Comments for CLOSE ENCOUNTERS MINISTRIES http://www.cemlife.com/blog Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:28:37 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 Comment on THE BREAKFAST CLUB by Barbara Beckwith http://www.cemlife.com/blog/?p=10&cpage=1#comment-8844 Barbara Beckwith Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:28:37 +0000 http://www.cemlife.com/blog/?p=10#comment-8844 The Breakfast Club has energized our whole Bible School program. The teenagers come(I think without much complaint), listen and are learning. My husband(75) and I(73)are also. I thought maybe we were too old but it seemed like such a good idea to try. We really love these double digit people and look forward to Sunday morning. Thanks Ellen--bpb The Breakfast Club has energized our whole Bible School program. The teenagers come(I think without much complaint), listen and are learning. My husband(75) and I(73)are also. I thought maybe we were too old but it seemed like such a good idea to try. We really love these double digit people and look forward to Sunday morning. Thanks Ellen–bpb

]]> Comment on What is a ONE DAY VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL? by Marcie http://www.cemlife.com/blog/?p=6&cpage=1#comment-1746 Marcie Wed, 16 Jul 2008 03:38:33 +0000 http://www.cemlife.com/blog/?p=6#comment-1746 We have used two of your one day VBS programs and two Christmas programs in the past. I can't say enough good about you guys! The programs are so easy to follow and adapt to different groups. We don't have all age groups represented but it works out great. I used your decorating ideas and they saved a lot of money. I printed the fish and my kids and I colored them and made our hallway at church an ocean for YO-HO-HOLY...A PIRATE'S GUIDE TO JESUS, we just cut them out, taped them up and covered them with blue Saran Wrap! It was great! For FREEDOM ROAD...ONE NATION UNDER GOD we decorated with things from home. Everyone has something old to use! I made all of the ladies aprons from a pair of country curtains I found at Goodwill. Our church is filled with antiques so it worked out perfect! I always start hunting the thrift stores as soon as I decide on a program and it's amazing what you will find. We have also used a couple of Christmas programs and will use more in the future! Just keep coming up with new ideas for us smaller groups that get forgotten by the big publishing companies!! Thanks for such great programs! I share your site with all of my friends for their churches to use! We have used two of your one day VBS programs and two Christmas programs in the past. I can’t say enough good about you guys! The programs are so easy to follow and adapt to different groups. We don’t have all age groups represented but it works out great. I used your decorating ideas and they saved a lot of money. I printed the fish and my kids and I colored them and made our hallway at church an ocean for YO-HO-HOLY…A PIRATE’S GUIDE TO JESUS, we just cut them out, taped them up and covered them with blue Saran Wrap! It was great! For FREEDOM ROAD…ONE NATION UNDER GOD we decorated with things from home. Everyone has something old to use! I made all of the ladies aprons from a pair of country curtains I found at Goodwill. Our church is filled with antiques so it worked out perfect! I always start hunting the thrift stores as soon as I decide on a program and it’s amazing what you will find. We have also used a couple of Christmas programs and will use more in the future! Just keep coming up with new ideas for us smaller groups that get forgotten by the big publishing companies!! Thanks for such great programs! I share your site with all of my friends for their churches to use!

]]> Comment on What is a ONE DAY VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL? by Jennifer http://www.cemlife.com/blog/?p=6&cpage=1#comment-1585 Jennifer Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:33:58 +0000 http://www.cemlife.com/blog/?p=6#comment-1585 We just completed our One Day Vacation Bible School Saturday and everything went wonderful. All of the children had a marvelous time at "Country Junction". Our Bible station teachers went all out decorating their rooms. We found lots of hidden talent in our church. The schedule was wonderful, we kept everyone moving along very nicely. We had no problems with our preschoolers they enjoyed it all, we did have a 1 to 2 adult child ration for this class which helped tremendously. Everything was laid out in the binder, it was so easy to follow and I didn't find anything that you had left out. I am so looking forward to you providing us with more One Day Bible School programs to choose from. Our church will be coming back next year to purchase our program from you. You are really supplying something that there is a tremendous need for out there. I am giving your website to everyone I know that is interested in VBS. We just completed our One Day Vacation Bible School Saturday and everything went wonderful. All of the children had a marvelous time at “Country Junction”. Our Bible station teachers went all out decorating their rooms. We found lots of hidden talent in our church. The schedule was wonderful, we kept everyone moving along very nicely. We had no problems with our preschoolers they enjoyed it all, we did have a 1 to 2 adult child ration for this class which helped tremendously. Everything was laid out in the binder, it was so easy to follow and I didn’t find anything that you had left out. I am so looking forward to you providing us with more One Day Bible School programs to choose from. Our church will be coming back next year to purchase our program from you. You are really supplying something that there is a tremendous need for out there. I am giving your website to everyone I know that is interested in VBS.

