A hundred-plus kids, some excited, some anxious, lined up Thursday for their turn to pull the string that would blast their rockets into space.

Or at least high into the air above the grounds at Chelsea Park Elementary School, where New Height’s Methodist Church holds services and where they recently held Vacation Bible School.

Michele Beatty, Director of Children’s ministries, called the VBS program “A cosmic adventure praising God.”

She cited Psalm 150:6 “Let everything that breathes praise the Lord,” as a themed verse.

Using Galactic Blast as the main theme, they also “focused on the personal nature of God, His desire to love us and die for our sins in Jesus Christ,” Beatty said. “Children were reminded that God is always with us just as the moon is always next to the earth even when it can’t be seen.”

Cub Pack Master Dirk Byerman, who directed the rocket blast-off, said scout leaders use the activity to help get incoming cub scouts excited about scouting.

Using two-liter plastic bottles, the children taped on pieces of file folders for fins and party hats for nose cones. Then on Blast-Off Day, “We put them on the launcher and filled them about 1/3 full of water then pressurized the bottle with about 50 psi,” Byerman said. “The kids pulled a string that launched them about 150 feet into the air.”

Beatty said she thinks this might have been the children’s favorite activity, but they seemed most excited about writing letters and sending items like toiletries and candy to children in an orphanage in Mexico. “They really want to hear back from the children.”

She said VBS children were taught that just as God knows about the many stars in the sky, He knows about each child and cares for them.

“We reminded them that our God is wonderful, incredible and amazing.”

Around 140 children and 50 workers attended VBS, with Cheri Brennan as Director, Beatty said. More than 200 attended closing-night activities.

Pastor Keith Beatty and New Heights a New United Methodist Church can be reached at 478-6688. For more information visit Reachingnewheights.net.

Shelba Nivens can be reached by e-mail at ssnivens@bellsouth.net.