Vacation Bible School: A Baptist tradition and key outreach tool for the church
Vacation Bible School (VBS) is a beloved tradition in many churches, offering a week-long program of Bible stories, worship, missions projects, crafts, and games for children. But when did this model of Christian education emerge?
The roots of VBS trace back to the late 19th century. In 1877, Montreal, Canada, hosted the first summer church-run activity that resembled VBS.
In 1894, Sunday school teacher D. T. Miles, who was also a public school teacher, recognized the challenge of teaching the Bible to children within the constraints of regular Sunday school. To address this, she pioneered a daily Bible school during the summer in Hopedale, Ill. The inaugural Bible school enrolled 40 students and lasted for four weeks. Classes were held in a local school building, while an adjoining park provided space for recess.
However, it was Eliza Hawes, the children’s ministry director at New York City’s Baptist Church of the Epiphany, who organized an “Everyday Bible School” in 1898. Initially held at a rented beer hall, attendance declined when the program moved to the church itself. Hawes persisted, running seven separate schools near the beer hall the following year.
Another influential figure was Robert G. Boville, executive secretary of the New York City Baptist Board of Missions. Boville recommended the VBS model to other Baptist churches and established several summer schools, staffed by students from Union Theological Seminary.
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Boville said the aim of VBS was simple, it was a way to provide religious instruction during idle summers, keeping children out of trouble and fostering upright adult living. In 1901, he staffed five summer schools with university students, including Harry Emerson Fosdick, who later became a pioneer of VBS. Fosdick's experience was both enlightening and challenging, as he reflected on the impact of that first summer. In 1922, Boville founded the World Association of Daily Vacation Bible School.
In 1923, Standard Publishing produced the first printed VBS curriculum, covering a five-week course for three age levels: kindergarten, primary, and junior. Abraham L. Latham of the Third Presbyterian Church in Chester, Penn., organized a pioneering summer Bible school in 1912, which accommodated 650-700 students and was not explicitly labeled as VBS.
VBS in Southern Baptist life today
In 2017, a Lifeway Research study reported that nearly 2.5 million people attended VBS, and there were more than 65,000 reported professions of faith. Additionally, 160,000 church membership prospects resulted from VBS, making it an extremely effective community outreach tool.
Other findings of the study show the influence of VBS:
Half the children who attend VBS in the average church don’t attend the church.
Six in 10 American adults attended VBS when they were growing up.
Of the adults who attended VBS, 55% attended multiple times, sometimes in the same year.
Nine in 10 adults have positive memories of VBS.
Eight in 10 of those who attended VBS say attending VBS was a highlight of their childhood.
Of the 4 in 10 who didn’t attend VBS as a child, a majority have a positive view of VBS.
Sixty-nine percent of parents – regardless of religion – said they would encourage their child to attend VBS at church if they were invited by a friend.
VBS has since evolved, touching countless lives and adapting to changing times and contexts. Today, it remains a cherished part of many churches' summer calendars, impacting generations of children with the message of faith in Jesus Christ.
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