]]> Comment on HAPPY TRAILS VBS by Cynthia Greiner http://www.cemlife.com/blog/?p=14&cpage=1#comment-1510 Cynthia Greiner Mon, 26 May 2008 19:28:33 +0000 http://www.cemlife.com/blog/?p=14#comment-1510 I just want to THANK YOU for the information on this site about HEAVENLY HOEDOWN !!! I have looked everywhere for Kids Sing Cowboy Songs, hoping to find a used copy somewhere - but could find nothing. We are having a western VBS this summer and the music that came with it is AWFUL - I don't like it, so I KNOW the kids won't like it - the 3 songs are too SLOW and too short. I just ordered Heavenly Hoedown and I can hardly wait to get it !! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU I just want to THANK YOU for the information on this site about HEAVENLY HOEDOWN !!! I have looked everywhere for Kids Sing Cowboy Songs, hoping to find a used copy somewhere – but could find nothing.
We are having a western VBS this summer and the music that came with it is AWFUL – I don’t like it, so I KNOW the kids won’t like it – the 3 songs are too SLOW and too short. I just ordered Heavenly Hoedown and I can hardly wait to get it !!
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

]]> Comment on HAPPY TRAILS VBS by Betty Stover http://www.cemlife.com/blog/?p=14&cpage=1#comment-352 Betty Stover Mon, 12 Nov 2007 19:38:04 +0000 http://www.cemlife.com/blog/?p=14#comment-352 We (Hemlock Community Church, Ohio)used Happy Trails for 2007 VBS. Our volunteers got so excited about decorating for their lessons - they went all out. One made a gold mine by making a frame from wood and covering it completely with weed barrier fabric to cover walls, grocery sacks crumbled and painted gray for rock walls. He put gold glitter on the walls and in the rocks to resemble the gold - wrote the scripture in gold and students had to find all the words on the wall with small flashlights. We used woodgrain scenesetters to cover walls, openings, even furniture to make them look old. Used various sized Christmas trees in groupings. Made log fences from carpet rolls and cement blocks painted gray or brown. Created a country cabin with old things most people have in their attics or basements - galvanized tubs, crocks, iron cookware, wooden bowls, quilts, rag rugs, lanterns, tinware, old mismatched wood chairs, granny rockers, etc. We served a light dinner each evening at the Chuckwagon. Menu items were named as in prairie times - rattlesnake (chicken sticks), cowgurgers (hamburgers), just made up silly names for common foods. We covered the floursecent panel lights in this room with plastic scenesetter called "starry night". Looked like eating under the stars. Really worked. Our barn was ouside with hay, benches, old tools, used red barn scenesetter with the barn door add-on to cover windows, openings, railings. General Store was just furniture we had in SS room, but covered with woodgrain paper. Lots of old baskets, wood crates, clothes on wall, small park bench, old type cash register, old books, boots, upholstery fabric in old type patterns, For the jail we covered everything in the room with white paper on rolls that is used to cover tables. Then made bars from black electrical tape twisted and then attached to ceiling & floor. Wanted posters on the wall, bars on the windows, We even stuffed a dummy for the cot - black & white striped clothes. Filled in with lots of other stuff. Old Schoolhouse was difficult to find school tables or chairs that looked old. So we set up chairs in rows as in "Little House" - had lunch sacks, water pain & dipper, ten commandments on wall, American flag, pigeon-hole type desk for teacher. Large blackboard, alphabet train with Bible words for ABC's. All the kids got cowboy hats & scarves - color coded by classes. I could not find cowboy music I liked, so we used music from last years Standard Publishing - "Trading Places". Kids loved the music - make a take-home music CD for kids to keep. (Standard allows this) They had every song learned by the end of the week. Note: It was surprising how many people