V.B.S. is a well-known educational tool used to help build a solid foundation of Christian knowledge in the life of a child. V.B.S. stands for Vacation Bible School and was first started in 1894. A Sunday school teacher, who was also a public-school teacher by the name of D.T. Miles, felt there was not enough time with the kids to teach them about Jesus. She decided to begin a summer-long day program that focused primarily of teaching the kids what a relationship with Jesus Christ looks like. One-hundred and thirty years later, V.B.S. is still a valued part of life in the church and the nourishment of the faith in our kids. However (I am sorry to add a however here), V.B.S. is on the decline. According to Barna Research, 81% of churches ran a V.B.S. program in 1997. That number dropped to 68% in 2012. As of 2022, which was the last research done on V.B.S., only 17% of churches that participated in the study offered some type of V.B.S. program. There are a host of reasons for this decline. Among the top reasons, volunteerism is down, and family activities are up.

I know this has the sound of doom and gloom written all over it. Every time we turn around, we are faced with the reality that more churches are closing, and the number of those walking away from faith is growing. However (I am not sorry for this however), what was mentioned in relationship to those studies was that even though V.B.S. programs are on the decline, churches are finding new ways to connect with kids. The truth still stands. Proverbs 22:6 says, “train a child up in the way they should go and when they are old, they will not depart from it.” They might depart from it as they are “getting” old, but a lot of them will come back. It is important that we show them what they have to “come back” to. Therefore, we give every God-given conviction that is placed within our hearts to care for the kids among us the time and attention they deserve.

Our own Vacation Bible School has changed over the years. It has moved from daytime to evening. It has moved from all week long to part of the week. It has moved from offering meals beforehand to only offering snacks. Over Covid, it moved from in-person to virtual. This is how I know that regardless of what happens in V.B.S. around us, regardless of what shifts take place in our own V.B.S. program, the Spirit of it will survive. We will continue to find ways to nurture and foster relationship with Jesus Christ in the kids that are sent to us. We will continue to build foundations that our children can stand upon with confidence when the world throws challenges their way. We will continue to be as pliable as the Holy Spirit needs us to be so in the ever-changing culture around us, kids will still have a place they can find and fall in love with Jesus.

I praise God for continuing to encourage us and equip us to offer V.B.S. as an educational tool for our kids to build a faith-filled foundation upon. I praise God for the many other ways we have found to nurture our kids’ faith. I praise God for the people who have said yes to being a part of this very important work. Now I ask you, “Will you please be a part of it?” Hear this request from the desperate and faithful heart of a mother who knows the impact the faith of the church can have on her children, in the positive and in the negative. Please join us in this gift we have before us. Please join us in prayer, by inviting your friends, family, or community members to participate. Please join us in offering your time and resources. Please respond to being a part of the good work God is continuing to use us for. The kids are the church of right now; help us raise them in such a way that the church of the future will reflect the love and care they receive right now. Amen!

From one light to another,
Pastor Hannah Loughman