Bayside Community Church vacation Bible school dives into scripture
The East County church held its summer vacation Bible school this week with a "Big Top" theme.
By
Jessica Salmond
| 1:53 p.m. June 25, 2015
East County
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Sarasota and Manatee Counties have a history with carnivals and circuses, but Bayside Community Church's "Big Top" carnival theme fit in with the Old Testament, too.
Students spent the week playing games, completing worship and splashing around on inflatable water activities, but also spent each morning building a representation of the tabernacle, which in the Old Testament was a large, portable tent that the Hebrews would use for worship. The camp had 406 students and 150 volunteers this year.
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Molly Patton, 8, and Bobby Nelson, 9, race through the slip and slide.
Pastor Dave Shepard clowns around during camp.
Volunteer Whitney Patton explains the hat craft to the children.
Luke Graham, Bayside Community Church's youth pastor, gets dunked.
Logan Wilch, 7, and Luke Rodman, 6, pick out decorations for their party hats.
Matt Vanderford, 8, finished his carnival hat.
Bayside Community Church themed its vacation Bible school as "Big Top."
Jonathan Robinson, 9, crashes into the slip and slide pool.
Calli Phillips, 9, and Helena Dunham, 8, race down the water slide during water day.
Eddie Zaun, 8, dunks Youth Pastor Luke Graham into the dunk tank.
Vacation Bible schoolers line up for the bounce and slide house.
Sarah Hall and Karson Franquiero, 12, run the "shop" where students can buy goodies with the tickets they've earned.
Jessica Mowrey, 6, helps Claire Van Nortwick, 7, glue a ribbon on her hat.
Vacation Bible school students made carnival hats to go with the camp theme, "Big Top."
Bella Barone, 7, puts the finishing touches on her hat.
Emma Adams, 11, leads the way to the next activity.
Pam Carroll hands out jewels for the children to decorate their hats.
