Photo credit – Diane Caudullo
Connections to, and relationships with, people and a purpose are crucial elements in one’s life. Loving others, being loved, a sense of belonging and a reason for being comes from these connections.
For many people of faith this connection and relationship is first and foremost with Jesus Christ. A key and commonly known Bible verse is “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). It appears in a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, a Pharisee, and explains God’s reasons for sending Jesus to save humanity.
For all who do believe in Him, it becomes a part of who they are and they want to share that good news, the Gospel, with others.
Connect Church, located at 31 Horseblock Road in Centereach, formerly a VFW hall, was founded in 2020 by Pastor Hank Kistler and his wife, Allison (pictured bottom right). Connect Church was founded based on their stated mission: “At Connect Church, we are all about connecting people to Jesus; their purpose; and each other.”
Like many churches on Long Island, Connect Church holds a VBS – a Vacation Bible School – for one week over the summer. This is only their third year and the attendance has doubled since year one. And it didn’t just double from ten to twenty – it went from about seventy in year one to 95 in year two, and this year, it had to be capped at 150 children, ranging from pre-school age to sixth graders. Allison said that, sadly, they have turned away about fifty kids and continue to receive texts to see if there are any openings.
Connect’s VBS started Monday, August 12, and the excitement was palpable. Connect Church, a 14,000 square foot building, was completely transformed into this year’s theme, SCUBA – Diving into friendship with God. From the moment you walk through the main doors you are completely submerged under the sea, with a stunning variety of plastic cup fish, pool noodle seahorses, balloon octopuses, and streamer seaweed. Lovable sea creatures were stationed all around while all crafts, snacks, and games all flowed along with the underwater experience.
The 150 children were placed into smaller groups by age and led by volunteers through it all. There were many volunteers who are regular members of Connect Church but there were quite a few who were not. Many were teenagers who had been through the VBS programs in the past and loved it so much, they wanted to return as helpers. All in all, there were one hundred volunteers of all ages.
Each day also had its own unique theme. Monday was “God is a friend who is real.” Tuesday: “God is a friend who loves us.” Wednesday: “God is a friend we can trust.” Thursday: “God is a friend forever.” And lastly: “God is a friend for everyone.”
The various lessons were tied directly to the daily theme. On Tuesday, the main lesson was the story of Jonah, commonly known to many for being swallowed by the great fish and spit back out later, whole and unharmed. To bring this story to life, an enormous, twenty-foot, plastic-bag-fish-like structure was formed and was inflated by hot air, complete with large googly eyes and an opening for a mouth where the children climbed in and sat inside to hear the rest of the story. The underlying lesson was God wanted Jonah to deliver a message to the people of Nineveh. The message was of impending doom but really was a chance for them to repent of their wicked ways. But Jonah, thinking the Ninevites were evil, did not want to go, so he attempted to flee. Despite Jonah’s disobedience, God orchestrated his capture, by way of the fish, and eventual delivery (being spit out) at Nineveh, demonstrating God’s persistence and desire for the repentance of even the seemingly unrepentant.
With much planning and coordination, VBS is a wonderful experience for the children and volunteers alike. In asking Allison to sum up why so much effort and energy goes into VBS – she answered with this.
“Vacation Bible School is an exciting outreach program designed to provide kids with a fun and engaging environment where they can learn about the bible through creative lessons, activities, and games,” said Allison. “It’s more than just a summer event – VBS is a powerful way to connect with the community, share God’s love, and make a lasting difference in the lives of children. By bringing together volunteers and families, VBS helps bring strong relationships and creates a positive impact that extends beyond the church walls.”
As Proverbs 22:6 says: “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it”.
“Remember, it is never too early or too late to learn about God, the Bible, and Jesus Christ,” said Pastor Hank. “We have VBS one week a year, but all year long we have services, classes and Connect Crews for all ages.Everyone is welcome. We are here for you.”
To learn more about Connect Church: visit connectnow.church or call 631-689-7660.
