I've heard people say that VBS no longer has a purpose. They argue it's a waste of resources, a distraction from more important ministry, and something parishes should do away with. At my last parish, when I oversaw both children and youth ministry, I might have agreed with those thoughts. However, when I took the lead three years ago at my current parish, I started to ask a different question: "What are the advantages of hosting VBS annually at our parish?"
Too often, we're quick to label a program, event, or ministry as irrelevant when we haven't done the proper analysis. Everything has a shelf life; however, some things simply need a change in perspective and purpose.
For us, we took Vacation Bible School, and instead of focusing solely on small children, we asked ourselves three questions:
- How can this better serve the families in our community?
- What if this camp became a vehicle for student leadership development?
- Can this be a testing ground for future children and youth ministry initiatives?
We asked families what they were looking for in the summer. We found several parents were looking for an affordable full-day camp that didn't always focus on athletics. We extended the program from a half-day (8 am-12 pm) to a full day (8:30 am - 3 pm). We increased the price, yet we could keep it below the cost of most full-day camps in the area. As a result, more people signed up their kids to participate and their teens to serve, and more adults got involved because they could come in the afternoon or the morning, if not the full day.
With more participants and the ability to charge more, our new budget opened up so many more possibilities. We could afford to invest more in our students and adult leaders through training and gratitude, for example:
- We could upgrade the quality of our resources and t-shirts.
- We could pay for babysitters for parents who wanted to get involved but could not because their youngest children were not old enough.
- Each morning of camp, we could feed our volunteers breakfast to ensure that everyone was fueled up.
- And we could extend our gratitude to those who went above and beyond the typical commitment.
Additionally, we changed the culture by giving people (including young people) ownership of the camp. We allowed them to do things we might have been hesitant to do during the rest of the year. As a result, we saw stronger commitment and enthusiasm.
The best part is that we had fun testing out different games, training styles, content, and processes that could positively impact our year-round ministries. We failed at some endeavors and succeeded at others, but each year we've walked away learning and knowing more about how we can strengthen the ministries we lead year-round.
Our Vacation Bible School is still a great summer experience for elementary kids, and we don't feel we have to do it forever. We know that by changing our perspective and approach to camp, we've been able to change our perspective and approach to so many other things. So, has Vacation Bible School lost its purpose? Maybe it has, but it's still helping us in so many ways.
If you're involved in ministry and wondering about the future of Vacation Bible School (or any ministry) at your parish, I encourage you to take a step back and reevaluate its potential. Consider how you can adapt VBS to serve your community better, develop leadership skills, and test new ministry ideas. Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below, or contact us (click here) to learn more about how we've revitalized our VBS program.