Why VBS Matters
Posted by Jim on May 24, 2007
Last year, over 26,000 Southern Baptist churches conducted VBS and saw a total of over 2.9 million kids enroll. Nearly 95,000 VBS attendants made decisions for Christ, and over 212,000 “prospects” were added to Sunday school prospect files.
“These are great numbers,” said Jerry Wooley, VBS ministry specialist for LifeWay Christian Resources. “Vacation Bible School stands alone in its evangelism and outreach.”
Of the Southern Baptist Convention’s total baptisms last year, 26 percent came from Vacation Bible School. With baptisms having dropped for the second consecutive year, VBS is viewed as the single most effective evangelism tool in the Southern Baptist Convention, according to LifeWay.
While Southern Baptist churches continue to embrace the traditional kids outreach, fewer churches are offering the summer sessions, a 2005 study by The Barna Group found. According to the research group, only 69 percent of churches are continuing the VBS tradition compared to 81 percent in 1997.
Survey respondents indicated a lack of teachers as the most common reason for not offering VBS, and pastors are also becoming increasingly likely to mention that their church has “no time” for VBS.
In the meantime, more Southern Baptist churches have been offering VBS in the evenings to accommodate more adult workers who typically have day jobs. According to LifeWay, 66 percent of churches hosted nighttime VBS last year.
Southern Baptist churches were among the congregations most likely to offer VBS amid the decline, The Barna Group found.
More than three million students attend Vacation Bible Schools every year, based on estimates by the publishing industry, USA Today had reported.
