Mrs. Walter Aylette Hawes gets credit for starting what we know call Vacation Bible School. In 1898 she rented a beer hall in the Eastside of New York to conduct an “Everyday Bible School”. Her goal was to get kids off the streets. Her pastor convinced her to move the school to the church campus. She tried but found out the kids were not coming so she went back to the beer hall!
In 1922 Southern Baptists more formally adopted this idea and it became known as Vacation Bible School. It began as a 4 week Bible School…oh my. In 1924 VBS had grown so much it moved from under the Sunday School Division and became its own division in the Southern Baptist Convention.
It is one of the most strategic outreach tools using age appropriate evangelism messages and methods. Each year in the Southern Baptist Convention, 25% of all baptisms come from decisions made during Vacation Bible School. Each year, there are over 2.7 million people enrolled in VBS and 10% of those enrolled in VBS are unchurched. This makes for a wonderful opportunity to share the Gospel. Every year almost 79,000 precious souls come to know Jesus as Savior by the mission and ministry of Vacation Bible School. My guess is Mrs. Hawes would love the development of what she started back in 1898 in that local beer hall.
This years VBS theme is GAME ON!. The motto is “Gear Up! Get Ready! Game On!” We will have 4 great Bible studies, great worship and lots of fun. VBS will start Monday evening, June 18 and will conclude with family night on Friday, June 22. If you have not been to a VBS in a while…check it out one night. We have all our classes and teams filled, but you can always come as a spectator…or a last minute volunteer. Pray for this years VBS. Pray that boys and girls will open their hearts and lives to the work of God’s Holy Spirit. Pray that they will be reached before they have to be rescued.
Game on!
Pastor Tom
