Growing with the Saints - Catholic Vacation Bible School

	Read What Others Are Saying About Us! . . .
	Susan, We are going to purchase the kit, it is very exciting!! We are celebrating our 150th year of being Ss. Peter & Paul parish here in Hortonville, WI so we are going to have our Catholic Kidz Camp the week of June 25 - June 29, and of course the 29th being the feast day of Ss. Peter & Paul. It will work great, I have submitted the bill for payment. Thank you. Tina Ellenbecker, Ss. Peter & Paul Parish, Hortonville, WI Susan,

	Good News! St. Joseph, Princeton, Indiana, will use The Vatican Express for our VBS this summer! I have previewed the materials you sent and I am very pleased with the program. . .I do look forward to turning our people loose on this excellent program. Blessings, Susan Williams, DRE, St. Joseph, Princeton, IN

	Dear Susan, Thank you so very much for getting the Vatican Express Kidz Camp ordered for me. Wow, I was so happy to hear your beautiful comments to me. Since the first day I talked to you and Melissa on the phone, five years ago, I have thanked God over and over for you and all your hard work to bring our Catholic kids the truths about our faith, the Saints, and now the Vatican. You have been the blessings in my life and all of the students in our Parish. Just to think, I was driving to pick up my grandson from school that day when I heard about Growing with the Saints on the Catholic Channel. I knew right away that our children needed your program. I picked up my cell phone and called, don't worry, I was just pulling into the school yard. I heard your beautiful encouraging voice and that was the start of our wonderful friendship. Thanks be to God in His goodness. I would like to mention to you that our Parish of St. Mary's, Umbarger, Texas, is a beautiful site to see. It was painted in 1945, by some Italian Prisoners of War, who were encamped at Hereford, Texas, which is about 25 miles from Umbarger. It is a magnificent site to see. Right now we are having it restored to it's original beauty. The Church is over one hundred years old and restoration will not be finished until some time in October. I would like to invite you and Melissa to come to our German Sausage Festival. It is always on the second Sunday of November. It is wonderful fundraiser for us. Certainly your meals would be free. Then you can go on a Church tour and visit with some of the people who can tell you about the history of it. I know that you both would enjoy the day or a couple of days if you would like. Please let me know if you would like to come and I will be glad to do what ever I can to make your stay enjoyable. As I always say, May God's most generous blessings be with you and keep you going to make children's lives Happy and Holy. In Jesus and Mary, Regina Pender, Parish of St. Mary's, Umbarger,TX

	For the past 5 years, we at St. Vincent de Paul Church have used Growing with the Saints for our VBS programs. This year I am especially enthused to acquaint you with the latest program “The Vatican Express.” Be Bold! Be Catholic! Consider pre-viewing the latest material available for these TOP TEN reasons: # 10 The program will never become obsolete and can be recycled. All materials are housed in a secure carrying case and are reusable. # 9 Thematic snack suggestions with colored photos are included. # 8 St. Jerome, noted for translating the Bible, is the featured saint. # 7 Faith Lessons provide catechesis for four grade levels: PreK, 1 and 2; Grades 3-4; and Grades 5-6. # 6 Thematic craft suggestions for the above individual grade levels using Catholic symbols such as a Vatican flag, a monstrance, a chalice, a Pope license plate, are easily completed within a session. # 5 A complete CD containing clip art, promotional ideas, posters, banners, and possibilities for T-shirt design is included. # 4 You will be receiving a printed songbook, music CD, and a song and action DVD (Makes the preparation for the final program for parents a snap!), plus a superb DVD on the Vatican. # 3 The 5-day program explores the early Church, Vatican City, St. Peter’s Square, the Sistine Chapel, the Swiss Guard, as well as the Pieta, and our greatest treasure, the Eucharist. # 2 Written by Catholics for Catholics, this program is not a derivative of other generic VBS series. # 1 Taa daaa! The number one reason to pre-view “The Vatican Express” is that it is totally Catholic; it celebrates our Catholic identity, and instructs about our heritage and our faith in an engaging and rhythmic manner. To preview or order a program (You won’t be sorry!) check out the site on growingwiththesaints.com Blessings to all, Beth Amick, DRE, St. Vincent de Paul, Fort Wayne, IN

