For Immediate Release
Southeast Green
Beth Bond
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Mother-Daughter Team Create Eco-Friendly Vacation Bible School Program
Beth Bond and Rev. Dawn Bond Launch Our Beautiful Little Blue Planet
Atlanta, Georgia and Pine Hill, Alabama – May 31, 2016 – If Vacation Bible School (VBS) programs have one thing in common, it is to teach children the joy and love God has for each individual child. Years ago VBS included lots of homemade crafts and songs that every generation knew. Over the years VBS became more scripted, grander, shinier and convenient. Somewhere along the way these highly produced programs which meant well, lost its way. The programs started to feel like kids real creativity was being taken away as their crafts became snapped together plastic things. Plastic trinkets from China were given out to help children remember their Bible verses. Elaborate sets were made of throwaway Styrofoam and yards of plastic sheeting. Like everything else it was accepted as the new norm. They weren’t intentionally trying to be wasteful. It just happened.
Beth Bond was a set director for several VBS programs. However, she never bought in to using the disposable Styrofoam because she was on a path of Creation Care. She had an epiphany about how out of control it had all become when she saw the closet at her church at the time, full of large garbage bags full of what she calls “CPJ” (cheap plastic junk) ready to be dispersed to over 200 children. All of it imported from China with no attention paid to the distance, materials used, or even who had made it all.
It was then that Beth approached her Mother to help create an eco-friendly VBS program. Beth’s mother, Rev. Dawn Bond, is a pastor in South Alabama with the United Methodist Church. Rev. Bond helped with lessons, daily bible verses and music selections. Beth focused on games, crafts, daily themes, and the educational background for why the eco-friendly program chose to do things the way they were presented. The program is called Our Beautiful Little Blue Planet.
Our Beautiful Little Blue Planet has several distinct differences from traditional VBS programs - creativity, reuse of materials, healthier snacks, and eliminating a lot of the purchased items. Sets include plants that can be planted after the week on church campuses. The program can be used for age groups from Pre-K to 6th Grade. There are many more options for daily programming. VBS Directors can plan according to their individual needs because of the diversity of options.
Since the program is received by the Director in a collection of PDFs and Excel spreadsheets, there are very little costs. Beth and Dawn wanted a program that really was accessible to all congregations big and small. The price is $5.00 per child. Half of the proceeds will be donated to . An organization founded by two teens that work on environmental issues.
For more information about Our Beautiful Little Blue Planet, please visit: http://www.southeastgreen.com/index.php/seg-features/green-lifestyle/a-greener-faith/eco-vbs
Review of program
"I have been hoping for years that someone would publish some very good Vacation Bible School material that focuses on caring for God’s creation. Thankfully my wait is over. Beth Bond has created a Bible-centered curriculum that teaches the theology of creation care while integrating it with the science of what is happening to our planet, and helping to raise the awareness among people of faith that it is our responsibility as Christians to care for God’s creation. Our children are born with this awareness and Beth’s VBS curriculum nurtures that in our kids. This VBS material walks the walk as well; the activities are designed with environmental responsibility in mind, not just in what they teach, but in how they are constructed. Many churches are beginning to do good things to witness to their faith in Christ as good stewards of God’s creation. Conducting a creation-centered VBS is one of the best things our congregations can do. A big THANK YOU to Beth for a job well done."
- Rev. Pat Watkins, Missionary for the Care of God's Creation, General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church
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Pictures available on request. Review copy available upon request.
About Beth Bond
Beth Bond is the Curator of Green and Sustainable Business News at Southeast Green. As a Southerner, Bond was tired of hearing about everything "green" happening outside her native region which is what drove her to create the website. Southeast Green was founded in 2007 and is the only website dedicated to covering Sustainable Business and Environmental Policy news in the Southeastern United States. The website covers 11 states and Metro Atlanta and Washington DC.
Bond spent her formative years in Mobile, Alabama. She graduated from Florida State University and then served in Bouza, Niger as a Peace Corps Volunteer. She is active in her neighborhood and serves on Community Council for District 3, DeKalb County. When not working to better her community she participates in her church where she serves as Co-Chair for the Creation Care committee. She is an avid tennis player and college football fan.
About Rev. Dawn Bond
Rev. Dawn Bond has been a pastor since 2002. She attended Asbury Seminary after being called to serve as a pastor on a trip she and Beth were on together beside the Sea of Galilee in Israel in 1998.
Rev. Bond serves in the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. She currently serves in a three-point charge in Pine Hill, Alabama. Through her leadership and alongside a very dedicated UMW and church, she has been recognized for a program in the local elementary school that is a reward program for good behavior, attendance and academic achievement for students managed by her charge.
Bond has three children and three grandchildren and helps with Emmaus Walks when not supporting her local churches.
About One More Generation
(OMG) was founded in 2009 by 8 year old Carter Ries and 7 year old Olivia Ries. Carter and his Sister Olivia are both extremely passionate about animals and conservation. Following the adoption of Cheetahs in South Africa, Carter and Olivia began to question why humans would need to adopt wild animals like the cheetah. Carter and Olivia soon learned of the pressing issues surrounding endangered species, and knew they had to act.
Carter and Olivia started their own nonprofit in an effort to help educate children and adults about the plight of endangered species. Carter and Olivia’s intention is to preserve all species for at least One More Generation…and beyond.
