Why have VBS?
Vacation Bible School
Why We Do VBS: It's More Than Cookies and Crafts
If you’ve ever walked through the doors of Calvary Baptist Church during Vacation Bible School, you’ve probably wondered two things:
- Why are there pool noodles taped to the walls?
- How did that child get blue paint in his ear and on my Bible?
But let me tell you something. Behind all the glitter, glue sticks, and gallons of red Kool-Aid, there’s a purpose. A real one. And it's not just about keeping the kids busy for a few days while parents get a break, although let's be honest, that’s a bonus.
At Calvary Baptist, we don’t do VBS just because “that’s what churches do.” We do it because there’s a window of opportunity with children that doesn't last forever. Their hearts are soft, their minds are open, and their questions are wonderfully sincere. You tell them Jesus loves them, and they don’t ask for a peer-reviewed study. They just believe it. That kind of faith is what Christ spoke of when He said, “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.”
Planting Seeds While They’re Listening
If you try to teach an adult something new, you’ll get that polite nod and a smile that says, “I already know this.” You try teaching a child, and they ask you fifty questions before you finish your sentence. That's not a problem. That's a golden opportunity. VBS is our chance to plant seeds of truth in hearts that are still ready to listen.
You never know what the Lord might do with those seeds.
Let me take you back a couple hundred years. There’s a story about a boy named Dwight. As a teenager, he was rough around the edges, not particularly spiritual, and not exactly the picture of a future preacher. But thanks to a faithful Sunday School teacher named Mr. Kimball, who took the time to share the gospel with him, young Dwight Moody got saved. And you might know the rest. Dwight L. Moody went on to shake two continents for Christ. He preached to over 100 million people and saw countless lives changed.
That Sunday School teacher didn’t know what God had planned for Dwight. He just knew it mattered to tell him about Jesus.
That’s how we approach VBS at Calvary. Every child who walks in matters. Whether they come from a family that knows the Lord or a home that’s never stepped foot in church, we treat them like the soul Jesus died for — because that’s exactly what they are.
Jesus and the Bible First
We keep things simple. Bible first, Jesus always. There’s no cotton candy gospel at Calvary. These kids don’t need a feel-good message. They need the truth. We teach them that sin separates us from God, but Jesus came to pay the price. We show them that salvation is a gift, not something you earn.
We teach them that God created them on purpose and for a purpose. That He’s not some distant figure in the sky but a Heavenly Father who loves them deeply. We give them memory verses because Scripture hidden in the heart is Scripture ready when the storms come.
Let me tell you, there’s nothing like watching a six-year-old recite, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son…” with all the confidence of a seminary student.
Organized Chaos With Eternal Results
Yes, VBS can feel like wrangling cats that have had too much sugar. There’s glitter in the baptistry and someone just glued a googly eye on the pulpit. But what happens behind all that chaos is something eternal.
We don’t know who God’s going to raise up out of this generation. But we do know that if we don’t tell them about Jesus now, the world will be more than happy to tell them everything else.
So Why Do We Do It?
We do VBS because time is short and childhood is shorter. Because the devil doesn’t wait until someone’s grown up to start lying to them. And because we believe the gospel is powerful enough to change lives — even little ones.
We do it because we love these kids and we love Jesus. And we believe that one of the greatest things we can do as a church is to bring those two together.
So yes, there will be paint on the walls and someone will definitely cry over a lost juice box. But there will also be laughter, gospel truth, and maybe even a little boy or girl who realizes for the very first time that Jesus died for them.
And friend, that’s worth every goldfish cracker and every last drop of red Kool-Aid.
