VBS: What Stirs Churches to do it? (& Peak Ahead 2019 Theme Announced!)

This article was published first on Baptist Press, go HERE for the complete article. Melita Thomas is VBS ministry specialist for LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Vacation Bible School is synonymous with summer in many churches -- perhaps because it's been around in one form or another since 1898.

Under its current moniker among Southern Baptists, VBS has been an evangelistic strategy since the 1920s. In kid's ministry -- which is often marked by trendy short-lived fads -- VBS is a proven program with real staying power.

Here are three reasons churches turn to VBS year after year.

VBS is an effective evangelism strategy.

Based on Annual Church Profile (ACP) data, VBS is used by more than 25,000 Southern Baptist churches each year to reach more than 2.5 million people. Last year, these SBC churches reported more than 70,000 professions of faith as a direct result of VBS. Talk about impact!

If VBS were to suddenly disappear from these churches, what evangelistic strategy would take its place? VBS isn't just about games, crafts, and snacks. Its primary purpose is leading people to experience the life-transforming power of the Gospel.

God calls people to vocational ministry through VBS.

Many pastors, staff members, and missionaries cite a VBS experience as the first time they personally felt God's call to vocational ministry. In this sense, VBS can become a training ground for the next generation of church leaders.

Additionally, the missions component of VBS exposes children to the work of missionaries serving around the world. As kids learn about, pray for and participate in missions, God just might be preparing them to one day say, "Here I am, Lord. Send me!"

VBS gives churches more time with kids and parents.

A traditional VBS structure involves three hours of church engagement a day for five days in a row. That type of interaction provides opportunities for evangelism, discipleship, and relationship-building that could otherwise take months to accomplish based on typical church attendance patterns.

And when follow-up is made a priority, the relationships don't end once VBS is over. VBS is the perfect opportunity for a church to connect with children and families who might not otherwise attend.

VBS is a fun and non-threatening way for kids to get exposure to the church. VBS gives kids an opportunity to develop a sense of ownership (my room, my teacher, my friends) that makes them want to return. Hosting a VBS celebration or family night at the end of VBS also allows parents within the church to make connections with parents outside the church.

Although VBS is flexible, dependable and fun, most importantly it has the opportunity to impact lives for eternity as kids, teens, and adults come to know the saving power of Jesus Christ. That alone makes VBS worth it!

Based on Annual Church Profile (ACP) data, VBS is used by more than 25,000 Southern Baptist churches each year to reach more than 2.5 million people. Last year, these SBC churches reported more than 70,000 professions of faith as a direct result of VBS. Talk about impact!

If VBS were to suddenly disappear from these churches, what evangelistic strategy would take its place? VBS isn't just about games, crafts, and snacks. Its primary purpose is leading people to experience the life-transforming power of the Gospel.

2019 VBS Takes Kids 'In the Wild'

Next summer, kids will seek animals in rainforests, grasslands, frozen tundra and even the Rocky Mountains with "In the Wild," the 2019 Vacation Bible School theme from LifeWay Christian Resources.

In the Wild will have kids embark as photographers seeking to snap pictures in settings decorated to mimic animals' natural habitats. Along the way, kids will also learn about real-life encounters people had with Jesus and discover how biblical snapshots of the Savior provide an opportunity to respond to the Gospel.

"This is going to be such a fun theme," said Melita Thomas, VBS specialist for LifeWay. "It's a photo scavenger hunt in the wild where it's possible to see absolutely anything."

As kids explore different locales on the lookout for wildlife, they'll also study eyewitness accounts of Jesus from the Gospels -- stories to help them zoom in and focus on Christ.

"All of these 'snapshots' of Jesus that we see in Scripture were recorded so we might believe Jesus is who He said He is -- the Messiah, the Son of God," Thomas said. "These eyewitness accounts are a strong apologetic -- one that kids need to hear."

Melita Thomas is VBS ministry specialist for LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.