Vacation Bible School

Posted by Lorren on May 26, 2009

“Oh, the B-I-B-L-E… yes that’s the school for me!”

Our church is getting ready for this year’s Vacation Bible School. I get to be a puppet master for the second year in a row. I like the fact that kids get to come and learn about the Bible, but I’m a little bit disappointed in the Vacation Bible School experience that my child gets, in relation to the experience that I had when I was a kid.

I remember when I was a kid, Vacation Bible School occurred during the day. We’d show up around 8 or 9 in the morning, and we’d stay at church until around noon. We would sing in the beginning, then we’d all go to our classes. In class, we’d learn a Bible lesson. Each class would take turns going to the main auditorium to practice a song or two. We’d have snack time. We’d have time for crafts. We’d also have time for recess. At the end of the week, usually on Thursday evening, we’d have a special program in the evening for parents, singing the songs that we learned during the week. On Friday, we’d wrap everything up and have a picnic.

My daughter doesn’t get that experience. Most moms work now (and not from home like I do), and they have to go to day care during the day, so they have VBS at night, after work. They have a lesson, do about half their craft at VBS (and take the rest of it home), have a short program in the beginning, and then are sent home. No recess, and snacks are handed to the kids as they board the bus or leave with their parents. There is not enough time to learn a special song to sing to the parents. Our church hands out certificates to the children the next Sunday night.

It will be fun. My daughter enjoys it. But I don’t think that it’s the same as it was when you actually got to go for half the day.