in our congregation had the things we needed to decorate. I made a list very early of what was needed and asked them to just put their name by it if they had it not bring it in yet. They brought the things when they we actually needed. Also, the volunteers had good ideas of decorating. I just gave them the lesson material for their day - they went with it. This was a huge success according to everyone involved. However, my best advice to you is this: Pray about who you will ask to head up each area. Allow God to lead you and get self out of the way. You will be so blessed when you see what He knows about your volunteers that you don't! Have lots of fun. Betty Stover, New Lexington Ohio We (Hemlock Community Church, Ohio)used Happy Trails for 2007 VBS. Our volunteers got so excited about decorating for their lessons – they went all out. One made a gold mine by making a frame from wood and covering it completely with weed barrier fabric to cover walls, grocery sacks crumbled and painted gray for rock walls. He put gold glitter on the walls and in the rocks to resemble the gold – wrote the scripture in gold and students had to find all the words on the wall with small flashlights.
We used woodgrain scenesetters to cover walls, openings, even furniture to make them look old. Used various sized Christmas trees in groupings. Made log fences from carpet rolls and cement blocks painted gray or brown.
Created a country cabin with old things most people have in their attics or basements – galvanized tubs, crocks, iron cookware, wooden bowls, quilts, rag rugs, lanterns, tinware, old mismatched wood chairs, granny rockers, etc.
We served a light dinner each evening at the Chuckwagon. Menu items were named as in prairie times – rattlesnake (chicken sticks), cowgurgers (hamburgers), just made up silly names for common foods. We covered the floursecent panel lights in this room with plastic scenesetter called “starry night”. Looked like eating under the stars. Really worked.
Our barn was ouside with hay, benches, old tools, used red barn scenesetter with the barn door add-on to cover windows, openings, railings.
General Store was just furniture we had in SS room, but covered with woodgrain paper. Lots of old baskets, wood crates, clothes on wall, small park bench, old type cash register, old books, boots, upholstery fabric in old type patterns,
For the jail we covered everything in the room with white paper on rolls that is used to cover tables. Then made bars from black electrical tape twisted and then attached to ceiling & floor. Wanted posters on the wall, bars on the windows, We even stuffed a dummy for the cot – black & white striped clothes. Filled in with lots of other stuff.
Old Schoolhouse was difficult to find school tables or chairs that looked old. So we set up chairs in rows as in “Little House” – had lunch sacks, water pain & dipper, ten commandments on wall, American flag, pigeon-hole type desk for teacher. Large blackboard, alphabet train with Bible words for ABC’s.
All the kids got cowboy hats & scarves – color coded by classes.
I could not find cowboy music I liked, so we used music from last years Standard Publishing – “Trading Places”. Kids loved the music – make a take-home music CD for kids to keep. (Standard allows this) They had every song learned by the end of the week.
Note: It was surprising how many people in our congregation had the things we needed to decorate. I made a list very early of what was needed and asked them to just put their name by it if they had it not bring it in yet. They brought the things when they we actually needed. Also, the volunteers had good ideas of decorating. I just gave them the lesson material for their day – they went with it.
This was a huge success according to everyone involved. However, my best advice to you is this: Pray about who you will ask to head up each area. Allow God to lead you and get self out of the way. You will be so blessed when you see what He knows about your volunteers that you don’t!
Have lots of fun.
Betty Stover, New Lexington Ohio

