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Children participate in age-appropriate activities.
While hundreds of parents attended Spirit-filled meetings at the Western Bible Conference (WBC), the children at WBC engaged in activities designed just for them.
Voyager sets sail
About 25 of the younger children embarked on their own Spirit-filled adventure through the ocean of God’s love upon the “HMS (His Majesty’s Service) Voyager.” With the guidance of the treasure map (God’s Word), the Voyager set sail to discover treasures of the kingdom. These treasures were of utmost value, as they could not be lost, stolen, or destroyed.
Captain Kyle Smith, leader of the Voyager, and his crew soon found themselves in danger—commandeered by the infamous pirate, Captain Jack Spare Ribs and his sidekick, JP the penguin. Spare Ribs had no intention of following God’s treasure map. His desire was for earthly riches and nothing more. As the journey progressed, though, his heart slowly softened as the love of God poured out upon him through the children and crew.
Spare Ribs and the children, through Bible lessons, singing, games, crafts, pirate activities and the treasure hunt, learned valuable lessons from the Word of God. After a pivotal moment when Spare Ribs lost his earthly treasure and realized that all his work was for nothing, he decided to give his life to the Lord. He understood that his significance must be found only in God. He left the ship, excited to sail the ocean of God’s love for the rest of his days.
Taking the plunge
Take the Plunge presented a week of discovery and challenge for 27 middle school and high school-aged teenagers at WBC. They learned to dive in, go deeper, and soak up God’s Word while participating in small groups, creative art activities, outings, and spiritually charged chapel sessions.
“We made the programming simple so that there was plenty of time to hang out and get to know these kids,” said Jim Sparks, territorial youth development and leadership director. “It was successful and fun to watch them bond well with each other.”
Sparks said the group spent a meaningful session in the 24-hour prayer room.
One teen commented: “It was cool. We went to the beach, played kick ball and built sandcastles. We sang songs, saw funny movies, roasted marshmallows and just had a lot of fun!” Another added, “It was still spiritual, but not too intense. You could relax about Jesus.”
Submitted by Captain Marcos Marquez and Jim Sparks
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