Prepare to Believe is the theme for Answers in Genesis’ Creation Museum and that was the purpose when Lutherans For Life of Iowa took 23 passengers on a bus trip to the museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, in October. Understanding Genesis is essential to understanding the sanctity of life and the Creation Museum presents a walk through history of the first chapters of the Bible. Designed by a former Universal Studios exhibit director, this state-of-the-art 70,000 square-foot museum as well as the spectacular outdoor gardens and petting zoo bring the pages of the Bible to life!
LFL of Iowa’s trip to the museum consisted of four days (two days on the bus and two days at the museum) and three nights traveling from central Iowa to the museum outside of Cincinnati and back. Those attending were from age 12 to 80+, from across Iowa and from Missouri, and included LFLers and friends interested in learning how to defend their faith in biblical creation. While at the museum, guests were able to attend a show in the Stargazer’s Planetarium, listen to AIG’s renowned speakers explain how Genesis is still relevant in today’s world, watch videos that strengthen the Christian worldview, tour the beautiful gardens, visit the petting zoo, and of course spend plenty of time studying the museum exhibits covering Creation, the Fall, the flood, the confusion of Babylon, and Christ’s redemptive act on the cross for our salvation.
Time on the bus was also used to present videos, listen to audio presentations, and play games that taught the wonder of Creation and the inerrancy of God’s Word. No time was wasted and we may have learned as much on the bus as at the museum!
There were many comments from people on our trip. “Wow” was the most common! “I’m ready to go again” echoed through the bus on the way home. Learning how Creation and the flood can be proven by scientific evidence was fascinating. Connecting with Dr. David Menton, AIG staff member and a long-time friend of LFL, was an added bonus and his presentation was, as always, entertaining and informative.
LFL of Iowa would encourage others to consider sponsoring similar trips to the Creation Museum. Here are a few points we learned that might help get your planning started:
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Give yourself plenty of time to plan, advertise, and get commitments from people interested in attending. If possible, use advertising and videos from the museum and get testimonials from people who have been there in order to capture people’s attention. LFL of Iowa was blessed to have the help of Ellen Bauer of Waverly who has planned several Iowa trips to the museum and has a passion for getting Christians to Petersburg! I’ll be glad to give you her contact information if you are interested in speaking with her.
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Know the cost of the trip and the minimum number of attendees it will take to cover the expenses. We charged people for the bus ride, the hotel stay based on the number in each room, and the museum tickets. Individuals covered their own meals and any purchases (the book store is full of resources to bring home to your family and congregation). Covering the cost of the bus was probably the most challenging aspect of planning the trip. We looked into smaller passenger buses when we knew our numbers were lower than expected and our bus company brought the price down to match a competitor’s bid.
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Know your group. We spent two full days at the museum and three nights in a hotel. One day at the museum is definitely not enough time but a younger group of people may only need one and a half days at the museum and may be willing to board the bus for home right from the museum on the second day, eliminating the cost of one night’s motel stay. Meal costs vary on the type of food you choose. There is plenty of room for coolers in the storage area of charter busses and this can also reduce costs.
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Don’t give up if your original plan doesn’t work out! The first time we planned our trip we didn’t think we had enough people but decided to only postpone, not cancel, the trip. As the second deadline approached we had approximately the same number of people but were determined to go! We worked with the bus company to lower their bid, found a donor to cover the cost of museum tickets (which also happened to be half price the month we were there), and LFL of Iowa made a commitment to cover unmet expenses (only $50!). God might have worked some miracles for us once He knew we were determined!
Everyone can benefit from a visit to the Creation Museum, but I believe we should target our young people and provide opportunities for them to experience all the museum has to offer. I recently heard a campus pastor state that our young people struggle most with defending Genesis 1-11 on college campuses. We have a resource just outside Cincinnati, within a day’s drive of almost 2/3 of the U.S. population, where one can gain a greater understanding of the tenets of creation and redemption through the Bible itself! I pray that fellow LFL chapters and individuals will consider organizing a trip to the museum. It can be done! Please contact me if I can be of assistance in your planning. (kfrohwe@hotmail.com or 641.691.1884)