The Evangelical Covenant Church in south Lafayette, Ind., took more than 500 kids on an imaginary river rafting trip this summer. First United Methodist Church in Brooksville, Fla., is mixing crafts with Christ. And Southern Baptist churches across the country are luring kids into their fellowship halls with the promise of Amazon expeditions.
Despite the fun, Vacation Bible School is serious business.
The summer outreach effort is perhaps a church's best opportunity to teach kids about Jesus, according to George Barna, whose research firm tracks Christian trends and beliefs.
Children ages 5 to 13 have a 32 percent probability of accepting Jesus as savior, according to Barna Research Group's 2002 study. That likelihood drops to 4 percent for those between ages 14 and 18. Those older than 18 have a 6 percent probability of accepting Jesus as savior, according to Barna.
While most churches try to offer VBS for free, some charge up to $40 per child for the week to help cover curriculum costs, including snacks, crafts and T-shirts. Churches rely on volunteers to staff the week-long activities.
Whatever the cost, churches can't afford to miss the opportunity VBS presents, said Rob Sanders, LifeWay Christian Resource's editor-in-chief of VBS.
"It's clear that if we're serious about bringing people into God's kingdom, there's no better time than when they're young and open to the Word," Sanders said.
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VBS History Vacation Bible School dates back to 1898, when a doctor's wife was looking for a way to get kids off New York's streets during the summer. Mrs. Waler Aylett Hawes rented a beer hall in New York's East Side to conduct her Everyday Bible School, according to "New Horizons in Vacation Bible School." Though Hawes was a Baptist, VBS was a non-denominational event that usually lasted for four weeks. |
"One of our guiding principles is that VBS is the flagship outreach event for all sizes of churches," Sanders said. "More prospects are discovered and more people come to Christ through this one event than through Easter pageants and even revivals."
Successful outreach
LifeWay tracks VBS' results through the Southern Baptist Convention's Annual Church Profile. While information gathered from last year's effort isn't yet ready for release, statistics from the 2000 Ocean Odyssey-themed VBS indicate churches discovered more than half a million Sunday school prospects through the week-long event.
Among its other findings from 2000:
- More than 25,000 Vacation Bible Schools were held by churches and missions.
- Nearly 2.8 million kids, mostly ages 3 through fifth grade, were enrolled in VBS.
- An average of 111 children attended each VBS.
- More than 91,000 kids made professions of faith through VBS.
- More than 530,000 Sunday school prospects were discovered through VBS.
"The untold story is the seeds you plant," Sanders said. "This opens the door for families -- moms and dads, brothers and sisters -- in a non-threatening way. Many people will start coming to church just because their kids had a great experience at Vacation Bible School."
According to Dr. Thom Rainer, church consultant and author of "Surprising Insights from the Unchurched," the oft-used youth ministry paradigm of reaching parents to reach their children is now reversed.
"Almost one out of five of the formerly unchurched who were influenced by some relationship indicated that their children were the most important of these relationships," Rainer notes in the book.
Good News, good times
Evangelical Covenant Church used Gospel Light's 2002 "SonCanyon River Adventure" curriculum for its VBS in early June. Children learned to follow God's instructions, choose friends wisely, make peace, show respect and trust Jesus, said Ronda Ooms, the church's children's ministry director.
"We bring the Bible stories to life," Ooms said. The goal is to show kids "Christianity can be fun, that having a relationship with God is a fun thing."
Pastors should take advantage of VBS' relaxed atmosphere, too, Sanders said.
"From planning and promoting it to just being there that week, a pastor's presence can make a real difference," Sanders said. "Those kids that are used to seeing him only in a formal church setting can see their pastor in a new, relaxed setting. It creates a dynamic that carries kids further along."
Sanders also reminds churches to reach beyond the church doors. He recently heard of a megachurch that accidentally mailed VBS fliers to a different ZIP code than originally planned. More than 600 additional children showed up for VBS based on that mailing, Sanders said.
"It just goes to show you that if you expand your vision a little and are willing to do a little more work, you have a chance to enlarge your tent and reach a whole new group of kids for Jesus," he said.
