Why I Sign My Kids Up For Every Vacation Bible School
Posted: Friday, June 12, 2009
by Laura Trahan
I recently was talking to one of my friends about summer activities. I was shocked at her agenda for her kids. She was attending three or four local Vacation Bible Schools. I was in shock that she would send her kids to churches that she was not a member of the congregation.
"Oh, your one of those mothers," I thought. When I volunteered every year at our church VBS, the other teachers would talk horribly about parents using VBS as daycare. Quick to drop off and late to pick-up, they would say of these moms,
Community Event
For some churches, VBS is the only time they open their doors to the community at large. It is their one time a year where they actually want to do something to give back to the community at large. Why take away their chance?
Exposure to other churches
My kids attended the same church from birth until recently. After the first week at a new church, the kids were ecstatic. "I never knew church could be so fun," the older one said as we left. Different churches run church differently. As a mom, I want my kids to come to know God on their own terms so that they can defend why they believe what they do. I also want them to choose their own church to attend.
When I left school and went to college, I had a professor who took joy in taking away what students believed. It destroyed many students because they couldn't defend what they had believed all along. They had just believed what their parents had believed. I don't want that for my child. I want God to yank them by the ear and pull their head eye to eye to him. Then I want them to defend why they go where they go.
Through different VBS events, kids can see how other churches function, believe, etc. They don't have to be scared of other denominations and they don't have to think their way is the only way.
Travel the world
O.k., not literally. However, within a five mile radius of my house, my kids could go to the circus, visit a bayou, enjoy island life, brush up on some sports and even go to Rome. Get the picture? These week long schools teach not only other beliefs along with the same message, but also teach what life is like outside this five mile radius.
Keeps them busy
It is summer after all and kids these days need to be entertained and kept busy. At VBS, kids do crafts, recreational activities, worship through singing and plays at times, etc. A full days worth of activities is usually crammed into a morning. How much better is that? The great bonus is you, the parent, get a few hours of peace and quiet.
Yes, I am now officially one of those moms and am proud of it!
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Top-level comments on this article: (4 total)Hi Laura, yay for you! and it sounds like those vbs mom's who were talking bad about other mom's who use VBS, need a few Bible study classes of their own. :-) happy traveling to your kiddos! TeresaThanks Teresa!
hi laura,i'm with you-the more your kids can be exposed to, the better it is for them. if you happen to get a few hours peace while they are learning, good for you.if women cared about the mothers of the children they accept in their program, maybe they should find a different job!i wish your kids the best, and happy resting,my best,sue
I am not a religious person (I believe in God but have no designated religion) but I spent two years taking my children to a church group every month to get them into a church school as that school had the best reputation in the area.I have no problem at all doing what it took to get the best for my kids. As it happened, it wasn't the best school (IMO) and after just two months, I took my daughter out and moved her to another school.16 other children from that same class followed suit.My only regret now was daftly thinking church school = better school, as for someone who isn't a church goer, I should know better than to think that way.We all have our weird, wonderful rhyme & reason for doing things. None of us are infallible or perfect and thank goodness for that.What a dull world it'd be if we were all perfect.Meanwhile, my children and I enjoyed church group for those two years, I made some great friends as did they and it was a valuable experience for them and me.I'd do it all again ;)
I enjoyed yur article. I attended Bible School when I was a child even though we wern't members of that church. I think it helped me be a tolerent person and to see there is good in people--not putting the emphasis on religion. I had my children in Bible school and they loved it for the vary reasons you wrote about. Since we are Christian the Bible is the Bible no matter who is teaching it. Thanks for your article.
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