The church chooses theme each year for VBS, and this year’s is “SeaQuest: Diving for God’s treasures.” Daily themes will be:

• Hidden treasure: Buried treasure and a priceless pearl
• Lost treasure: A sheep and a coin
• Real treasure: 2 sons and a father’s love
• Wise treasure: A life built on the rock
• Eternal treasure: A life that puts God first

“There’s lots of singing, games, crafts and snacks,” said Northway Bible’s vacation bible school administrator, Madeline Lacasse. The church expects 75-100 children to attend the school, which runs July 12-16. The half-day sessions last from 8:50 a.m. to noon. “This year we’re going to again have rock climbing.”

Meanwhile, Prince of Peace Lutheran and St. George’s Episcopal churches invite children to come to SonQuest Rainforest. The daily themes are: Get it!, Get Found!, Get God’s Love!, Get Praying! and Get Going!, and each is paired with a rainforest animal. Like SeaQuest, SonQuest offers singing, games, crafts and snacks. It runs 9 a.m. to noon June 28-July 2.

SonQuest costs $20 a child to cover the cost of supplies. But if a family’s financial hardships could prevent its children from attending, parents are urged to contact one of the churches.

Northway Bible’s Lacasse said the themes make bible school fun for children.

“The kids love it,” she said. “A lot of the kids tell their friends.”

For more information:

• Northway Bible Chapel, Moe Road, Clifton Park, 371.7556
• Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 4 Northcrest Drive, Clifton Park, 371.2226
• St. George’s Episcopal Church, 912 Route 146, Clifton Park, 371.6351
• SeaQuest: Diving for God’s treasure
• SonQuest Rainforest

In fact, Wednesday they were given a choice of what to do during free time. They opted to read.

“When I was in kindergarten I was all about the toys,” said Tara Durning, one of the school’s kindergarten teachers. “These kids love to read.”

So when they realized they could raise money to help people just by reading, they were highly motivated. So motivated that earned $578.60 for Heifer International’s Read to Feed program as their monthly service project. The students voted to use the money to buy a cow, some rabbits and some chicks for a village in Africa.

The kindergarten classes of Mother Teresa Academy teachers Tara Durning (left) and Sara Duffany raised nearly $580 for Heifer International's Read for Feed program.

As for the rabbits, “they’re going to give them a haircut and make some clothes out of that,” Carter said. Another student added that bunny poop could be used for “fertilizer to grow plants.”

Each student was given a goal of 28 books to read as part of the fundraising drive and asked to read at least 20 minutes a night. Some read more; one student even read 57 books.

Less you think the kids were padding their numbers with pictures books, 21 of the 28 students were reading chapter books such as the Magic Tree House and Junie B. Jones series of books. And they were doing the reading, not being read to.

“It wasn’t that the parents were reading,” said Sara Duffany, the school’s other kindergarten teacher. “To count, they had to read the books themselves. Of course, they could read it to their parents.”

In class, they read “Beatrice’s Goat,” based on the true story of Ugandan child Beatrice Biira.

“The goat gave her milk, and she sold the milk, and it gave her enough money to go to school,” Abby said.

From there, Biira was able to win a scholarship to a New England prep school and finally to Connecticut College. Since then, the descendants of original goats Heifer International sent to her village have been given to others in the community.

So “if someone is doing Read to Feed,” Ashley said, “you could buy a cow and help someone.”

For more information:

• Mother Teresa Academy, 511 Moe Road, Clifton Park, 857.2288
• Heifer International’s Read to Feed program
• Heifer International
• 60 Minutes on Beatrice’s Goat

“The 70 returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!’” Luke 10:1-3a, 17.

Go and return with joy! That’s the rhythm of mission. It seems especially poignant right now. I’m writing the day before we board the bus to begin the journey that will take us to serve our neighbors in Berlin, Germany.

