A favorite week at Westminster Church is the week of Barefoot School, or Vacation Bible School. For the past 46 years the staff and members of Westminster Church have offered a thrilling week for kids of all ages! Last year due to COVID a modified backyard version of Vacation Bible School was offered in people’s homes. Now we are ready to return with tons of fun and excitement. Kelly Ralston and Beth Ketterman will be co-chairing this year.

Why is the week called Barefoot School? It was named for The Barefoot Cantata, a musical telling the story of a young missionary in Hawaii. The week of activities – Bible Stories, crafts, and singing – led up to the closing program where all the children participated in the musical at the Barefoot School. Hester and Joe Joseph, who started the program, thought “Barefoot School” sounded more intriguing than “VBS.”

Barefoot School is a family tradition for the Joseph family. Joe recruited most of the staff and took a week’s vacation to teach a class as well. Hester trained the staff and taught a class. Since then, her daughters and grandchildren have been involved in Barefoot School as students and teachers. For 46 years, there has nearly always been some member of the Joseph family involved in Barefoot School.

Barefoot School began and remains as an outreach to the children of the community. The mission is to share Jesus with the children and help them embrace Jesus as their friend and Savior. “We kept it simple in those early days but continue to invite children from all over,” reports Hester. The tradition and reputation of Barefoot School is wide and deep. Mary Hughes recalled singing in the cantata as a girl. She even remembered the words to one of the songs. She commented, “The whole thing was a joy to be a part of, and watching those little ones grow up in the church was fun, too.”

Plans are underway for this year’s Barefoot School called Rocky Railway. The dates are June 21-25. There will be Bible stories, crafts, games, music, and snacks for children entering kindergarten through sixth grade. Think about how YOU might contribute to this awesome ministry. Check out the Westminster website or email [email protected].