VBS Programs Bring Thousands to Christ
As schools are closing for summer, churches across the country are gearing up for an event that has been a summer pastime over the past century – Vacation Bible School (VBS).
As schools are closing for summer, churches across the country are gearing up for an event that has been a summer pastime over the past century – Vacation Bible School (VBS).
According to the LifeWay Christian Resources website, the VBS program draws in more than 25 percent of new believers to America’s largest Protestant denomination - Southern Baptist churches - every year.
In 2004 alone, more than 101,600 decisions to accept Christ during VBS were reported by the denomination’s 28,500 churches.
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Children who participate in VBS each year are said to often come from homes without a spiritual foundation. Therefore, many churches feel the school serves as an excellent outreach tool and a unique opportunity to teach the Gospel to children and adults in the local community.
The history of VBS travels back to the 1800’s. Mrs. Walker Aylette Hawes, a doctor's wife whose goal was to get children off the streets of New York, rented space on New York's east side to conduct her "Everyday Bible School," in 1898 and 1899.
As the 20th century dawned, VBS, originally a non-denominational event, became a growing trend when the Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) assigned the work of VBS to the Sunday School Administration Department in 1922.
In 1924 a VBS Department was formed and Homer Grice, a pastor from Georgia, became its first director. Initially a four-week event, VBS became a two-week program that was incorporated into Christian church-life. Today, most programs run through one week during June, July or August.
For more information about VBS or the latest materials and resources, visit http://www.lifeway.com/vbs/ LifeWay Christian Resources is one of the world’s largest providers of Christian products and services affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).