I wish I could say that I was ready to go. But alas, a night and a morning of organizing and packing remains. Details, details…

But I am ready to serve! I love to serve. I’m not quite sure, but I think this is the 14th mission trip I have been on. It is the 3rd one to a foreign country. Though the total numbers are a little fuzzy, with everyone of those trips I have returned with joy.

There has been joy over work accomplished, but far more joy over seeing Jesus in the face of others and in some way being Jesus to others. These are times of intentionally incarnating the love of Jesus. It is so fulfilling and uplifting. In fact one of the most common expressions of those I have known on mission trips is “I received far more than I gave.”

It feels that good to serve in Jesus’ name!

But we need not limit that experience to mission trips. Every day is a day in which you are in mission for Jesus. Every day is a day in which you can share the love and acceptance of Jesus. Every day is a day in which you can see the face of Jesus in your neighbor. Every day is a day in which you can practice loving the Lord you God with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul and all your strength; and love your neighbor as yourself.

Every day! Even today! Even tomorrow!

You’ve been called to be children of God and ambassadors for the gospel. You’ve been sent! Now go, then return to share your joy!

Jeff Silvernail is pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Clifton Park.

For more information:

• Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 4 Northcrest Drive, Clifton Park, 371.2226
• Prince of Peace’s Facebook page

St. George’s will start offering classes for kindergarten and first grade in the fall. It joins Mother Teresa Academy and the Saratoga Academy of the Arts and Sciences as private schools in Clifton Park.

“We’re going to be old-fashioned and new-fashioned together,” said Phyllis Aldrich, a parishioner who is helping St. George’s start its school. Aldrich, who recently retired as BOCES coordinator of gifted education, now works as an occasional consultant on international schools for the State Department.

Phyllis Aldrich, a retired BOCES official, plays with Kassie Morris and Matt Rock at a St. George's School open house. The school will open in the fall with kindergarten and 1st-grade classes.

“We’ve got to be citizens of the world,” said Aldrich, citing the federal government’s promotion of “critical foreign languages,” including Japanese, Chinese, Russian and Arabic.

St. George’s plans no more than 2 classes per grade with each class having a maximum of 13-14 students. Based on parents’ responses, the school will consider expanding up to fifth grade.

“We’re going to go slowly because we want to do it well,” Aldrich said. “Everything we have here will be the best that we can have it.”

That includes starting the students with technology right away. The school will provide each student with an iPad.

“The future is digital,” Aldrich said. “We’re headed to the future … prayerfully.”

The school will also have daily chapel and grace before lunch. But that doesn’t mean it is limited to Episcopalians. Aldrich stressed that children of all beliefs — including nonbelievers — are welcome.

St. George’s school day will be the same as a normal Shenendehowa elementary school day — 8:15 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. St. George’s will offer enrichment programs before school starting at 7 and after school until 6. If there is room, the enrichment classes — teaching things such as drama, foreign languages and the chemistry of cooking — will be open to children who aren’t St. George’s students.

“It won’t be babysitting,” Aldrich said. “It will be learning.”

Saratoga Academy of the Arts and Sciences

Saratoga Academy is in its 2nd year, offers 2 preschool classes, 2 kindergarten classes, a 1st-grade class and a combined 2nd-5th-grade class. It has already grown from 37 students to 120.

“We created the kind of school we wanted for our own children,” said Michael Christensen, who is the school’s president and headmaster. “Our 1st-graders are doing 3rd-grade work.”

Christensen said combining 2nd through 5th grades allows the school to meet the needs of the students on an individual basis.

“We train our students to be creative, competent problem-solvers who think outside of the box,” said Christensen, a former high-school principal who is finishing his Ph.D. in educational administration at the University at Albany. He said the academy was founded to offer parents in the area a choice in schools.

“There weren’t many options in this area,” he said. “The other private schools were either too far away, religious based or too expensive.”

Mother Teresa Academy

Mother Teresa Academy was the school that started the trend. It’s in its 5th year as an independent Catholic school.

