Vacation Bible School

I would like to say I have long  held mixed feelings about Vacation Bible School. The truth is though, I have mostly held bad feelings about the program. No I am not opposed to biblical instruction geared towards youth. No I do not think each youth conversion is a matter of coercion and does not hold up under scrutiny.

At times I have wondered about youth conversions, but I have met way to many people who gave their first confession of faith at a VBS and they have been life long Christians ever since. This year was my first VBS at our new church. As the newly hired pastor I did not insert myself into the process and try and take over or change what they were doing as they have done it for decades without me. I have taken a wait and see and watch and learn approach to VBS this year. I have been present for the whole week of VBS and taken part in each experience of the kids, although I have mostly abstained from eating the food, except for some chips, a cookie, and last night meal.

I have thoughts.

1. VBS is every bit as important for the volunteers as it is for the kids. I have watched the volunteers come early, leave late, and spend time investing in the communities kids, most of which do not even attend out church. This is a great experience and opportunity for the volunteers, most of whom are women.
2. While I have usually felt it was a waste of time to spend our resources and volunteer capital on the kids of other churches, after spending all week involved I now see VBS as an investment not only in the lives of these kids for the Kingdom of God, but also for the betterment of our community. I met the kids and family of people who attend other churches in the area and feel greater kinship towards them. The kids also feel greater kinship towards us and our members so our community is stronger for having VBS.
3. I have watched the kids grow this week. On day one they were reserved. they held back and were quiet and somewhat uncertain of what was going on. By day 3 the kids were bonded and playing with each other, engaging the teachers, and being fully invested in each element of the days activities. In particular I found great joy in witnessing two kids who have experienced some serious trauma over the last year really come out of their shell by day 3 and having fun. VBS has helped to heal them and strengthen their position in their community and ours.
4. I am pleased to announce the kids learned Bible verses and theology and stories, as well as songs and this is information there is no reason they will forget. We have instructed them well this week and I feel very good about it. At Day 3's conclusion I asked the group a number of questions from the lesson and they answered them all. They might even have done better than adults would have done put through the same training.
5. I have even more questions whetheror not kids would be better off on Sundays staying in the service and learning with adults then being packed off to engage in activities with people their age. I really think sending them off is a bigger problem than we care to admit.

In the end I have come around on VBS. As a church we did not buy the canned material available on the market. We had a wonderful Christian lady in our church design the programming for the week and it has been a joy and she has done a great job. She has been in this church since she was a child. I am guessing around fifty five years and she is giving back to her community in many of the way it gave to her growing up. This also goes for the volunteers. They are stakeholders in the community and pouring time into the kids of the community, whether they attend our church or another one. This is time well spent!