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THE PURPOSE
OF THE CHURCH'S
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL PROGRAM
The end of the year school
holidays is just round the corner and Grace Bible Presbyterian
Church's Vacation Bible School is starting again soon.
The origins of Vacation Bible School can be traced back to Hopedale,
Illinois in 1894. Sunday School teacher D. T. Miles, who also
was a public school teacher, felt she was limited by time constraints
in teaching the Bible to children. So, she started a daily Bible
school to teach children during the summer. The first Bible school
enrolled forty students and lasted four weeks. The premise of
a local school was used.
In 1898 Eliza Hawes, director of the children's department at
Epiphany Baptist Church in New York City, started an "Everyday
Bible School" for slum children in New York's East Side.
A rented beer parlour was used for the work. Hawes continued her
efforts for seven years.
Dr. Robert Boville of the Baptist Mission Society, became aware
of the Hawes' summer program and recommended it to other Baptist
churches. He proceeded to establish a handful of summer schools.
In 1922, he founded the World Association of Daily Vacation Bible
School.
Today, the Vacation Bible School is largely viewed as part of
the ministry of the local church. It is usually held in the church
premises of the church conducting the Vacation Bible School program.
Just as the main of purpose of the local church is two-fold, i.
e. to evangelize and to edify, the Vacation Bible School program
of the local church is also two-fold:-
i) to evangelise- In a Church Vacation Bible School program setting,
opportunities to fulfill the Great Commission as commanded so
many years ago by our Lord Jesus in Mark 16:15 are plentiful.
The Gospel can be shared through the means of Gracians signing
up as main speakers, teachers, assistant teachers or youth helpers.
Opportunities for sharing the gospel include, class times, games
times, even during lunch & tea-break sessions.
ii) to edify- This word means to "to strengthen spiritually
towards faith and holiness; to build, to establish." The
apostle Paul mentions the fact that members of different gifts
were part of the church at Ephesus for the purpose of "edifying"
the church (Ephesians 4:11-12).
Vacation Bible school is seen both as an excellent opportunity
for outreach as well as for edifying the children who have already
trusted Christ as their Saviour. Children which have no or very
little opportunity to attend church have a good opportunity of
being "build up" in their knowledge about Christ and
His Word during the Vacation Bible school period.
Teachers and helpers themselves also have a great opportunity
of being edified through serving in the Vacation Bible School
because they are serving Christ Himself and fulfilling the Great
Commission in a very unique opportunity.
One value of the VBS is its potential to salvage homes, mend broken
hearts and unite families in their love for Christ and each other
through the Vacation Bible School.
May we as members of Grace Bible-Presbyterian Church support this
year's VBS 2009 ministry in much prayer as well as in any practical
way that the Lord in His grace and mercy burdens our hearts. May
the Lord be pleased to use us to fulfill His Great Commission
as well as to encourage one other in our relationship with Him.
By Hannah Yeo
Sources:
Vacation Bible School. Wikipedia
VBS and other Summer Ministries. Wheaton, Illinois: Evangelical
Training Society, 1994, pg 9
The Chambers Dictionary. Annandale Street, Edinburgh: Chambers
Harrap Publishers Ltd, 1993
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