Oh, Yes! V.B.S.

We're having Vacation Bible School at the South Road Church of Christ this week. The first two days in the "Construction Zone," (building character with Jesus!) have exceeded my expectations, which were pretty high. (Photos soon).

I've been a part of Vacation Bible School almost every summer of my life. This is the 20th year that I've been a V.B.S. director. When I was a youth minister, there were some years that I'd direct for three weeks; one V.B.S. at home, then two on-the-road with my high-school juniors and seniors and some of those unsung heroes called youth sponsors. I'll never forget those trips.

I'm aware that some churches have decided that V.B.S. doesn't help them much to advance the mission of the congregation. In some cases, those churches actually have a V.B.S. of sorts. It's just that now, their "V.B.S." is a children's musical or some other sort of programming. In other cases, what Vacation Bible School used to do is no longer being done in any form.

Other churches seem to have maintained a V.B.S. routine, only on a small and often uninspiring scale.

Still other churches seem to have decided that pulling out all the stops and doing the biggest and best traditional all-week Vacation Bible School is a great use of their resources. That's where I am these days.

Either way, what's important is that the church should pay attention to children, not merely because Jesus said we are supposed to be childlike, but also because children are so very receptive and impressionable. I've seen a few senior citizens come to faith. But the overwhelming percentage of people who become Christians do so before they turn eighteen. With hardly an exception, as churches grow larger, they grow younger.

Clearly, children are important to the Lord. So they should be important to non-kids who want to be pleasing the Lord.

Dear God,

Thank you for this week of Vacation Bible School. Please help all of us, in the words of our theme song, to become just like Jesus.

Lord, thank you for the blessing of children and childhood. Please bless the efforts of people who want to see the youngest hearts turned toward you.

In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.