our church a presence in the community over the years. Our family will be out somewhere and a child will recognize me and come over to say hi. It’s really neat that they remember me through their experience at VBS.”

“The kids have a lot of fun here. I think it’s a great way to allow people to come into the church. We’re a friendly church and this is one way to show children what the Bible is all about and what our church is all about,” Prichard said.