When I was growing up Vacation Bible School was a part of my yearly schedule. I attended the morning VBS at the church where my family and I were members, but the more memorable VBS I attended was at a Baptist church which was closer to our home. Emmaus Baptist Church had their VBS in the evenings, and they had a reputation in that southern Wayne County community for a memorable VBS experience. There was nothing “over the top” in their VBS—no smoke and laser light shows, no live band, not even any inflatable slides—it was simply a consistent, well-planned program by a good group of adults who genuinely cared for children in their community.
The first reason I think VBS at that country church impacted me because it taught me that I could find ways to lead in church. I’ll never forget the excitement I had when I was told that I was going to be able to carry the Bible in the procession that started the closing service of VBS and then lead the congregation in saying the pledge to “God’s holy word.” We routinely have children lead in various ways in worship at May Memorial, but when I was a child it seemed that most churches were still in the “children are to be seen and not heard” mode. Being able to lead God’s people in that simple routine told me that I had something to offer the community and that the church would embrace me in that role. I felt like I mattered.
I also learned in those days from that church that missions mattered. To their credit, Emmaus Baptist followed the exact plan for VBS that the Sunday School Board produced which included a focus on a different missionary each night. I remember bringing my offering and learning about the Baptist men and women who were carrying good news throughout the world and how my offering was a part in making that possible. I remember learning about Lottie Moon at VBS, I heard about the Southern Baptist “Bold Mission Thrust” campaign that encouraged giving and cooperation so that the over-arching goals of God’s kingdom could be accomplished.
Last, and most important, I remember the crafts that I made at VBS. Growing up in church I’ve made a lot of crafts, but I remember these crafts as the best. One year a group of men decided they would do the crafts (or perhaps they were volunteered by their wives?) and each child was able to make a wooden sign that carried their last name. As a little boy I was ecstatic when I realized that I was going to be able to operate a router and engrave all seven letters of my last name into a 1x6 piece of lumber. The next night we took strong smelling oil-based black paint and colored in the letters. Before the week was over our signs were complete with a stained finish covered with shellac and ready to be hung on the outside of our houses. It was a great craft, but what is most memorable about it was the men who took the time to carefully guide us children in the making of it. Most of the time it seems that VBS is up to the ladies, and with only a few exceptions they staff the entire VBS week. But I remember those men who helped with VBS. They took us to see the goats in the field beside the church one night. They impressed us when they took our dares to touch the electric fence. And I remember them carefully and skillfully guiding our hands as we held the power router. I was blessed by seeing men lead in VBS, and their willingness to be the craft leaders demonstrated to me that gender-specific roles in the church are only barriers we have erroneously allowed to occur.
I learned much from VBS, and I pray as children are flocking into our church this week they are learning some of the same things. Our four days of VBS may seem like a small thing in light of an entire childhood, but God uses small things to shape lives.