Unless you’ve grown up attending Vacation Bible School regularly, you may not understand the purpose. Why host a VBS? Are they really necessary? Why did we start this tradition to begin with? Well, there’s a lot of history Vacation Bible School but just know that Vacation Bible School’s purpose hasn’t really changed. In the beginning, such bible schools were used to introduce children to the gospel of Jesus Christ in an immersive and fun way. Even though the primary focus for Vacation Bible School has not changed, the purpose for it is a little more defined and enhanced in today’s church culture. Let’s talk about that.
What Is the Purpose of Vacation Bible School?
VBS Is For Outreach?
Bringing new children into your children’s ministry is always going to be an important part of growing and strengthening the church. Without young people stepping into your church culture, the ministry will be a little lopsided probably leaning to more mature audiences. But a vibrant, robust church is going to include people of all ages. Therefore, you have to have a vehicle to take you into those crowds of kids to pull out the ones that belong with you. To reach kids you have to have kids’ programs. Relationship building is important of course. But the honest truth is it’s a little difficult nowadays to connect with children in a manner that is safe for you and for kids. So by having public events like Vacation Bible School, you will have the opportunity to reach into those communities and find children that are excited about what your church has to offer.
VBS means Leading Them to Christ
Vacation Bible School is important because a lot of times kids are not raised in homes where church attendance is a big priority. Even people that love God don’t attend church as regularly as they used to. Having a Vacation Bible School a few times a year or once a quarter is an important and crucial way to stay connected with these peripheral families. Keep them coming back to you with regularly scheduled “big” events. Always confirm contact information at the event. “Hey! Have you changed your phone number? I don’t want you to miss the next event!” Update any and all contact methods with parents at the beginning of each event.
VBS is for the Teacher
Lastly, Vacation Bible School isn’t just for the kids and parents that attend but also for the teachers. We all need and desire to teach. Most of us only have church services on Wednesdays or Sundays and some churches only on Sundays. That’s only one to three times a week to connect with kids. That’s just not a lot. How can you satisfy the desire to teach in a one-hour time slot once a week? Having quarterly Vacation Bible School solves that problem and that will give you more of an opportunity to spend time with those kids and those families.
And it will give you a chance to teach and isn’t that what we all want to do?
More Help for Planning VBS
Rocky Railroad – Group VBS 2020
Let’s take a look at another excellent VBS 2020 Theme . This one is from Group VBS and called Rocky Railroad (official website). It’s a program made for the train loving children who dream of adventure and travel. Keep reading to see more details and find out if this Vacation Bible School curriculum is right […]
Concrete & Cranes VBS 2020 from LifeWay
It’s time to check out next summer’s themes for VBS 2020. This post takes a closer look at the new offering from LifeWay VBS (official website). This year they feature a construction theme called “Concrete & Cranes – building on the love of Jesus.” Be sure to leave a comment below or take our survey […]
Cokesbury VBS 2020 “Knights of the North Castle”
It’s time to find the right VBS 2020 theme for your church. This post takes a closer look at the Vacation Bible School program from Cokesbury titled, “Knights of the North Castle.” We’re excited to dig into this curriculum, but we would love to hear your ideas too. Leave a comment below or take our […]
VBS 2020 Themes & Curriculum – What’s the Best Vacation Bible School Program?
It’s time to launch into our 2020 Vacation Bible School planning – This page will help you pick the right VBS program for your church this summer of 2020. Browse the curriculum listing below to discover which publisher has the best VBS theme. We provide this information as a service to churches (we don’t sell […]
“Big Fish Bay” VBS 2020 from Regular Baptist Press
This fun program for VBS 2020 is from Regular Baptist Press. Big Fish Bay (official website) has a ocean / fishing boat theme and focuses on the Biblical story of Jonah. RBP is a longtime supporter of our website and we love to highlight their excellent resources for children’s ministry. Our website doesn’t sell curriculum, […]
VBS Pledges: Bible, American, & Christian Flag
Here are the traditional pledges for Vacation Bible School. No matter what 2020 VBS Theme you choose, these will help you kick start your day the right way. This download link above includes four pages: one for each individual pledge (Bible, Christian Flag, American Flag) and the combined version pictures below. I love the smell […]
29 VBS Games (Outdoor & Indoor) Recreation Ideas
Don’t let the kids down – Game time is often the favorite rotation in a traditional Vacation Bible School program. Download our easy game ideas and you’ll be ready! We’ve made this list simple and uses minimum supplies, just in case you need some last minute planning help. These are perfect for any VBS 2020 theme