Vacation Bible School: A Low-Cost (or FREE!) Summer Camp Option

Published in baystateparent Magazine

Santos Vega illustrator

Ever wondered what goes on at your neighborhood church’s Vacation Bible School? Ever considered sending your kids, but was unsure of what to expect, or perhaps concerned your children may be indoctrinated in beliefs that you don’t necessarily agree with?

Well, there’s good news: Vacation Bible School, or VBS for short, has been around for a long time, and is usually well-run and wellreceived by kids and parents alike, whether or not they are part of the sponsoring church.

VBS is not a new concept. In fact, the first VBS was inspired in 1884 by Mrs. D.T. Miles, the wife of a Methodist minister in Hopedale, Illinois. She put together a month-long summer program with drama, crafts, singing, exercise and Bible study.

Today, VBS is offered by many Protestant churches, and in some parishes, Catholic churches as well. Most VBS programs are offered at no cost, and contain Bible lessons, drama, singing, games, and crafts for elementary-aged kids all packed into a daily, 2-3 hour timeframe for one week in the summer.

“It’s a fast-paced week of mornings that your kids will not forget,” says Pastor Steven Weibley, who directs the VBS program at Carlisle Congregational Church.

From Rocks to Crocks

Theme-based VBS curriculum is available from dozens of outside Christian publishing houses. This summer’s 2009 themes include Gospel Light’s “SonRock Kid’s Camp,” based on an outdoor camping/rock climbing adventure, Standard Publishing’s “Studio Go,” a high-energy game show theme and Group Publishing’s “Crocodile Dock,” a bayou-based adventure. Most include age-specific lesson plans for each day, related skits, crafts, music, games and snack ideas.

Most churches start with a packaged curriculum and adapt it. Pastor Steven Weibley of Carlisle Congregational Church has 25 years’ experience in summer camp education and is committed to putting on a quality VBS program in every aspect.

“In my case, I am aware of child development. I know what kids like,” he says. “We play games in which every child can succeed. We do crafts where the kids will have a sense of accomplishment. We don’t do kiddie stuff; we do things that are interesting and memorable.”

Emerging VBS Options

Some churches offer evening-based VBS programs rather than a morning program for kids who are already committed to other daytime activities. Other churches, like Chapel of the Cross in Westborough, have moved to smaller, more frequent programs called “Backyard Clubs,” that are held during the month of July at host families’ homes.

“We go to eight different homes, usually within 5-7 different towns,” says Tanya Legro, Director of Children’s Ministries. Last year, 109 kids from Metro West towns participated.

“It’s been a great way for families to connect with their neighbors and have a great week for their kids within their own neighborhood. They don’t have to travel,” says Tanya.

Bible Stories and Life Lessons

Regardless of the format, VBS programs are biblically and Christian-centered. Vicky Hampton oversees the VBS program at First Congregational Church in Hopkinton, which usually has about 400 children and 300 adult and teen volunteers.

“Our goal is to reach kids with the news that God loves them. Some of these kids don’t get to hear that in their home. Here, they get a chance to see that church is a great place to be. And that they can know the love of Jesus.”

But what if your kid doesn’t know any Bible stories? “We’re careful when we talk with kids that we don’t ‘push’ something on children. Our goal is to expose them to the Bible stories. The stories talk for themselves,” says Steve Weibley.

Tanya Legro sees the Bible stories as pointing to bigger life lessons that kids can apply when they go home.

“We’re trying to instill in them biblical principles, but really they are life principles. Like obeying your parents. Serving your family. Being a good friend. Everything we do is integrated into that theme,” she says.

First-Time Impressions

Lynn Roberts of Upton is impressed by the concrete nature of the lessons her children Grace (6) and Andrew (3) have learned at Backyard Clubs. Not regular churchgoers, she was invited by her neighbor Beth, who hosts a Backyard Club at her home each summer.

“I said, ‘sure whatever. Sounds like a nice thing for the kids to play,'” Lynn recalls. Three years later, they are still attending.

“I was surprised at how much my daughter got out of it,” says Lynn. “She’s always had a lot of questions about God. We’ve always talked openly about what people believe. It was a great bridge for us to open up and talk about God.”

Lynn remembers one night when the lesson was on serving family members. “Grace was sweeping the floor, and she looked very unhappy about it,” she says. “But she said, ‘Miss Tanya says I have to serve my family.’ That was a concrete example of how well she learned a lesson and put it into action.”

Becky and David O’Brien of West Boylston sent their daughter Abbey (6) to VBS for the first time last year at First Congregational Church in West Boylson.

“They have such a fantastic bonding experience with kids their own age, and also with older kids they’re paired up with for activities. There were so many adults and so many young volunteers. I was thrilled, actually. I wish I could send my son, and I wish it were all summer long,” says Becky.

Becky and David are members of the Catholic Church, but are also involved in programs offered at the Congregational Church, including the preschool. But they didn’t know about the VBS program until a friend told them about it.

“Our roots are living in community and living simply. We wanted our kids to learn those core values. When we looked into VBS, we thought this was a perfect fit,” says Becky.

They were especially moved by the ending program the children put on for parents and friends. “Both of us had tears in our eyes thinking ‘This is awesome!’

The community that they formed in such a short period of time it was really amazing.” she says.

“It’s Not About Me”

A distinctive feature of most VBS programs is a focus on community service.

At Hopkinton Congregational Church, fifth and sixth graders go offsite for community service projects for two of the days. “The fifth graders go to Community Harvest in Grafton [a volunteer organization for hunger relief] and work on the farm. The sixth graders go to work with the elderly at Whitney Place in Westborough,” says Vickie.

“In our VBS, we always every year raise money for children somewhere else in the world that don’t have the things we have,” says Pastor Weibley. “I tell the children, ‘We want you to have a good time. There are kids in other places that don’t have anything like this. Christians believe that those who have things should share with kids that don’t.’ Last year a group of 30 kids raised $500 to help kids in the Ukraine.”

Tanya from Chapel agrees. “The idea behind it [the service projects] is for kids to start thinking beyond themselves. To realize that’s it’s not all about me. To realize that I need to reach out and help others who are in need.”

Spreading the Word

Lynn and Becky, the moms new to camp, both had no prior knowledge of VBS until they were invited by a friend. Both felt the program impacted their children in a positive way and would recommend it to their friends.

“I wish more people knew about it. I think more people would send their kids if they knew it were non-denominational. That anyone could go,” says Becky.

Lynn says she would recommend Backyard Clubs to her other neighbors, especially because it has made such a positive impression on her kids over the years.

“It’s a great relaxed atmosphere for your kids,” she says. “They are teaching you how to be spiritual, but it’s not like they push their personal views on the kids. And Grace came away with so many solid lessons from it.”

“And I love the lessons she is learning. The basic theory behind all these lessons is love.”

Trish Reske is a seasoned copywriter/creative director, award-winning journalist, avid runner and mom of four living in Westborough. Visit her website at www.trishreske.com.