DES MOINES, Iowa—Once again, Urbandale Baptist Church participated in the annual City of Urbandale July 4th parade, probably the best attended parade in the Des Moines metropolitan area. Highlighting the DinoDetectives Regular Baptist Press VBS program, the church float featured a 10-foot-tall dinosaur skeleton, the DinoDetectives puppet stage, and a number of church children. During the parade, they handed out 10,000 invitations to Vacation Bible School and the fall Awana ministry, along with Popsicles.
Because so many families in the community begin their weekend getaways on Friday afternoon, Urbandale Baptist tried a new VBS schedule this year by starting on Sun., July 6, and going through Thurs., July 10. During the week, VBS ministered to a total of 63 children, and 60 percent of school-age children were from outside the immediate church family. Each evening, the VBS time closed with puppets, singing, and a presentation of the gospel, all received enthusiastically. On Thursday evening, parents joined the kids for an open house, which included hot dogs, soft-serve ice cream, cookies, and the VBS closing program. Some 133 people were present on that closing night, and church people were able to personally touch base with a number of unchurched parents.
