Last week, approximately 85 children attended Vacation Bible School at Highland Baptist Church and had a grand time learning about God all while making a mess.

The theme of VBS was Oh, What a Mess! Children’s Minister Ellie Lynch discovered the theme while searching for a curriculum for the week-long summer program.

She may not have anticipated, however, that the week would culminate with her getting “slimed” as the result of a boys vs. girls food collection effort.

The four-day session ran Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. until noon. Groups of children rotated between Bible time, story time, snack and crafts.

Each day began with a lesson, Lynch said.

“It’s been a basic gospel story every day, to make the gospel very plain and clear for the kids. We’ve had a lot of fun. We’ve had paint everywhere, messy games, messy snacks, messy crafts. The kids have really enjoyed it.”

The theme of VBS used messes as they relate to life choices in teaching children that God can help, Lynch said.

“On day one, we talked about how God loves messy people; that we’ve sinned and created the mess we’re in, but God loves us anyway. On day two, we talked about how Jesus loves a good mess; that Jesus came into the world to forgive us of our sins and make us right with God. Yesterday, we talked about confessing your mess and asking Jesus to forgive your sins. Today, we’re talking about addressing your mess. We use the story of the prodigal son and how he turned from his wicked lifestyle and came back to his father and how we are to turn from our ways and come back to God.”

The kids took particular delight in several activities, she said.

“Yesterday, they threw Cheeto puffs at kids with shaving cream on their heads. They also shot paint through water guns at a canvas and made messy art. They’ve decorated their own cupcakes and made a messy art snack with whipped cream on a plate with goldfish and sour patch kids, to make their own edible art.”

The final day of VBS ended with messy water games outside.

“We’ll pull out our foam machine, we’ll have a slip ‘n slide, we’ll have a color run with all the colored powder, and we have a game with a sprinkler system,” Lynch said.

In an effort to collect food for Highland Hope Center, a ministry of the church that provides food and clothing for the local community, boys were instructed to bring a jar of jelly and girls were to bring a jar of peanut butter. The kids were promised if the boys won by bringing more jars of jelly than the girls brought of peanut butter, she would get slimed. If the girls won, her husband, Hunter, would get slimed.

The boys won.

Children cheered as Lynch, seated in a folding chair amongst a field of leftover foam from the outdoor water play, was “slimed.”  Hunter, who serves as youth minister and worship leader at Highland, performed the honor by emptying a bucket of slime onto her head.

“VBS is one of the best tools that we have for outreach in our community,” Lynch said. “This church has been doing Bible school for years and years. We have about 40 people who volunteer. That means so much to me. We’re so thankful people trust us with their kids. Our goal is to share Jesus with our community and to use Bible school to get people into church, to come to know the Lord. I’m so blessed to be here.”

Lynch invited all who are interested to attend Sunday worship at Highland at 10:30 a.m. Children’s activities are offered during that time. Sunday School begins at 9 a.m. and the church offers Wacky Wednesdays for kids at 6 p.m. Highland Baptist Church is located at 3518 Halls Ferry Road.