Holy Trinity Orthodox Church

“And Run and Run and Run and Run and Run”
VBS kids ask the Lord to help them to hold on until they get their crowns!

State College, PA – On the longest day of the year, Holy Trinity’s Vacation Bible School concluded with the students more keenly aware that their Christian race may also be long and it must be run every day and with every decision. Today’s learning objective was that each person is given a gift – it is our responsibilitly to use that gift to the glory of God.

To kick off the final day and in the Olympic-like fashion, students carried a torch in relay in the neighborhood to the surprise of local residents. However, unlike the ancient Olympic fire which commemorated the theft of fire from the Greek god Zeus by Prometheus, the VBS kids were encouraged to be torchbearers for Christ while they run their race.

What’s in the Book?

Paul is at the end of his life looking back. In doing so, he realizes that Christianity is a struggle, but he has fought well. He realizes that Christianity is a race, but he ran to the finish. He didn’t give up along the way. He realizes that Christianity is a life of faith—faith that he kept. He didn’t lose his trust in God. Finally, he realizes that he will be rewarded for the way he lived his life.

• Christianity is a struggle, but I must fight.
• Christianity is a race, and I must keep running.
• Christianity is a life of faith, and I must trust God.
• In doing these things, God will reward me.

The greatest reward is what someone becomes through the effort. The greatest reward is becoming all God created someone to be in his/her relationship with Him.

Thoughts to Keep You Running!

• “Only one person and one person only will determine how good of a runner you become. You will become as good as you let yourself be. That one person is you.”
• “Running – it isn’t easy but it’s worth it.”
• “There will come a point in the race, when you alone will need to decide. You will need to make a choice. DO YOU REALLY WANT IT. You will need to decide.
• “We are designed to run, and we increase our chance of daily happiness when we do so.”
• “Do not fear going forward slowly; fear only to stand still.”
• “There’s no better day to start running than TODAY.”
• “It’s not about how fast you run but where you’re going.”
• “Endurance is patience concentrated.”
• “If you’re too busy to run, then you’re too busy.”
• “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”
• “If the word quit is part of your vocabulary, then the word finish is likely not.”
• “Never stop running.”
• “Running sets me free.”
• “Every day is a new chance to run.”
• “Ask yourself: ‘Can I give more?’ The answer is usually: ‘Yes’.”
• “Winners never quit, and quitters never win.”
• “Now… Just run.”

Christian Goal Setting: Students Learn About Keeping Their Eye On the Prize!

State College, PA – Would you set out on a journey is you didn’t know the destination? That’s the question that Holy Trinity VBS students explored today as they discussed what it means for the Christians to set a goal and to focus on it. It is important that each of us discover God’s course or plan for us. There will be challenges, the struggle will be tough, but the rewards will outweigh anything we can imagine.

Christians are heartbroken and pulled in all directions by the overwhelming sense of need in the world. It is impossible for one individual to meet all these needs, nor can he or she expect to do so. In order to be the most effective, we can not spread ourselves out going in all directions, any more than a cross-country runner can run down all  roads. We can not just throw up our hands and do nothing either; ultimately we would get nowhere.

Can you imagine a football coach telling his football coach to individually run where to go: What chaos would result? Would they achieve anything? But if each player does his part towards a purpose, a goal is often achieved. We need to do the same with the individual activities in our lives. We need to focus on things we do toward the goal God has for us.

Doing What It Takes to Reach the Goal: Self-Discipline

What is self-discipline?

1. Discipline must be complete. Training some muscles and neglecting others does not help. Running well the first half of the race and taking it easy the second half will not help you to win.
2. Discipline must be consistent. Growth is very slow, but decay is very quick. It takes months for a tomato to develop and ripen but it can rotten in a matter of days.
3. Discipline must be a personal choice. We must count the cost of following Christ. We will never be fully disciplined in our walk until we understand what it really cost us, and what it cost Christ. Until the decision to follow Christ is completely ours, for our own reasons, we will never be disciplined enough to stick to it. Make up your mind what you will do with your life.
4. Discipline must be a commitment. If we are going to win, we must really want to win! Those who have never taken hold of the prize with their hearts will never take hold of the prize with their hands. We must live our Christian lives because we want to, not because everyone else is doing it.

VBS Curriculum Acknowledgement

This year’s classroom instructional and VBS Daily News content is based upon the “Creative Youth Ideas” study series Destined to Win by Ken Sapp.

PRESSING FORWARD: Students Vow to Keep Going and Growing in Christ

State College, PA – Sometimes it’s easy to just give up when things aren’t going well and students at Holy Trinity’s Vacation Bible School learned how to resist the urge to quit. The topics of discussion were varied and enthusiastic as students discovered that:

• Pressing forward implies that there will be resistance.
• If you are not pressing forward, you are falling behind.
• Pressing forward is progress, not just motion.
• The effort of pressing forward produces growth.

