The prompt was to show off one’s scientific progress by replicating an experiment from the video of the day. This team made bubbles within bubbles.


church does a Sports Camp rather than a VBS, but we were not able to make that work in 2020. Instead, we offered an at-home VBS that could be digitally accessed by families. I did another GooseChase alongside that pro- gram to help it feel like we were participating together. There were new missions every day that week; some re- quired you to show off the VBS material you had learned or completed, others were just for fun. Whichever family scored the most points each day received a prize, and the kids were very excited when I showed up at their door to deliver the prizes in person.


Though 2020 brought a lot of unpleasantness,


GooseChase is something I plan to continue using in children’s ministry. I could see our church having a spe- cial Awana night where kids compete in their teams to complete missions; or a zoo trip in the summer months, where families can spend a day out together, completing missions at the zoo. Perhaps GooseChase will even find it’s way into our Sports Camp this summer.


While GooseChase won’t be the right fit for every-


one, it turned out to be an enjoyable, memorable experi- ence for us. Churches today are having to look for new, intentional ways to foster community, so I wanted to share this tool with anyone who might utilize it. We need to have many different approaches to keeping our con- gregations connected; but a game where everyone from kids to grandparents completes goofy challenges to win prizes? You can count me in for that every time.


Seth Guthrie is the Pastor of Children’s Ministry at Community Bible Church in Omaha, Nebraska. Under this ministry, Seth runs Sunday Schools for children up to sixth grade, oversees Discovery (Children’s Church), and directs an Awana program that serves over 200 kids and has over 100 volunteers. He and his wife, Jennifer, have two young boys and enjoy spending time as a family playing boardgames, reading books, and getting outside.


FELLOWSHIP FOCUS, FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 14


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