“A lot of the Catholic schools in the city were being closed, but they (diocese officials) weren’t opening schools in the suburbs,” Mother Teresa director Joyce Maddalone said. “We just really needed one in the Clifton Park area.”

Every day the students have chapel and a Bible lesson. All of the school’s teachers have master’s degrees. The school — which currently goes up to 2nd grade — will eventually offer classes up to 5th grade. But that will require some expansion — despite the school have just moved into a brand-new building.

“We’ve maxed out the space in our new building,” Maddalone said.

For more information:

• St. George’s Elementary School, 912 Route 146, Clifton Park, 371.6351
• Saratoga Academy of the Arts and Sciences, 1524 Route 9, Clifton Park, 598.3364
• Mother Teresa Academy, 511 Moe Road, Clifton Park, 857.2288

Like it or not, whether you expect a refund or not, we have to put ourselves through it because as the old adage says, “There is nothing certain except death and taxes.”

Mary Magdalene and the other women knew both realities. That had certainly dealt with their share of tax collectors over the years. You could curse them, hate them and maybe even try to avoid them, but sooner or later you had to pay the piper. Now they knew it with death. No one wanted to hear Jesus talk about his death, not Peter or the others — and certainly not Mary.

Avoidance felt so comforting until the cold, hard reality of Friday stretched now to Sunday morning. Still, as unpleasant as the prospect was there were things that had to be done for a body — it was only right.

Luke 24:1-8 (The Message)

1-3: At the crack of dawn on Sunday, the women came to the tomb carrying the burial spices they had prepared. They found the entrance stone rolled back from the tomb, so they walked in. But once inside, they couldn’t find the body of the Master Jesus.

4-8: They were puzzled, wondering what to make of this. Then, out of nowhere it seemed, two men, light cascading over them, stood there. The women were awestruck and bowed down in worship. The men said, “Why are you looking for the Living One in a cemetery? He is not here, but raised up. Remember how he told you when you were still back in Galilee that he had to be handed over to sinners, be killed on a cross, and in three days rise up?” Then they remembered Jesus’ words.

Jesus is risen! Jesus is alive — and that changes everything. Burial spices are forgotten — who needs them? Fearful disciples are filled with courage to tell the world about Jesus. The bad news of death is canceled with the good news of life for all who will receive it. The one who was buried is alive and has changed the world. Jesus continues to change the world.

Jesus continues to change us and fill us with life and make us ready for the coming of his Kingdom — when I think he will settle that tax thing, too.

Jeff Silvernail is pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Clifton Park.

For more information:

• Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 4 Northcrest Drive, Clifton Park, 371.2226
• Prince of Peace’s Facebook page

“And who is my neighbor?” So asked the teacher of the law to Jesus. He had already gotten his gold star; he gave Jesus a great answer to a question: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“Do this and you will live,” responded Jesus.

I picture him beaming. Then the realization hit — that’s a lot, too much even. There has to be limits. “Who is my neighbor?”

In response Jesus told the Parable of the Good Samaritan. (You can read the whole story in Luke 10:25-37.) Jesus concluded the parable with another question. “Who was neighbor to the one who fell into the hands of robbers.”

The teacher of the law responded, “The one who showed mercy.”

By now it is obvious that the poorest country in North America has suffered a cataclysm. Tens of thousands are dead, and what little infrastructure Haiti had was largely destroyed. We, as people of faith ask, “What can we do?”

The U.S. government is helping. Corporations and entertainment figures are helping. But what can we do?

It is a great question because there is a vital role for the faith community. In fact, church-related ministries are often the most effective at reaching the people in need and in assisting with recovery that will best meet the needs of the people — our neighbors. Often the highest percentage of your donation will be delivered. My own denomination, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, in America has promised that 100% of contributions to the Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund will go to help victims. I’m sure we aren’t alone in this.

Our faith-based relief agencies across multiple denominations were there long before the quake, and we will continue to be there long after the gaze of the media has moved on.

