VBS Day of Prayer slated May 18; churches prep for 'Kingdom Caper'
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--The "Great Kingdom Caper" -- Vacation Bible School 2003 -- is just around the corner.
Churches are getting ready for this year's summertime outreach, set in jolly old England, in which children, youth and adults will work to crack the "character code."
May 18 has been set for the VBS Day of Prayer, with churches asked to set aside a special time of prayer for all the VBS workers as well as for the people whose lives will be touched through VBS.
"We are hoping that pastors will make May 18 a special day in their churches, with a recognition and commissioning of the VBS workers," said Becky Martin, VBS ministries specialist at LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.
VBS is one of the best evangelistic tools used by churches. While statistics for 2002 VBS based on the Annual Church Profile won't be available until later in the summer, numbers from 2001 reflect its impact: 28,180 churches conducted VBS; more than 3.2 million were enrolled; more than 81,000 VBS workers were trained through state conventions; almost 110,000 decisions were made to accept Christ as Savior.
Few other programs or events can boast such figures.
State conventions and local associations have done a good job of getting the word out about training events for VBS workers, Martin said. "One of the best reasons for a church to do VBS and choose our material is the availability of free training for workers," she said. "The associations who are doing the best job in training workers do two clinics, one in the winter and one later on in the spring. Southern Baptists really need to celebrate the availability of associational training."
This year's theme, "The Great Kingdom Caper: Cracking the Character Code," speaks to the current times.
"Think how many people are out of work now and how many of those are without jobs because of a lack of character at the top levels of big companies," Martin said.
The February issue of The Sunday School Leader magazine published by LifeWay's church resources division highlighted a number of churches and what they are doing to prepare for VBS.
In the magazine, Charles Wesner, pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Wellton, Ariz., compared VBS to a harvest:
"Each day, as leaders (farmers) look out on our fields (Sunday school classes)," he said. "We have a goal to grow a healthy crop. We want our students (plants) to have their roots deep in God's Word. Each time we work the fields, the roots should grow stronger and deeper (discipleship) and God's crop be better cultivated for each new day. We work our fields and minister, looking forward to the harvest.
"What would happen if after all the days of toil, the harvest came and was never used? It was harvested but never stored in barns or silos or shipped to market -- just left and forgotten. What a tragic loss."
Wesner added that the same principle applies to the Vacation Bible School harvest. Did churches use it, or, he asked, did it become scattered to the wind and the elements?
It seems obvious that as churches prepare for VBS this summer, prayer is essential. VBS has a proven track record for bringing lost children, teens and adults to the church. VBS may be their first contact with Christ. With preparation and follow-up, it doesn't have to be their last.
LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, on the Web at www.lifeway.com, is one of the world's largest publishers of religious materials, producing 180 monthly and quarterly products and more than 210 new undated products annually.
