“A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove… but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.” (Forest E. Witcraft)
Since churches all around are having Bible Schools this month and I let Jocie in her Heart of Hollyhill blog post talk about Bible school last night, I decided to repeat this post about VBS I did back in 2013. We didn’t have Vacation Bible School at our little church this year because we lack enough kids and enough workers, but I do have such great memories of Bible school there through the years. I hope someday that our church will have a revival growth and our church yard will be full of kids again.
So did you go to Vacation Bible School when you were a kid? Have you ever volunteered your time to teach kids Bible stories or help them tie dye shirts or make pencil holders out of soup cans? Could be you made a new friend like these two did.
Back in the day, so the older members of our little church used to tell me, they had Bible School for two weeks for three hours in the afternoon Monday through Friday. They drove a big truck around to gather up the kids in the neighborhood and when the church’s small Sunday school classrooms were unbearably hot with so many kids crowded in them, they had Bible School under the shade tree in the yard. They fed the kids Kool-Aid and cookies and taught them to store the Word of God in their hearts.
I don’t remember the two week Bible Schools, but I do remember the three hour day sessions. And I remember the fresh faces of the kids eager to hear the Bible stories and make something neat to take home to show their moms and dads. I remember singing “This Little Light of Mine” and “I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy Down in My Heart.” Each year, I’d give that whole week to Bible School preparing lessons and getting craft ideas ready. Many of the other women in the church and some of the men did the same. It didn’t matter that the beans in the garden were ready to pick or that they needed to make a few gallons of tomato juice. At VBS time, they were at church for a big chunk of the day to share the Gospel with a child.
Sweet children’s face march through my memory as I think back on my forty plus years of teaching Bible School at Goshen. I’m not all that good with crafts. Sand jars are usually my go to craft and one the kids usually have fun doing. Did you know you can make great “sand” for those sand sculptures with plain old salt and colored chalk. Just pour salt out on wax paper and let the kids rub the chalk on it. The more they scrub the salt with the chalk, the darker the color will be.
I’ve tried other things too. Made wind chimes out of bamboo sticks once.That was with older kids, and the necklace of the Ten Commandments rolled up as tiny scrolls and threaded on a string was pretty neat. Tie dying t-shirts in interesting and often very unique ways was fun for the kids too. Maybe the most unusual thing I ever did with a class was let them paint cow bones. I gathered the sun bleached bones out in my field from long dead cows and the boys I had in my class that year got a kick out of making them into some very strange creatures. You’re probably going “ewww!” But the bone art was actually pretty neat. And I had country kids so they were okay with painting cow bones.
But what I always liked best about Bible School was telling the stories. So many great stories in the Bible! Elijah calling down the fire from heaven. Daniel in the lion’s den. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace. Jesus calming the storm and walking on the water. The little boy and his five loaves and two fishes. (That’s the story that Jocie tells in her unique style over on her blog post.) I could go on and on. I love telling the stories in the Bible. I guess that’s why I enjoy writing Christian fiction so much. I get to sneak some of those stories in with my stories.
So how about you? Did you ever have fun at VBS as a kid or a teacher? If so, what did you like best?
Thanks for reading.
Comments 19
Looks like a lot of little churches have a problem having enough kids for Bible School. That’s such a shame. It’s a favorite memory of my childhood.
Author
I agree, Ola. There was always something special about our Bible schools at our small country church. But now the families with children who move into our area choose to go to the bigger churches where they have youth ministers and many organized events. That’s certainly understandable.
Wonderful memories of VBS at a small Presbyterian church in Chaumont, NY – close to 60 years ago. I remember craft projects that always involved lots of popsicle sticks!
Author
Oh yes, Nancy. We had popsicle stick crafts too. One cute one that one of the teachers did one year was to make a well but gluing those popsicle sticks around a soup can and then making a roof. Sometimes it was hard to get those sticks to stick. 🙂 But great memories.
I help with VBS at my church, the past two years we haven’t had one for the same reasons you’ve mentioned. Plus we have been planning to move but so much red tape has slowed things down.
The last two years that we did have one I helped with crafts…which I really did enjoy but I’m not gifted in that area. Note word: helped 🙂
The years before that another lady and I would cook for all the teachers and many of the children. That was hard, shopping to buy so much food, preparing it, transporting it, but that was more of my gift. A LOT of washing dishes but I always felt like I had done a good thing no matter how tired I was.
Author
I’m sure your help and that food was much appreciated, Loretta. The last few years we did Bible school we also supplied supper for the kids. I sort of missed the cookies and koolaid. LOL . Not as many dishes with that either. But sounds as though you were a willing worked. That’s what we need to be when we work for the Lord.
