In a study conducted by Lifeway and published in “It’s Worth It” by Landry Holmes, 60% of the adults questioned in the survey reported that they had attended Vacation Bible School at least once as a child. Does your childhood include any memories of VBS, or is it something you never heard of growing up? My childhood is filled with many fond memories of Vacation Bible School. I looked forward to that week at church every year and eagerly anticipated what the theme would be, who would be teaching me, and what games would be played, and the pizza party at the end of the week was the highlight of the summer. One year, as our pastor shared what it meant to be a Christian and how to live like a Christian, I finally understood what it looked like to pray a prayer for salvation. I didn’t pray that day, but I went home and continued to think about what I had learned that week at VBS, and several nights later, I decided I was ready to talk to God and admit that I was a sinner and that I wanted Jesus as the Lord and Savior of my life.  As I look back on my salvation story, I am so grateful for the impact that Vacation Bible School made on my heart and the contribution the leaders at my church made in helping me understand what it means to follow Christ.

Vacation Bible School is an exciting week, but VBS isn’t easy.  It’s an exhausting week, requires hours and hours of preparation and planning, takes a huge sacrifice of time from volunteers, and costs a lot of money.  That leaves many asking the question, “Is it worth it?”  

Why VBS is Worth It:

1. It creates an opportunity for a community in the church for a generation that isolates themselves behind digital devices.  Personal relationships are formed, and face-to-face discipleship takes place at VBS.  God did not create us to be lonely, and the connections made during that one week can make a life-long impact. 
2. It’s not just free child care.  Every song, every Bible story, every game, and every conversation is carefully crafted to point to Jesus.  While there will be plenty of fun to go around, the bottom line is that no child will leave without hearing about God’s good plan for us and what Jesus did for all. 
3. While we hope that all of our very own Rocky Creek kids can attend, a large portion of the attendees will come from other churches or from a family that doesn’t have a church home.  What an opportunity to share the gospel to our community and to show what a loving body of believers we have in our church! 
4. VBS is a great platform for discipeling children.  While we pray that many kids in attendance will come to know Christ that week, those children who have already made the decision to follow Christ will be challenged to dive deeper into their Bible, memorize Scripture, and make Bible reading a daily part of their lives. 
5. VBS mobilizes the entire church to minister to kids and to provide a discipleship experience for the children and the volunteers.  It reaches all ages with the gospel and gives people the chance to serve and be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Vacation Bible School has been around 120 years and has impacted the eternity of millions of children around the world.  We have been given one week to do what can take several months to do for the child attending church on Sundays.  When the alarm goes off early that week in June, and you regret signing up to help, and you’re asking yourself why you signed up, don’t forget that it’s totally worth it.