	Hello Susan, I received all the material from you and am ready to present The Vatican Express at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Publisher Day with the DREs. When the day is over, I will tell you how it went. The new program is great and we will use it this summer! Deacon Jerry, St. Anselm, Philadelphia, PA

	Dear Susan, We received the newest VBS and while I haven't yet had a chance to delve into it... it looks great! I can't wait to give you our latest news about another successful week! Thanks for all you do! Karen Manning, St. Thomas by the Sea, Orange Beach, AL

	Reviewed it yesterday and it is fabulous! I am always excited about VBS week as a DRE it rejuvenates me for the next year. But this one is special and I am so excited to present it to our children and families. Thank you for giving us solid Catholic VBS opportunities. Marlene Rink, DRE, Annunciation Catholic Parish, Havelock, NC 28532

	Dear Maryalice: First of all, I love this Vatican Express program! I feel so at home with it. It is perfect for Catholic children. Thank you for your time, and for doing such a wonderful job with this program! I look forward to seeing the excitement and joy in our children as they experience this in the summer! In Jesus and Mary, Christine Freas, Elementary Faith Formation Coordinator, The Church of the Good Shepherd, Cumming, GA 30041

	Dear Susan--Got it. Looks wonderful! In Christ, Lorie Dean, DRE, St. John the Evangelist, Plaquemine, LA

	Dear Susan, I forgot to let you know about Last Summer- Assorted Saints and Virtues—We couldn’t believe it but people said it was even better than last year’s program! I thought that we could never do better than Parade Around the Our Father! The kids all loved the saints. The lessons were wonderful and the activities too. We had a different adult each day act out a certain saint and they did a beautiful job. They told their stories during snack time, while the kids ate. All the Crafts were a hit! We simplified some- Martin's mouse magnets for everyone! Decorations included huge posters of all the saints and the theological virtues of the program. Also, ladies of the parish mad gorgeous 48' X 36' Colorful burlap and felt banners-one saint on each-with their names below-so pretty! These hung in our chapel, where we gathered each morning for morning ceremonies. We had all the background of the church sanctuary hung with sky blue paper and fluffy clouds—like Heaven- and we had banners of the three theological virtues hung in the clouds. We sang "Queen of Peace" together and we prayed a decade of the rosary every morning just after singing this. Our Lady of Guadalupe (a teen all dressed up) lead us each morning). We all memorized the main scripture "You shall love the Lord your God with all your ….and we had motions for this scripture..the skits were awesome!! Better than ever! We had several charities going all week. The children filled their personal shoeboxes full of little gifts and hygiene items for girls and boys their ages. On Friday, the kids wrapped the boxes in bulletin board paper-nice and strong and colorful- and cute religious put stickers all over these. Then, we labeled them girl or boy with age level of toys and laid them under a giving tree which was center stage for the closing ceremony..a Christmas tree-decorated with paper saint dolls the kids made. Finally, we brought these boxes to local charities for children. Besides this, we had a St. Brigid’s pantry(-shopping carts set up at carpool-)so the parents could drop off canned goods and such as they dropped off the children. We labeled our areas Kateri’s Café (food) St. Nick's Novelties(crafts) St. Martin’s Medics (nurses station), Diego's Drive-thru (carpool area) Brigid's Brigades (our high-school play actors who did the skits) and others… Our classes each had special names— Loving lambs, Faithful friars Hopeful halos And so on.. Thanks for a beautiful program!

