The Saturday Morning Blogger – Vacation Bible School

James Barrington

Some of my earliest childhood memories include attending Vacation Bible School. As a pre-school child, I loved it. The songs were geared toward my age group and the lessons were simple and yet direct in their message of the love of Jesus. “Jesus Loves Me,” and “Jesus Loves the Little Children” were among my favorites, but “I’m in the Lord’s Army” was great for marching, flying o’er the enemy, and shooting the artillery. A whole new generation of songs has come along to keep the youngsters in step with modern rhythms and tunes. Of course the hand and body motions are designed to burn off some of the excess energy so they will be calm enough to hear the lessons. And what VBS would be complete without a snack along the way? Even the snacks these days are designed to reinforce the day’s lesson.

Our children took part in VBS when they were little and became helpers as they got older. Now, our grandchildren are into the “helper” age range and still look forward to the excitement of Vacation Bible School.

The University church of Christ will be having VBS on July 10-13 this summer from 9 a.m. – noon. On Wednesday evening, we host a cookout for the parents and students and then have a Wednesday evening service to let the parents see what their children have been doing, including hearing (experiencing) the songs, and seeing the crafts that the children do to reinforce the Bible lessons they have been learning.

It seems like everyone enjoys the events, and by the end, everyone is bone tired and ready for a vacation. There is always a need for volunteers and the usual families generally always spread around the load of preparation and presentation. If your children haven’t been to a Vacation Bible School, they should take advantage of the opportunity to meet new friends, sing new songs, and learn more about how much Jesus loves us.

For more information about the University church of Christ VBS, call 655-3952.