Vacation Bible School - Where Faith Comes Alive

Heidi Cain didn’t quite know what she was getting herself into three years ago when she mentioned that “if they couldn’t find anyone else” she would direct the first-ever Vacation Bible School (VBS) at St. Faustina. She could never have imagined how much joy and fulfillment this ministry would bring to her. God has taken her “yes” and used it to inspire hundreds of children, volunteers, and parents in their faith.

With seventeen years of teaching experience, Heidi brings her wealth of knowledge to the parish VBS program. She started from scratch that first year, creating group sizes, constructing traffic patterns, and buying all new supplies. Heidi made it very clear that it is because of the phenomenal parish staff and support from St. Faustina’s parishioners that the VBS has been such a success. Heidi says that her favorite VBS memory to this day is the moment when they first opened the doors and welcomed the children into the very first VBS. 

Each of the past three years, 175 children and about 100 volunteers have filled the church building with songs of praises, lots of energy, and hearts open to Jesus. This year’s theme was ROAR: Life is Wild, God is Good! The children loved the Bible Discovery station that taught them some of the Old Testament stories and showed them that God has been with us since the very beginning of time. They also enjoyed the outdoor games to go along with the theme and the Bible memory necklaces that they were able to take home as a keepsake.

For Heidi, it’s Father Dat who is one of the highlights of the VBS week. She loves to see him so highly engaged with the children, leading them in prayer and offering them his wisdom. What a blessing it is to have a pastor who is so invested into the faith formation of the children!

What keeps Heidi coming back to lead VBS year after year? When she walks into the finale at the end of each day and sees the delight in the children’s eyes as they praise and worship God, she knows that all of her hard work is worth it. When she runs into families at the grocery store or after Mass, months after VBS has ended, and they share with her that their children are still singing the VBS songs, she is reminded that in just one week, kid’s lives are impacted for eternity. 

Heidi was adamant about making sure the parishioners of St. Faustina know that VBS could not exist without their prayers, donations, and support. She is incredibly grateful for everything that the parish has done for VBS, especially being willing to celebrate Mass in a beach or a jungle during the week! This is truly a ministry in which the entire parish comes together to serve our youngest members.

We thank Heidi for her years of selfless service, tirelessly working behind the scenes to make the faith come alive for the children of St. Faustina’s. Please continue to keep Heidi and all those who volunteer for our VBS program in your prayers!