Athens churches grateful that summer saw the return of Vacation Bible School

Nikolai Mather, Athens Banner-Herald
·3 min read
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Kids work on crafts at St. Gregory the Great Episcopal Church VBS 2022. Photo courtesy of Doug Adkins.
Kids work on crafts at St. Gregory the Great Episcopal Church VBS 2022. Photo courtesy of Doug Adkins.

Something that made this summer more normal than in recent years for Athens' Christian children was a return to Vacation Bible School.

These downscaled summer camps have become a cross-generational tradition for churches throughout the Bible belt, giving church communities a chance to connect with young people.

The coronavirus pandemic put many summer camps on an indefinite hold. But after federal and state social distancing restrictions loosened in March, churches throughout Athens cautiously began to plan for Vacation Bible School once again. Here's how it went.

What is Vacation Bible school?

Vacation Bible school is a church-based summer camp for young people to learn more about Christianity. The tradition dates back more than a century, during the religious wave of the late 1800s, when school teachers in Illinois and New York started religious summer schools for children.

Since its inception, thousands of churches across denominations and beliefs have put on yearly summer camps for their communities. Several dozen churches in Athens held Vacation Bible Schools over the summer, including Young Harris Memorial United Methodist Church. After skipping VBS in 2020 and 2021, pastor Luis Ortiz was eager to get back together with the church's youth.

"VBS allows the church to minister to our community youth with no reservations or prejudices," he said, "and allows the church members to give back to community in a more casual, informal setting." 

Church members and children at St. Gregory the Great Episcopal Church practice yoga together. Courtesy of Doug Adkins.
Church members and children at St. Gregory the Great Episcopal Church practice yoga together. Courtesy of Doug Adkins.

Giving back to area children

Vacation Bible Schools are like other summer camps: typically involving crafts, recreation and field trips. At St. Gregory the Great Episcopal Church, children's ministry director Doug Adkins rotated through some other kid-friendly activities.

"The movement rotation introduced students to basic yoga practices, which was very unique for VBS," he said.

But Vacation Bible School isn't all fun and games. For Young Harris Memorial UMC, it presented an opportunity to give back to their community. During an end-of-camp festival, his congregation passed out backpacks full of school supplies to all the campers.

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"Favorite moments were all the smiles on the kids' faces who received the backpacks and school supplies at no cost to them," said Ortiz.

"Many families do not have the resources or time to send children to a week of camp. But no matter how small a church may be, it can provide a week of VBS for children," said Adkins.

VBS campers play in a foam pit at Young Harris Memorial United Methodist Church. Courtesy of Luis Ortiz.
VBS campers play in a foam pit at Young Harris Memorial United Methodist Church. Courtesy of Luis Ortiz.

"Engage a loving God in conversation"

Adkins enjoyed putting on skits and making crafts with the children of his church. But to him, Vacation Bible school serves another important purpose.

"Growing up in the Baptist church, VBS was largely geared toward fun and enthusiasm. While there is certainly nothing wrong with fun and enthusiasm, and those things need to be celebrated in the Church, I always got the feeling that churches were trying to compete with all the other sources of fun and entertainment in children’s lives," he said.

One Episcopal tradition he followed was the Compline, a nightly prayer meant for reflection on the day's events and meditation on the day to come. Setting aside a moment for kids to pray, he said, helped them connect with God.

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“Ending an evening of VBS with Compline helps teach our children a different value: the value of a life of prayer, of engaging with God in thought and reflection on the day just passed, of quieting our spirits and resting in peace and assurance," said Adkins.

To him, that's what Vacation Bible School is all about.

"It gives us all a taste of how our lives can be transformed when we throw ourselves unreservedly into a faith community that loves and nurtures us. It casts a vision of who we can become rather than worrying about who we are or what we have."

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Athens churches talk Vacation Bible school and other summer camps