Vbs

[bookslover]

Did you know that Vacation Bible School was invented in 1884 by a Methodist minister's wife who was concerned that the children in her husband's congregation weren't learning enough? And that the first VBSs were a MONTH long, not a week?

Go to www.opinionjournal.com, scroll down to the Friday posts, then click on the "on the taste page" where you'll find the post about "vacationing with Jesus".

VBS produces spiritual fruit - but is also a profitable big business.

 

[Ivan]

When I was a child VBS was for two weeks, Monday through Friday, from 9 AM to Noon. It was a wonderful time. It essentially started with a worship service and included Bible study, craft time, recreation, and snacks.

Hmmm...I think I want to go back!

I LOVE it!

 

[Semper Fidelis]

We just finished a VBS at our Church. My children are still talking about it.

 

[py3ak]

I always hated them, particularly the craft times.

 

[Ivan]

I always hated them, particularly the craft times.

Yes, I liked the craft time the least. I never cared about making things. It felt like work. Besides, while we were doing crafts other classes were outside have a grand old time playing games. That's where I wanted to be!

 

[py3ak]

Well, I don't remember liking the games, either, actually. And sometimes even the refreshments were pitiful. I suppose my VBS experiences may have been abnormal: or perhaps it was attending 3 in one year.

 

[Ivan]

Well, I don't remember liking the games, either, actually. And sometimes even the refreshments were pitiful. I suppose my VBS experiences may have been abnormal: or perhaps it was attending 3 in one year.

I only attended one VBS a year...my home church. The snacks were primo. There was the obligatory kool-aid (but made with lots of sugar), but the cookies were homemade and awesome. There was a Parent's Night, usually on Sunday night after the last day of VBS. The deserts was out of this world. Funny, I don't remember any fat members at my church. I guess we farmers worked it off.

I enjoyed the games because I liked competition. Most of the time we were allowed to play an abbreviated game of baseball. Lots of time for such things when VBS goes for three hours.

Maybe you should attended a Baptist VBS!

 

[Kevin]

I am convinced that VBS is an outreach especially suited for our culture. With parents both working VBS is considered a "safe" & cheap form of child care.

Some serious thought needs to be done on how to make it more effective in reaching parents as well as children.

BTW I know a family at our old church (PCA) that began going to church after our DVBS outreach. The father was raised in the church but had not gone since high school, mom never went. They began comming, & the mother made a proffesion of faith and today he is a deacon. All as a result (humanly speaking) of a vacation bible school.

 

[py3ak]

Ivan, I think at least one of them was a Baptist VBS. Since then I've helped in a couple, and we always had diminishing returns. We were able to do follow-up classes for a while though with a few of the kids. We'd do one class a week (and we'd go collect the kids) on Wednesday evenings before prayer meeting.