Something With Eternal Significance

It is one of the most exciting times of the church year. And it is one of the most rewarding times as well. It is exciting because church facilities will be overrun with children full of energy and questions. It is rewarding because of the eternal significance of the weeklong event. 
  
Of course, we are talking about Vacation Bible School (VBS). Almost two out of three Southern Baptist churches regularly sponsor a VBS. That makes VBS one of the most popular events sponsored by Southern Baptist churches. 
  
VBS is popular with children, too. The numbers do not lie. Last year, Southern Baptist churches enrolled nearly 3 million children in VBS. That means most churches had more children in VBS than they regularly have in Sunday School. 
  
Children come because VBS is fun. Theme activities and handcrafts are blended with Bible study and missions to make for a fast-paced learning environment. At the end of the week, children can proudly display what they have made with their hands as well as what they have learned with their minds. 
  
But churches do not sponsor VBS just to provide a good time for children or a safe environment for children who are out of school for the summer. Churches sponsor VBS because VBS works. 
  
VBS is a major opportunity for Bible teaching. Normally children will have more concentrated Bible teaching in a weeklong VBS than they will have in a month of regular Sunday School. 
  
VBS is also a wonderful outreach tool. Again the numbers tell the story. Last year, almost 40,000 people were enrolled in Sunday School because of VBS. Some of these were children who were introduced to a church through VBS. Some were parents and family members of children who first attended VBS. Seldom does a church end its VBS emphasis without adding people to the regular study of God’s Word through Sunday School. 
  
Almost never will a church end its VBS without discovering new prospects for Bible study and other church programs. Last year, more than five times the number of prospects was added to the Sunday School prospect file as immediately enrolled in Sunday School. The number was more than 200,000 newly discovered legitimate prospects.
  
VBS also is the major evangelistic effort of most Baptist churches. Statistics indicate that 26 percent of all baptisms performed by Southern Baptist Convention (SBC)-related churches last year came as a result of VBS. No other activity or church program came close to that total. Not revivals. Not a FAITH program. Nothing. 
  
VBS is about teaching God’s Word. It is about outreach into the community. It is about evangelism. VBS is about changing lives forever, about making an eternal difference in the lives of children.
  
Bible schools don’t just happen. They take careful planning and lots of hard work. Keeping energetic children interested and involved is no easy task. That means a VBS needs lots of people power. In fact, a well-functioning VBS will involve more volunteer workers than children’s Sunday School or any other comparable activity. 
  
The need for workers is causing a growing number of churches to host VBS in the evening. Reports from SBC churches indicate that two-thirds of all Bible schools were held during evening hours last year. The reason is simple. With most families needing two paychecks to exist, fewer adult workers are available during the traditional morning time. An evening VBS gives many working parents opportunity to participate. 
  
For some, spending every evening for a week working with children after a full workday may not sound like an enticing opportunity. But the decision is just a matter of priorities. 
  
How many parents spend two or three nights a week watching their children play some type of organized sport? Coaches who help children learn to run or throw or hit a ball are praised for devoting every evening after work to neighborhood children.
  
How much more important is it for children to learn about God’s love for them made known in Jesus Christ? How much more important is it for the church to reach families with an eternal message of God’s love? 
  
For a child, participating in VBS is more important than a baseball game or a swimming lesson. There will be lots of ballgames or swimming lessons during the summer. The church will sponsor only one VBS. 
  
And for adults, working in VBS is more important than an evening sitting in the bleachers watching a sporting event or on a couch watching television. 
  
Working in VBS, being part of something with eternal significance, is worth a little extra effort. 
  
There are lots of ways to contribute to VBS. Your local VBS director will be glad to help you find a place where you can contribute to the eternal significance VBS has in the lives of boys and girls. 
  
What could be more rewarding than that?