Here is what we can do as neighbors: Bring a donation to your church this Sunday designated for Haiti. Your finance people will know what to do to see that it gets to the proper agency. If you can’t come to church this week call your church office for instructions on how to give or check the website of your church or denomination. The ELCA’s relief fund is at https://community.elca.org/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx?pid=538

Together, in showing mercy, we can be neighbors.

Jeff Silvernail is pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Clifton Park.

Of course, he’s earned it. Sanderson just celebrated the 50th anniversary as an Episcopal priest. So with relatives in from out of town, he asked for Christmas off. It’s only the second or third time he has had Christmas off in his career. Not that he minds.

Rev. Herbert Sanderson, an assistant rector at Grace Church in Waterford, recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of his ordination.

He was back to work Sunday. Sanderson — an assistant rector at Grace Church in Waterford since 2002 — filled in for the organist. It’s a role he is familiar with as he is the congregation’s former organist and current music coordinator.

Sanderson’s calling to the priesthood came when he was studying psychology and music in college.

“I knew that’s what God wanted me to do with my adult life,” he said.

But after college the U.S. government had other plans for him. He was drafted. Because of his music background, he was assigned to be a trombonist with an Army band in South Korea. When a chaplain’s assistant assignment came open, he was able to transfer to it.

After being honorably discharged, Sanderson went to graduate school for a year and then earned a master of divinity degree from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale University. He was ordained Dec. 19, 1959 at St. Peter’s Church in Lyndonville, Vt., where he began his priesthood career as a vicar.

After that, he was pastor of St. Paul’s Church in Vergennes, Vt., for 5 years and rector of Holy Cross Church in Troy for 12 years.

In addition to his church duties, Sanderson was a psychologist with a private practice in Troy and an adjunct educational psychology professor at Russell Sage. He still sees a few patients in his psychology practice.

“I was very forthright in wanting to work out of both sets of gifts,” he said. “I really enjoy being a priest and very much enjoy being a psychologist.”

For more information:

• Grace Episcopal Church, 34 Third Street, Waterford, 237.7370
• St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 51 Elm Street, Lyndonville VT, 802.626.5705
• Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, 409 Prospect Street, New Haven CT, 203.432.9285

Yes, it can.

And that’s what it will be doing starting Saturday at Clifton Park Center. For the fourth year in a row, Clifton Park Chabad will be building a menorah out of food cans. When Chanukah is over, the menorah will be dissembled and the cans donated to local food pantries. Last year over 200 cans were given to help the hungry.

Clifton Park Chabad will be building a menorah out of food cans, which will be donated to local food pantries after Chanukah.

Rubin had heard of balloon menorahs and chocolate menorahs. So when Chabad was organizing in Clifton Park, the group was looking for a distinctive menorah idea. The thought of a can menorah — one that would help the hungry — seemed appropriate for Chanukah.

“Chanukah is turning darkness into light,” Rubin said. “We celebrate the freedom of the Jewish people.”

Saturday’s celebration — which starts at 6 p.m. — will be a whole lot more than the lighting of the menorah, though. This year’s theme is dreidels and doughnuts. There will also be traditional Chanukah food such as hot latkes along with a cellist playing Chanukah songs, crafts and a family dreidel game.

People are encouraged to bring canned goods for local food banks — some kosher, others not. And there will be a drop box at Clifton Park Center for food donations.

“We prefer kosher, but any type of food is fine because we can always give it to a nonkosher food bank,” Rubin said.

The event is one of many the group is planning during December. On the 15th — in association with Saratoga Chabad — there will be a Chanukah on Ice event at Saratoga Springs Ice Rink (30 Weibel Ave.). The event begins with a Chanukah party at 4:30 p.m., followed by skating between 5-6.

On Dec. 21, the Jewish Women’s Circle will be creating decoupage boxes. And on Dec. 29 at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library, there will be the screening of a documentary about the security of Israel.

“We also go around to old people in Southern Saratoga giving out food packages during the holidays,” Rubin said.

