'Tis the Season for Vacation Bible School

By DR. DAVID L. CHANCEY
Pastor

School's out for summer, and that means churches across the land are well into the Vacation Bible School mode. This concentrated time of Bible study, activity, music, craft, recreation, refreshments and fun for children and students usually is held during a week of "summer vacation." Churches across Fayette County offer a variety of approaches and some options on times. Most are morning schools, but some are held at night.

VBS was the brainchild of Mrs. Walter Aylette Hawes, a doctor's wife who was concerned about so many children wandering the streets of New York. In 1898 and 1899, she rented space on New York's east side to conduct her "Everyday Bible School." As the 20th century dawned, VBS became a growing trend. In those days, VBS was a four-week event. Eventually, it became a two-week emphasis and was incorporated into churchlife. Today, most schools last one week.

Preparation and follow-up, on the other hand, take weeks before and weeks after the event is completed. Our workers at McDonough Road Baptist spent several weeks decorating their rooms to coordinate with this year's London setting. They spent weeks preparing their material and lesson plans. Once VBS is completed, the work continues as Sunday School teachers visit children and invite them and their parents to participate in Bible study groups on Sundays. They see if the church family can minister in any way.

For me, VBS is not only a present blesssing, but also a pleasant childhood memory. My early years were spent at Jefferson Avenue Baptist Church in East Point. We'd have a crowd. I still remember Bible verses that I learned in those summer settings. I remember gluing popsicle sticks together to make a "plaque" and then gluing on macaroni letters that read, "what time I am afraid I will trust in Thee," (Psalm 56:3).

I remember always looking forward to refreshment time. The refreshment crew would bring peanut butter crackers and a bottle of Nehi grape or orange soda to our classrooms. After moving to Milledgeville, I remember riding in a bicycle parade to promote VBS in the neighborhood. I had just learned how to ride my bike and was pretty nervous going down those hills in the Hardwick community.

VBS later played a key role in my call to ministry. As a college student, I applied to be a Baptist Student Union summer missionary. Baptist Student Union is a Baptist-supported ministry to students on campuses across the nation. Every summer hundreds of students contribute their summer to serve in various roles overseas and nationally.

I was appointed to serve as a vacation Bible school worker in the Bahamas. (It was a tough assignment, but someone had to do it). I was Georgia's representative on a team of 12 students. We were divided into teams and then teamed with Bahamian youth and assigned to different churches over a five-week period. Our team stayed in Nassau and worked with five different churches helping to pull-off successful VBS.

I had the privilege of teaching the youth, and my two partners worked with the children and the preschoolers respectively. At the end of two weeks, my partners wanted to switch. One of them took youth, the other took children, and I ended up with the preschoolers. I didn't really picture myself as a preschool worker, but it was a time of exercising great flexibility and of realizing how God could use me in His service if I was just willing to be used. It was a time of great personal and spiritual growth. Looking back, I now see how God used that formative experience to show me He could use me as a full-time minister.

Vacation Bible Schools are still going strong helping lots of children and young people learn more about the Bible and about how to have a stronger relationship with God. They also give lots of people an opportunity to serve. Our students just returned from New Orleans, where they led VBS for Suburban Baptist Church. While it was a tremendous blessing for this small New Orleans fellowship, it was great leadership training for our crew.

(Dr. David L. Chancey is pastor of McDonough Road Baptist Church, 352 McDonough Road in Fayetteville. The church family invites you to join them for Bible study at 9:45 a.m. and worship at 10:55 a.m. each Sunday.)