With this new found knowledge, the students are learning to understand that there will be challenges and obtacles to overcome and be prepared to take them on.

What’s in the Book?

In a Greek race, the wreath was placed upon the finish line so that all the runners could see it. It was an incentive for the runners to give their best. It was something upon which they could focus their concentration. The picture Paul paints for us is one of a runner, with his body bent forward, reaching out toward the goal, with his eyes fixed upon the prize. It is not just looking ahead, it is reaching ahead. Paul realizes that he has not yet crossed the finish line himself. He cannot sit back and relax. Paul urges us not to forsake the progress we have made thus far and to continue to press forward.

FPO – For Parents Only

VBS Daily News is prepared especially for YOU.  In each issue, you will read about the major topics discussed and the learning objectives for each day.  Take time to read it (particularly the scriptural references) and discuss it with your child.  Hopefully, they will be able to describe to you the race we are to run as Christ’s followers.

Training Table Basics: What Christians Need to Compete –
Students Learn about a Healthy Spiritual Diet

State College, PA – Today, Holy Trinity VBS students learned that you are what you eat. If someone wants to be a great athlete, he or she must eat a balanced diet from the five food groups. He or she must also avoid junk food. Some foods are unhealthy and can cause heart problems. Others foods help to build bones and muscles.

In much the same way, the students explored five “spiritual” food groups:

1. The Spoken Word (Romans 10:17) We hear it. We grow spiritually as others preach and teach.
2. The Written Word (1 Tim. 4:13) We read it. We grow spiritually as we read the Bible.
3. The Living Word (John 6:35-51) We see it. We grow spiritually as we see Christ’s example.
4. The Learned Word (Psalm 119:11) We know it. We grow spiritually as we memorize and learn scripture.
5. The Personalized Word (2 Cor. 3:2-3) We live it. We grow spiritually as we start doing the things the Bible instructs us we should do and quit doing the things it tells us we shouldn’t do.

It’s not good enough to know the “spiritual” but how to deal with these if we are to grow in Christ.

1. Look at it – Doesn’t help us much.
2. Taste it – Try to understand a little of it.
3. Digest it – Try to understand much of it.
4. Use it – Apply the things we understand.

What’s in the Book?

To be a great athlete, one must be committed to his/her sport. You have to love it. If you want to be the best you must give it your best effort. This scripture does not mean you must actually hate your parents, family, and yourself, but that your love for Christ must be so much stronger than your love for them that it is like the difference between love and hate. Christ must be your first priority. When you have to make decisions, Christ must be first! Christ must be more important to you than even yourself.

To some Christ means nothing, to others Christ means something, and to others Christ means everything. What does Christ mean to you?

FPO – For Parents Only

Don’t forget that TOMMOROW (Wednesday) there will be Vespers at 5:00 p.m. Bring your kids early for worship (dinner will be served following).

Students Start Training for a Lifetime as VBS Kicks Off!

State College, PA – Holy Trinity’s Vacation Bible School (VBS) is up and running again and this year, that is especially true.

Since kids generally like to play sports and games, the theme for this year’s VBS is “Running the Race. Going the Distance.” The focus of the week is to help guide students in dealing with the choices they have to make every day–to point them in the direction of their eternal destiny. One of the best descriptions about our Christian walk is one that Paul wrote about running the race (1 Cor. 9:24-27).

As background to Paul’s reference to “running the race,” one of the most famous of the Greek athletic festivals–the Isthmian games–was held near Corinth. In ancient times they were held every other year and created a sense of brotherhood. Games like these were the greatest gatherings of people in the Greek culture. Wars were temporarily stopped in order to participate in the games.

Only pure-blooded Greeks who had done nothing to forfeit their citizenship were allowed to participate in the games. For ten months competitors trained and avoided things that might hurt their chances for victory. The prize was a pine wreath from a sacred grove nearby, and although the prize didn’t last very long, victory was also one of the greatest honors a Greek could receive. The victor was often welcomed home with the same honor as a victorious general, the wall of his town being thrown down that he might pass inside as a conqueror. His statue was often set up by his fellow citizens. Yet in time he was forgotten and his glory, like the twisted pine branch, faded away. Winning was everything and losers in the games received no mercy. “The Wreath or Death!” was the motto of the participants and in many events, the loser actually did die.

Characteristics of Good Athletes

Students today discussed what it takes to be a good athlete and those same characteristics also build good Christians including strength, confidence, self-discipline, and a desire to win.

FPO – For Parents Only

• VBS will conclude each day with fun activities at Holmes-Foster Park (unless it is raining).
• On Wednesday and Friday, VBS will begin immediately following Vespers, which begins at 5:00 p.m. Bring your kids early so that we worship together.

  “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” – 1 Cor. 9:24-27