Growing up, one of my favorite parts of summer was going to all the different Vacation Bible Schools held in my area. I loved the songs and the crafts and, of course, the snacks. And whether or not I wanted to admit it, I loved all the Bible stories. And when I reached the age where I could volunteer, I immediately jumped at the opportunity.
For two years I ran the music station at a church I attended in Ohio. The themes for those years were Saddle Ridge Ranch: Drivin' Home Answers and Big Apple Adventure: Where Faith and Life Connect. I loved watching all the little kids try to learn the motions and songs, while others just jumped around and had a good time. These kids were an inspiration to me. They were fearless in their journeys of faith.
After these two years, I took a step back from my religion. I stopped attending church regularly and began to question life more thoroughly, without involving my God. And then, when I realized I was simply avoiding the inevitable, I went back to church, this time with my grandmother in Georgia.
Since coming back to church, I have worked three Vacation Bible Schools. Their themes were Jungle Safari: Where Kids Explore the Nature of God, Everest: Conquering Challenges with God's Mighty Power, and Maker Fun Factory: Created by God, Built for a Purpose. For these three years, I was a crew leader, meaning I worked with a group of kids, leading them around for the day and making sure they didn't get into too much trouble. I've been moved from the 3rd- and 4th-grade class up to the 4th- and 5th-grade class, basically following the same group of kids every year I worked. I've watched them grow as individuals and as followers of Christ. I can see their progression from being passionate about Legos to wanting to become engineers and programmers. These children are the future and I'm excited to see where they end up.
Vacation Bible School has become a summer staple for me. Yes, it's a week off from work, but it's not all easy. All of the volunteers work so hard to make the whole week run as smoothly as possible. We still have hiccups and that's okay. The most important thing is that we still have kids show up every year, some old faces and some new, and that we get to teach them about God, perhaps for the first time. Some of my favorite stories are from the kids who will tell us that they wish Vacation Bible School was a whole two weeks because they love it so much and it's their favorite part of summer.
Those kids are why I make it a point to work Vacation Bible School every year. Regardless of whether or not a parent is religious, we get many children simply because we're free daycare. And if we happen to teach the kids a few things, then good for us. But so many people's lives are changed at a one-week Vacation Bible School that if I didn't already believe in a God, I would insist He exists.
Working Vacation Bible School has made such a difference in my life. I think about others more, I'm open to more suggestions in terms of my religion, and it's made me realize that I enjoy working with kids. At least, I enjoy working with them on a short-term basis.
So, to sum up, Vacation Bible School is amazing. If the church you attend or maybe even just a church in your neighbourhood is putting one on, go volunteer. The workers and the kids will welcome you and it will be the highlight of your summer.
