Summer Equals Vacation Bible School Fun

By Paula De Angelis
 

There are many interesting facts about Vacation Bible School. According to a Google timeline, the first Vacation Bible School was opened in 1894 by a Methodist preacher and his wife. It is reported they used music, crafts, storytelling, and games to explain scripture teachings which were traditionally learned by listening to a Sunday sermon.

In 1923, the first formal Vacation Bible School curriculum was published. In 1948 the curriculum was divided into different grade levels to better suit the varying ages of the children attending Vacation Bible School, and in 1952 the concept of concentrating on a single theme for the entire week of school was introduced. By 1987 this curriculum had grown, offering church leaders and volunteers more than one hundred different educational ideas and tools to use during this fun faith filled week. In 1998 the publishers of this curriculum reported that more than 5 million children attend Vacation Bible School programs every year.

Fr. Paul D. Seil, host of Our Daily Bread, likes to call it Vacation Bible Camp. He thinks ‘camp’ sounds more pleasurable than ‘school’. No matter what you call it, kids are there singing, crafting, cooking and learning about our faith, and having a great time!