For five nights in August, Glossbrenner Church will take kids on a journey back in time. The church will host "Kingdom Chronicles," a vacation Bible school (VBS) program, from 6 to 8:15 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 2, through Thursday, Aug. 6. It will be held at the church, 713 Church St., Mount Joy, and a VBS celebration will take place on Sunday, Aug. 9, at 10 a.m., followed by a free meal.

Although the focus of the VBS is on the past, the message is important for the present, said Jessica Rockey, director of family ministries.

"We are going back into medieval times to stand strong in the battle for truth, which is relevant for today," she shared. "We have our Sunday school wing decorated like a castle, and we will even have a fire breathing dragon on our stage in the sanctuary where the children will get to enjoy a skit put on by our youth group and other church members before the start of every night."

Glossbrenner's VBS is for children ages 4 through 13, and each evening will include snacks, crafts, interactive lessons, fun-filled skits, games, songs and more.

"We welcome all children from the community to join us, whether or not they ever stepped foot into a church before," Rockey said. "We welcome them to come inside and learn about the hope we have in Jesus while making some new friends along the way."

She noted that VBS provides an opportunity to promote faith while also connecting with the world outside the church.

"We want to be a light in our community and let them know that Glossbrenner is here, even though we are not on Main Street," Rockey commented. "We want to offer free events for families multiple times throughout the year for them to be able to create good memories without having to stress about costs or planning."

And VBS also offers a respite for parents, she noted.

"It's a nice break for the parents as we head toward the end of summer without much routine and constantly trying to plan fun activities for (their) children," she explained. "Let us provide that for them in our safe, nurturing environment. We have so many great volunteers that love to engage with the children. ... (Two hours) is long enough for parents to be able to have some uninterrupted date night time."

Beyond VBS, Glossbrenner invites people to stop in for a service on Sundays at 10 a.m.

"If you are looking for the perfect church full of perfect people, I am sorry to say Glossbrenner is not the church for you," Rockey said. "We are a loving group of flawed people who are seeking Jesus and find strength, family and purpose in gathering together to learn more about Him as we earnestly try to be more like Him as we come together and worship."

She added that Glossbrenner welcomes everyone.

"No matter where you are on your spiritual journey you can come as you are to Glossbrenner to be met with acceptance and love where you are at," Rockey remarked. "Jesus is the one who does the changing of hearts; we just do the pointing to Him."

Although children can come to VBS any night during the program, preregistration is encouraged to ensure there are enough materials and supplies for everyone. To register, visit https://glossbrenner.net.