Vacation Bible School was a place where you made friends from kids of other churches, sung old and new songs and learned a new craft or two. We learned to embroider with a ring for each child, how to teach little ones to lace their shoes by using a card. We made ink from poke berries and wrote secret codes like the deciples, we made scrolls with Bible verses and delivered them to sick and shut-in persons, we drank gallons of kool aid and had a square of homemade fudge sometimes. The beauty shop ladies would come and share grooming tips for hair and face. There was so much to do everyday and the last day we walked up a long valley to a cold overflowing spring to have a lunch we brought from home. We played games, sung songs, recited Bible verses and our leaders read Bible stories.
Precious memories
Author
Those are some great memories from Bible School, Ruby. I love the making ink from poke berries. I should have tried that sometime. And sharing with shut ins and that chocolate fudge. But best sounds like that picnic at the spring. That sounds like such fun.
I have precious memories of VBS, both as a student and as a teacher. Through VBS and Sunday School, I learned to love God and Jesus and the Bible. I am so thankful!
I remember the 2 week Bible School sessions….those were the good old days many years ago. I taught in a small church , we told stories, made crafts and served Kool Aid and cookies. It wasn’t fancy or ” mega” . But is was meaningful . We pledged to the American and Christian flags and the Bible. The kids loved learning the songs and we were all so blessed by the Lord !
Author
Amen, Nancy. Blessings seem to rain down at Bible schools even on those days when you think you’re too tired to make it through another day. We used to have a commencement on Sunday night when the kids got to sing and say Bible verses. I loved seeing them all dressed up and showing what they had learned and made to their parents. Ours were never fancy or mega either. Just Bible stories, crafts and fun.
I have wonderful memories of attending VBS as a young girl. Also, volunteering with VBS as an adult. Fun times. From helping plan the activities to cooking meals, to laughter and joy, VBS is an awesome experience.
Author
I agree, Melissa. And for some children it’s their first experience with church. So it’s good to make that a happy time for them.
I loved attending bible school as a child, then being a helper and finally a teacher. Each step I took had special meaning and brought joy to my heart❣️
Author
I’m with you, Melinda. I skipped the helper part as a young person, but I did enjoy being a teacher, even those years when the kids were rowdy and not too inclined to pay attention. So many great kids with eager faces, ready to hear something from the Bible and make something with their hands.
I loved VBS! I attended Bible school as soon as I could walk, and sometimes went to multiple churches every summer. Our community, like Jocie’s, was small. But there were plenty of churches scattered around the county. I guess they intentionally staggered their Bible schools so everyone could attend them all. Looking back, I guess I thought it was normal to spend most of summer break in church. After I became a teenager, myself and my Sunday school class members were recruited as extra helpers. I was sad at first to miss out on attending and making those cool crafts, but I soon learned to love teaching the little ones. This year is the first time I’m not teaching or directing. I passed it on to the younger generation. But VBS has always been the highlight of summer.
One of my favorites was the year we told the story of Joshua. I collected boxes all spring and the teachers got together and painted them to look like bricks and stones. And we built a wall. The kids made trumpets during craft time. During our last night, they marched around the “wall” silently. Then when they blew their trumpets, I had the littlest kids, who were sitting behind the wall, pull on strategically placed strings…and the walls came tumbling down. They still talk about the fun we had that year.
VBS is still a big event for many churches, but most are switching over to a 2 or 3 day event. There just aren’t enough kids or workers for a whole week. It makes me sad. Some of my most memorable and happy times from childhood are from attending church activities.
Author
Wow! I loved what you did about the story of Joshua. Makes we want to have Bible school and do the same. What fun for the kids and a great way for them to remember God’s power and how you can trust what He says.
I’m sure the teachers and Bible School kids missed you being a teacher this year. But it is good to let the younger ones take over at times.
Bible school is still going strong around her in the bigger churches and some of the little churches too, although some of those are doing one day Bible schools. Sometimes you have to do some new things. My sister is helping with one of the big church Bible schools. She’s on the kitchen committee for the refreshments. She was telling me how things have changed with the kids having to wear a bracelet that the workers have to match up with the bracelet given to the parent. And that the parent has to have that bracelet to pick up their kid. That’s for security reasons and I understand, but it’s still sort of sad how things have changed.
I mentioned following your previous post about when I was a student at VBS. For years now (I’m 71 years old now), I’ve worked at VBS and even helped direct VBS sessions. However, the last few years I’ve worked with registration. We get to greet everyone as they parade past the registration table on their way to various stories and activities. The students LOVE VBS, and it’s a great way to provide more teaching and role modeling for them.
Author
You’re right, Suzanne. Bible school is a great outreach to kids in the community that might not have the opportunity to hear those Bible stories or enjoy the Christian love showered down on them at Bible school any other time. Sometimes a kid needs a parent interested enough to either take them to church or want them to go even if the parent doesn’t.
The main thing that teachers teach at Bible school, in my opinion, is that Christian love that can welcome all.