	I just finished two exciting weeks of Vacation Bible School using your program, "Assorted Saints and the Virtues of Faith, Hope, and Love." The kids loved it; the volunteers had a wonderful time; the parents gave us nothing but positive feedback. The best part is the children learned about their Faith while having a lot of fun. One five year old could name all three virtues and explain that they were gifts from God that we received at our Baptism. The kids made connections among the five stories. They easily memorized their Bibles verses as did the volunteers. Everyone enjoyed the songs: we sang them during crafts. Their favorite craft was the Eye of God and they loved the mouse magnets. Their tilmas and maracas were very creative and we took lots of photos. Next year we'll use Saint Patrick and the Holy Trinity. Thank you for your wonderful Catholic product. Mary Rusek, Coordinator of Religious Education, St. Cornelius, Chadds Ford, PA
	"This was my first experience running a VBS - what a lot of work!! But your program made it easy. I appreciated your comprehensive program where everything carried on the theme of the day. The kids loved the program; they had fun and learned a lot, too. Our Religious program is dedicated to authentic Catholic teaching, and I appreciated that you sought Church approval of your program. Also, kids don't seem to be getting much in the way of Catholic culture at home, so I loved the idea of bringing to life the virtues through the saints' examples. Your program was thorough and allowed us to structure our VBS according to our specific needs. Thank you for a great program. Church Staff Person, St. Jude Religious Education
	Thanks for an awesome Program. The main thing that I like is that it is a Catholic program. I have tried the other programs from other publishers - even though there is a Catholic companion - they are all the same - they use the same Bible stories. There is nothing exciting about them. We used St. Patrick and the Holy Trinity last year and I loved it. It was so different from the other programs. Both programs, St. Patrick and the Holy Trinity and Assorted Saints and the Virtues have been a breath of fresh air. They are so different from the others - I love them. I like the music - it is awesome! The children enjoy making the crafts. The 4 and 5 year olds love the mouse mask - we had many little mice running around. I took the pictures on the Take Home Pages and enlarged them. I gave them out to the 4 and 5 year olds to color as they arrived. It gave them something to do as they waited for the others to come. They all like to tell me what they thought the story would be about that day from the pictures they were coloring. They also took the page home and it gave them a reminder of what the story was about. I also liked the reproducible pages - that I only had to place ONE order! Thank you for the simply awesome programs. I am excited to see next years! " Karen Evers, Faith Formation Coordinator, Immaculate Conception
	Oh my goodness!!! One more day of VBS and then we are done!!!! We have 123 children this year and they are loving the program! We are also doing the change thing again and as of today we have raised $800.00. But the great part is, we are also collecting gift cards for the Paul Stefan Home for Unwed Mothers and we have over $500 in gift cards!!!! The gift cards we sold also benefit our school, so we gave to our school as well! One week and 3 different organizations we donated too! Oh!!! The milk shakes for St. Nick were a HIT today!!!!! As were the reindeer sandwiches! The kids loved them all. They were screaming when they came out into the hallway and saw that their shoes were filled with candy!!! We have also taken ALL 123 children to Mass each day with our 30 Teenage volunteers getting confirmation hours!!! I am beat, but we have been making you a CD each day with ALL the photos. I hope you and your family will enjoy them!! I really hope our paths cross in person one day! God Bless you and your family!!! Allison M Gleich, Rel. Ed. Teacher, VBS Coordinator, St. Patrick Church
	First of all your program is awesome. The kids really enjoy the songs and art projects as well as the wonderful book and materials. This is the second year that we are using your programs and you have us hooked. My question is: Are you going to be writing a new program for next year? If you are, can you give me an idea if you where the next year will be headed? Thanks, God Bless, Becka Nubson, Blessed Sacrament
