Vacation Bible School was the brainchild of a Mrs. D.T. Miles, wife of a Methodist minister in Hopedale, Ill. Mrs. Miles, it is said, was concerned that the children of her husband’s congregation weren’t learning enough on Sundays and needed a monthlong course of study over the summer. The first session, in 1884, had 37 students. Like its modern-day counterparts, it included arts and crafts, singing, exercise, drama and Bible study.
Today, more than half of American churches offer VBS. Many provide a weeklong, half-day program during the summer, primarily for grade-schoolers. Increasingly, however, churches are switching to evening sessions, and offering classes for adults, as well, said the Rev. Mayra Castaneda, assistant director of education and leadership ministries for the National Council of Churches.
VBS is big business for the publishing houses of the major denominations, which develop an annual theme–ranging from ranching to hot-air ballooning–and sell workbooks, teacher manuals, decorations and computer games wrapped around it. More than 70% of the 35,000 United Methodist churches in the U.S. offer Vacation Bible School, and they learned next year’s theme, “Beach Party: Surfin’ Through the Scriptures,” this July. The 2008 material will be available by December, allowing churches, if they choose, to conduct a summer-themed VBS over Christmas vacation.
VBS is the single greatest contribution Protestantism has made to Christianity. I’m serious.
I love VBS. It is a great outreach to the neighborhood, and there is more retained through 5 days of VBS then months of Sunday School. Churches that don’t do VBS really are shortchanging the impact they can have on their community.
I have heard of VBS but it is hardly common, let alone the greatest contribution Protestantism has made to Christianity, outside the USA.
I found something interesting when I went to my son’s VBS (done at a Baptist church near by). When we quote from the Psalms, we say [b]Psalm[/b] 62:1. When the Evangelicals quote from the book of Psalms, they say [b]Psalm[i]s[/i][/b] 62:1. We see the pslams as a book of poems or hymns. They see it as another book of scripture.
YBIC,
Phil Snyder
I was the director for our church’s VBS this past June, where we served 200+ children, utilizing around 100 volunteers over the course of the week. Personally, I learned so much about the power of prayer, trusting in the Lord to deliver, and serving those that are not easy to serve (and I’m not talking about the children here)! IMO, those churches that don’t “do” VBS are missing out on so much, not only with regard to furthering the education of their children, but also with regard to furthering the walks of the parents as well!
I remember the VBS that held its classes in a motor home (trailer that is) back in 1943. My sister and I went to it together. When we “graduated” and left we both desired the Baptist rite of Baptism, and in doing so we accepted Jesus as our Savior and Lord just shortly threreafter. She and I have both been blessed because of this day in 1943 and 64 years later we are holding fast to what happened that year.
This is what you get for VBS at my former parish (held back in June). From the religion shorts / church events column in the local newspaper:
Yes this is exactly what it said (name of parish and location deleted).
VBS doesn’t have to be a big canned event. Our little church (45 ASA) teamed up with two other churches in our town this summer and used a homegrown curriculum. Each church contributed $250 which included the (free) cookout on the Friday evening of the week. The VBS immeasurably blessed the thirty kids who attended and the nearly as many adults who put it on. The Friday nite cookout gave parents, grandparents and kids from the different churches an opportunity to connect and just have a good time. We’ve already got next year’s date on the calendar and have a pretty good idea for the content. There were some completely unchurched adults and kids who took part – some in very difficult or even tragic family circumstances and what an opportunity it gave us all to surround them with the love and reality of Jesus Christ – and also to build a foundation for future relationships. The thought of VBS all summer is overwhelming, but boy, would that be a power for change in our little town.
Jennie, I would love to know more about your VBS. My tiny little church needs to do some form of outreach. In the past, we have partnered with the Catholic church and the Presbyterian church, and could do so again, if we had the right idea.