Among the other activities Clifton Park Chabad holds during the year are regular classes at the library and a kids art zone.

“We’re a small group,” Rubin said, “but we do events for the whole community.”

For more information:

• Clifton Park Chabad
• Clifton Park Center, 22 Clifton Country Road, Clifton Park, 371.7010

You’d be wrong. When the Thursday Belles — an English handbell group formed in 1959 by the late Helen Henshaw, who was one of the Northeast’s premier bell-ringing enthusiasts — performs at 5 p.m. Sunday at the First Reformed Church of Schenectady, the atmosphere will be fun and festive.

Clifton Park resident Judy Moore directs the Thursday Belles during a rehearsal at the First Reformed Church of Schenectady.

Besides the bell ringers, the concert will include carol singers, organist Elinore Farnum and pianist Joan Nikolski. There will be traditional and religious carols, the performance will conclude with the bell ringers playing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Jingle Bells and an “absolutely outrageous version” of the 12 Days of Christmas before finishing with Silent Night.

“That church has wonderful acoustics,” Moore said. “It sounds so majestic.”

If you can’t make it to Sunday’s concert, the Thursday Belles will also be performing at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 11 at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library. The library event will include a “ring and sing” segment, where audience members will have the opportunity to play the chimes.

“I’ve had people ring them upside down, backwards,” Moore said. “Who cares — they’re having fun with it.”

Moore, an Atlanta native who now lives in Clifton Park, has lived all over the country, moving whenever her late husband was transferred in his job with the U.S. government. She was drafted into becoming a bell-ringing director years ago.

“My daughter was a teen ringer at the bell choir in North Dakota,” she said. When that group’s director quit, one of the girls recruited Moore — who has a degree in music education and plays the piano among other instruments — to be the replacement.

“Being a musician does not a handbell ringer or director make,” Moore said. “It was learning on the fly. I was studying and learning to direct at the same time.”

That was 20 years ago. After her husband’s job brought the family to the Capital Region, Moore became involved with area bell ringers — becoming known by directing groups and running workshops. So when the Thursday Belles’ director retired 4 years ago, the group chose Moore as the replacement.

“We are unique. We are a community choir; we’re not church affiliated,” said Moore, who added the group’s volunteers come from all of the Capital Region — including bell ringers from Clifton Park and Ballston Lake. “We’re not bound to sacred music. I really try to come up with a blend — not too light, not too heavy.”

For more information:

• Thursday Belles
• First Reformed Church of Schenectady, 8 North Church Street, Schenectady, 377.2201
• Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library, 475 Moe Road, Clifton Park, 371.8622

At first, the church had a string tied around the clapper so that members could ring the bell without moving it. The belfry could be seen tilting. Then, while doing some painting, church members discovered how much wood rot had damaged the bell cradle.

Jonesville United Methodist Church historian Dan Moran now can ring the church's bell after a restoration that won an award from the town of Clifton Park.

Something had to be done. The cheapest option was to remove the bell and repair the belfry. But that didn’t seem right.

“To have the overall picture of the nice rural church with the bell … to have that ambiance is something a lot of people enjoy,” Moran said.

So the church decided to repair the belfry and keep the bell, calling upon parishioners to support the project via a special fundraising effort. Steel supports running down to concrete in the ground were installed to hold up the steeple’s backside, so that it no longer rested on the church’s roof. The bell cradle was replaced because it was too damaged to be rebuilt.

The project ended up costing around $125,000, but the church is happy with the result. The restoration was completed in 2007, and this month the Clifton Park town board presented the church with the 2009 Historic Preservation Annual Award for the project.

Now Jonesville UMC is one of the rare churches with a working bell.

“We’ve encouraged the children to go ring the bell,” Moran said. “I find it personally very exciting to think we’ve got a bell up there.”

For more information:

• Jonesville United Methodist Church, 963 Main Street, Clifton Park, 877.7332
• Town of Clifton Park, 1 Town Hall Plaza, Clifton Park, 371.6651