	We had a very successful VBS using St. Patrick and the Holy Trinity this past July! I have been asked to order your other VBS program, Assorted Saints and Virtues for this coming summer. We want to order now so we can begin planning while many things are still fresh in our minds. The music and skits were a highlight for us, and the crafts were much more kid and leader friendly than some other things we've done in the past. One thought may be to add in an extra craft or two in case the kids finish something quickly... this happens from time to time. The crafts really tied in nicely with the theme of the day as well. Nicely done! We liked the service project, and just modified it to support our Dominican Poor Boys, studying to become priests. The service project for Saints and Virtues sounds awesome! These really help the kids to carry what they learn from VBS to others. God bless, Karen Karen Gerrity, St. Patrick Church
	Just wanted you to know we finished our camp yesterday. Had a great response from all; people have already signed up for next summer. Will be sending you a CD with pictures and also some hints that we found helpful. Hope all is well with you and yours. Thanks for all you do! Blessings on your day! Janet Lucy, Office of Faith Formation, Sacred Heart St. Francis de Sales Church
	Are you going to have a new vacation bible school program for next year? This year we used your Assorted Saints VBS and loved it. Lynn Stadtmuller, Transfiguration Catholic Church
	We just completed our second summer of Growing with the Saints. The children loved learning about the virtues of Faith, Hope and Love through these five wonderful and diverse saints, three of whom will be depicted in our new church that we will begin building in the spring of next year. Many families commented that it was our best VBS ever! I am sure you have already begun preparations for VBS 2008 and can’t wait to see what program you have for us to use. Being St. Francis of Assisi, it would be wonderful if one summer you could have a program that focused on St. Francis and other saints that expressed Franciscan spirituality and its elements of service, poverty and prayer, such as St. Anthony of Padua, St. Clare of Assisi and St. Bonaventure. Just an idea! Again, thank you so much for your wonderful program. Yours in Christ, Diana E. Elwell, Director of Children's Ministry, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church
	I just came back from a deanery meeting. 3 of the parishes used your program and we all thought it to be wonderful. Lynn Bruder, Holy Family Catholic Church
	Friday night was the last night of a VERY successful VBS program. Congratulations to all of you at Growing with the Saints. We had to modify it a bit to meet our particular needs but by and far went with your suggestions and program. After we take a breather, we will compile a few notes that we have to share with you. Again, what a great way to teach our faith. Mickey Caruso, Ministries Coordinator, St Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church
	Our Vacation Bible School Program was reviewed by Lisa M. Hendey on her website: catholicmom.com Following is an excerpt from her review: . . . "Program materials include a wide-ranging program overview outlining the five stage curriculum, which is designed for students of all ages from preschool through grade six. The comprehensive Coordinator’s guide is designed to help at every stage of the process, from the months prior to the VBS schedule to a complete post-program evaluation. Helpful forms as well as eye-catching reproducible clip art are included. The meat of the VBS, the curriculum itself, is both trustworthy and informative in its teaching. I enjoyed the emphasis on teaching children not only the concepts of prayer and the Holy Trinity, but also on translating these teachings into our constant call to be Missionaries of the Word in our world. Relevant bible verses, activities, crafts, and even a “green themed” list of snack and beverage ideas are outlined in great detail, ensuring a high quality and fun VBS experience." . . . - Lisa Hendey, Writer, Webmaster, Wife, Mom Read full review . . . http://www.catholicmom.com/brvbs.htm
	“I cannot begin to tell you have absolutely excited I am with your Saint Patrick and the Holy Trinity VBS. I took a vacation day two weeks ago and sat and read through the entire program. By the time I was finished, I was bubbling over with joy (the Holy Spirit at work). I want to thank you for forwarding the additional games/activities suggestions from other DRE's. Will let you know what we come up with. GREAT job! Thanks for your help, Susan.” - Mary Lou McNamee, Religious Education Office, St. Philip Parish - Crafton
	“Hi Susan!!!!! We just got done with our last day of VBS. Just waiting for the closing ceremony tonight! The week was just soooo awesome, so blessed by the Holy Trinity. After it was over all of the adult volunteers met in the back classroom for a prayer, and quick wrap up. I led a prayer of thanks and praise to the Holy Trinity and then the Holy Spirit led me to invite all to say a "Glory Be" to praise the Holy Trinity. When all started to pray I had the chills going down my arms. It was soooo cool. I can go on and on and on..... Fr. Liam Leahy, . . . our pastor, said, "People are STILL talking about vacation bible school!" - Jennie Lane, St. Mark's, Oro Valley
