FRANKLIN — As summer winds down and students return to school in this month, Vicki Hulsey, childhood specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, is hearing good reports from Tennessee Baptist churches regarding Vacation Bible School.
“Vacation Bible School continues to be the one week of the year that mobilizes the entire church to reach the community with the gospel, while also providing a unique discipleship experience for children and volunteers,” she added.
“I continue to receive praise reports through e-mail and Facebook from Tennessee Baptist pastors, children’s ministers, VBS directors and church members, sharing what God is doing through VBS in 2024,” she said.
“A common thread in these reports has been that churches have seen the highest VBS enrollment and the largest number of decisions reported in many years,” Hulsey continued.
She noted that VBS is an evangelistic tool that helps churches to reach all people. “As I visited VBS in Tennessee Baptist churches, I saw a beautiful picture of churches of varying sizes using VBS to reach all people regardless of age, language, or abilities,” she said.
Hulsey
Hulsey observed that many churches offered VBS classes ranging from babies through senior adults. Other churches reached out to kids and adults of varying abilities by offering special needs classes, she added.
Though final VBS numbers are not yet in for 2024, Hulsey cited comments by Ben Mandrell, president of Lifeway Christian Resources during the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in June in Indianapolis.
Mandrell said VBS accounts for 25 percent of baptisms in the SBC each year, including 60,000 professions of faith last year.
Additionally, since first tracking giving to the missions offering in 1999, children and churches have given $105 million to missions through VBS, he said.,
Mandrell added that VBS is a “time-tested, proven successful strategy that is still engaging, appealing, strategic and effective today.
“Look back at what God has done and let’s all be thankful,” he said.
Hulsey appealed to Tennessee Baptist VBS leaders to record their results from this summer.
“I’m hearing amazing stories this summer of what God is doing through VBS and Backyard Kids Club all over Tennessee. One of the best tools we have to share that good news is to gather reports for each VBS or BKC in Tennessee Baptist churches,” she said.
“Before you turn the page on VBS 2024, please take 60 seconds to record your VBS.”
Visit vbs.lifeway.com/church-report and fill in each of the required fields. “Please complete this report regardless of the curriculum used,” Hulsey asked. There is a space to list the curriculum publisher.
“This information helps us to better serve your church and to celebrate what God has done in Tennessee and around the world,” Hulsey said. B&R