]]> Comment on HAPPY TRAILS VBS by admin http://www.cemlife.com/blog/?p=14&cpage=1#comment-18 admin Mon, 03 Sep 2007 15:34:05 +0000 http://www.cemlife.com/blog/?p=14#comment-18 We received this email last week from Beth Chapman. Reprinted here with Beth's permission: "Just wanted to send you a little note letting you know we had a VERY successful Happy Trails Western VBS this year at Fellowship Church of the Brethren in Martinsburg, WV. Many people in our church said it was the best VBS we have ever had. We had so much participation...we had an average of 35 children each night and raised over $1800 to send 6 children to school in Haiti for one year (in co-op with Vine Ministries). We decorated using antiques: old wash tub, wash board, clothes line w/clothes, quilts, boots, chicken crate w/fake chickens...the whole nine yards and everyone loved it. Just wanted to thank you for your great VBS and let you know it was very much appreciated. WE WILL BE BACK! Beth Chapman...director We received this email last week from Beth Chapman. Reprinted here with Beth’s permission:

“Just wanted to send you a little note letting you know we had a VERY successful Happy Trails Western VBS this year at Fellowship Church of the Brethren in Martinsburg, WV. Many people in our church said it was the best VBS we have ever had. We had so much participation…we had an average of 35 children each night and raised over $1800 to send 6 children to school in Haiti for one year (in co-op with Vine Ministries). We decorated using antiques: old wash tub, wash board, clothes line w/clothes, quilts, boots, chicken crate w/fake chickens…the whole nine yards and everyone loved it. Just wanted to thank you for your great VBS and let you know it was very much appreciated. WE WILL BE BACK!

Beth Chapman…director

]]> Comment on Hooked On China by admin http://www.cemlife.com/blog/?p=5&cpage=1#comment-5 admin Thu, 02 Aug 2007 17:56:20 +0000 http://www.cemlife.com/blog/?p=5#comment-5 90 Bradford children celebrated HOOKED ON CHINA by...Declaring the Year of the Savior! And what a week it was! Many thanks to 45 teens and adults serving as willing workers for this special VBS event. Do you ever wonder if the gospel breaks into a child's consciousness? At Friendship Tea Garden, we "met" Lottie Moon and James Hudson Taylor who shared tips on being missionaries in China. After the final skit we said, "God has never been concerned with age when He calls people to serve Him as missionaries." Pointing at the group, we asked, "Is it you? Is it you? Is it you?" One little girl turned to her mother and whispered, "Mom, I think it's me!" This year's goal for our offering was 100 Bilingual (English/Mandarin) New Testaments to sent to China through China Outreach Ministries. (www.chinaoutreach.org) We will be sending 126 New Testaments!!! One child brought back the piggy bank COM offers and said, "I only had 35 cents but I put it in the bank." Thanks to all our generous givers who caught the vision for missions in China. 90 Bradford children celebrated HOOKED ON CHINA by…Declaring the Year of the Savior! And what a week it was! Many thanks to 45 teens and adults serving as willing workers for this special VBS event.

Do you ever wonder if the gospel breaks into a child’s consciousness? At Friendship Tea Garden, we “met” Lottie Moon and James Hudson Taylor who shared tips on being missionaries in China. After the final skit we said, “God has never been concerned with age when He calls people to serve Him as missionaries.” Pointing at the group, we asked, “Is it you? Is it you? Is it you?” One little girl turned to her mother and whispered, “Mom, I think it’s me!”

This year’s goal for our offering was 100 Bilingual (English/Mandarin) New Testaments to sent to China through China Outreach Ministries. (www.chinaoutreach.org) We will be sending 126 New Testaments!!! One child brought back the piggy bank COM offers and said, “I only had 35 cents but I put it in the bank.” Thanks to all our generous givers who caught the vision for missions in China.

]]> Comment on CLOSE ENCOUNTERS CLUB by Jakob http://www.cemlife.com/blog/?p=9&cpage=1#comment-4 Jakob Mon, 23 Jul 2007 23:27:03 +0000 http://www.cemlife.com/blog/?p=9#comment-4 This is exactly what I expected to find out after reading the title CLOSE ENCOUNTERS CLUB. Thanks for informative article This is exactly what I expected to find out after reading the title CLOSE ENCOUNTERS CLUB. Thanks for informative article

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