	“Many thanks! We just completed our VBS today at St. Anthony/St. Elizabeth parish in King George, Va. . . . I just had to jot you a quick note to let you know how amazingly great everything went this week for our program. The parents were so impressed with the solid Catholic faith we were teaching and the crafts that back up the lessons so coherently. The opening skit was fantastic -- our teens were such professionals -- excellently written and easy to stage. At our closing ceremony today, the kids were terrific -- everyone especially enjoyed the little ones in their "piggy masks" (as they called them all week) reciting "Pork Chops and Bacon!" Our field day was great fun . . . Another great aspect was having the crafts, songs, games, all written out instead of in our heads as in years past. This made it so easy for our 17 teen helpers to pick up the instructions and provide help. They made bishop's mitres, too -- it was a site to behold -- kids ranging from four to eighteen all in their decorated, very authentic-looking mitres. I could go on and on, but just know that we were thrilled with your truly Catholic VBS program -- our homeschool group in the parish is ready to buy your next VBS edition to do as part of their monthly meetings. One last note . . . one of our older, veteran attendees told me today that in summers past, by Thursday of VBS week she is usually bored and ready to have it be over; this year, she was sad to see it end! God bless you and your staff -- please pass along our thanks and congratulations on a job well done -- we can't wait to "grow with the saints" again!” - Tracy Sivak, VBS Coordinator, St. Anthony-St. Elizabeth King George, Colonial Beach, VA
	“I just wanted to let you know that the children had a great time with the St. Patrick VBS program. They enjoyed the crafts, the snacks, story telling (our principal made a great story telling pirate),singing and gestures. Personally as Coordinator of Religious Education, I really liked your program. It taught the children about a real live saint and how St. Patrick taught the Holy Trinity. Last year was our first year having a VBS and it was on Jesus in the Holy Land and when I found out about a Catholic VBS in my search on the internet, I was excited. Teaching our children about our faith, Traditions and customs is important. Thanks so much for your hard work in helping to teach children about our Catholic faith.” - Eugenia Martinez, Coord. of Rel. Ed., Sacred Heart Parish, Brawley, CA
	“Wow! All I can say is Wow! There are no words to describe how amazing our VBS program was this year! As a VBS Director, it was incredible to see children of all ages coming together to learn more about our faith while having a great time. As a parent, it was unimaginable how much my children were inspired and are still talking about it and dancing to the CD! I want to share a story on how it really hit home. My daughter, Emma (age 4), is shy and a “hip hugger” when I’d drop her off with her group. I watched her have fun, but had no idea she was actually listening until she was talking to her grandma (GG): GG: What did you do today? Emma: I went to VBS and learned about the Holy Spirit – do you know where the Holy Spirit is? GG: I’m not sure (pretending), where is it? Emma: It’s inside me and you! GG: Wow! Emma: Do you know when you got the Holy Spirit? GG: Um, please tell me. Emma: At our baptism! I was so proud!!! God Bless and we’re looking forward to next year!” - Cheryl Carosone, VBS Director
	“EVERYONE from kids to parents to volunteers LOVED the VBS program. So much so that we already have volunteers on board for next year. You should "hear" what our music teacher did with the songs...it was awesome! The kids got into it so much. They sang and sang and sang all week. I understand some are still singing the tunes. At mid-week some of the kids wanted the day to be longer and by end of week they wanted VBS to be longer.... some even said they wanted a 4 week VBS! During the same week we held our VBS some of our kids also attended another VBS program in the evening at another local church. Their mom reported to me that they didn't like it and wanted to stay at ours. THANK YOU SO MUCH for a fantastic CATHOLIC VBS from all of our little Saints!” - Christine Boucher, St Mary, Groveport, OH
	“Dear Susan, Hello! This is a LONG overdue email to you regarding our fabulous Vacation Bible School we had this summer. . . . I wanted to email you and THANK you for a great program. . . . I called you some time last year and we spoke about why I should choose your program over the other one I really wanted. . . . after speaking with you AT LENGTH, our RE office purchased it and it was the best investment we have made for VBS!!! I ran our VBS last year with my very good friend Lena and we wrote and organized the entire thing. It was wonderful having it all spelled out for us this year. We had 99 children in 2005 and this year we had 136 children!!!!! . . . I loved how each group had their own section to follow but yet each grade was on the same page lesson wise. . . . There was NEVER a child bored and everyone was eager to come the next day. The snack ideas were out of this world!!!! Many children never saw green Rice Krispy treats before and our kitchen staff became pros at melting chocolate for the pretzels! We have never had a closing ceremony and were very nervous about doing it, but God provided and it was great! . . . I am still amazed at how wonderful it was. . . . I thank you Susan, for taking the time to speak with me personally. If it was not for you, I know our VBS would not have been as successful as it was. I cannot wait to begin planning for next year already. Please contact me for any referrals!!!! It is a wonderful program for every Catholic Church to be using! The children had so much fun, they did not even realize how much they learned!! Another plus, we attend St. Patrick Church so even I learned more about St. Patrick then I knew before!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” - Allison M. Gleich
	We piloted this program at Our Lady of the Hills Catholic Church in Columbia, SC. "This was a great program! The crafts and activities were age appropriate. It was refreshing to work with a VBS program that incorporated a saint, and gives another opportunity to teach our children about the early followers of Christ." - Donna Tomasini, Director of Religious Education
	Read comments from a few of our satisfied customers: Susan, I've appreciated our recent communications very much and am so grateful that you "happened" across my desk through your phone call promoting your wonderful product . . . We have such precious little time really even in a five-day program to touch hearts for Christ and open minds to the treasure of our Catholic Faith -- it is absolutely vital that the materials we use be solid in our Catholic teaching and true to our Catholic Tradition. The material we choose to use IS important -- thank you and thanks to every single person who is a part of your ministry for your commitment to developing TOTALLY Catholic summer programming materials. If only we who work in catechetic would "demand" the tools we need and not settle for second best! . . . I couldn't wait until the summer to use the materials -- we are putting together a St. Patrick Day after-school event for our parish children in grades 1-3 and will be using the materials you provided. I intend to hold periodic "St. Patrick Adventure Days" using your materials. They are excellent! . . . I certainly will support a totally Catholic program in the future; especially one that is as solid in content, as delightful in approach, and as thorough and attentive to the details as what you are producing. . . . Again, again, again, may the Holy Spirit guide you and inspire you in your work. - Cindy Fisher, DRE - St. Patrick Parish - Lodi WI
	Following are some comments about Saint Patrick and the Holy Trinity VBS Program from our home base in Indiana: "I have found something very helpful from them for summer VBS program; TRULY Catholic!" - Sister Lois Ann Meyer, Superintendent of Catholic Schools, Diocese of Lafayette, Lafayette, IN
	"I was a skeptic concerning VBS programs. This program is very exciting; quality crafts and music. There is no need to be concerned; quality product!" - Pam Peroutky, Assistant Superintendent, Pastoral Office for Catholic Schools, Diocese of Lafayette, Lafayette, IN
	We will be featured in the March issue of Faith and Family Magazine just in time for Easter, as it was Saint Patrick who celebrated the First Easter in Ireland. The Senior Editor loved our material and sent it to Dr. Meredith Gould for evaluation: " Your materials were forwarded to me by Elizabeth Douglas at Faith and Family Magazine after she and I had a conversation about the agony and ecstasy of publishing. Your stuff is fantastic!!! If you check out either of my websites www.meredithgould.com or www.plowsharespublishing.com, you’ll see that I’ve been writing and editing for quite a while. I’ve seen a LOT of work and rarely have I encountered anything with so such a terrific mix of creativity and professionalism. Your content is great and your presentation is simply delightful. You probably don't need Plowshares Publishing to make it any better . . .Great work . . . Really really totally great. God bless you and your work!" -Meredith Gould, PhD