VBS – Very Busy Small-Fry
I must be an old person because I’m thinking, “Vacation Bible School – it’s not like it used to be.”
First of all, it was called DAILY Vacation Bible School. I don’t know that this matters, but for some reason I can’t say VBS. It always comes out DVBS.
The DVBS I attended was at the local United Church and I had the time of my life, along with my cousins – Ron and Rob – who lived across the street from the church. The Rolling Stones were having their first American tour and the hit song of the summer (though I wouldn’t have known this in 1965) was “Time is on My Side.”
My memory doesn’t serve me well but DVBS seemed to go like this:
Very likely I then went to my cousins’ for lunch, and then we went to play in a junkyard or something like that. I did have to call my mom to let her know where I was and when I would be home. But, living in a small town as I did, very likely the neighbours let her know before I did.
*****
I’m not complaining, but DVBS – oops – VBS has had to keep up with the times. And I get that. This year’s big hit is “Maker Fun Factory.” https://www.group.com/category/ministry-resources/childrens-ministry/vbs/maker-fun-factory.do A church a few streets over from ours opted to have it – and I opted to volunteer for it.
It’s complicated.
The organizers order in this program and it costs a few hundred dollars. And then the organizers spend hundreds of hours … well … organizing. Volunteers (and you need many) are required to have a detailed police check. (And I agree.)
With Maker Fun Factory, there are at least six centres that the kids visit and participate in. There are videos, experiential Bible stories, safe but interesting crafts, organized games outside on the grass surrounded by six to eight volunteers, and different (and sometimes elaborate) snacks every day.
Kids are registered ahead of time – and there is a maximum. Parents or guardians bring the kids and sign them in. Each child and volunteer has an individualized and plasticized name tag around their neck that is colour coded. (And I am grateful for that.) Group leaders count their kids every five minutes (or at least this one did) and – in theory – kids are signed out to an identified parent / guardian.
Oh, and there are bathroom breaks every half hour. (Likely someone peed their pants anyway.)
*****
I am not one to glorify the community norms of my childhood. Children got hit while riding their bikes, I’m certain not every volunteer was safe, concussions happened on playgrounds, children went missing, and kids died playing in junkyards.
But I miss an era – at least in Sunday school circles – of simplicity, of minimalism. Not because it was the style, but because there just wasn’t the money and there was so much time.
But you gotta change with the times. United Churches that still have kids are now too offering Maker Fun Factory this summer. And my beloved Holloway United Church is now an amalgamated church called St. Matthews. Its senior congregation is not offering any DVBS; its days are numbered.
And Sunday School at my home church, Grace Mennonite? My class is lucky to have two kids – my granddaughter and grandnephew – and their home churches are actually elsewhere. Says Emma to me on a day that she was my only student, “If I wasn’t here, there’d be no Sunday school.”
Time is no longer on my side.
First of all, it was called DAILY Vacation Bible School. I don’t know that this matters, but for some reason I can’t say VBS. It always comes out DVBS.
The DVBS I attended was at the local United Church and I had the time of my life, along with my cousins – Ron and Rob – who lived across the street from the church. The Rolling Stones were having their first American tour and the hit song of the summer (though I wouldn’t have known this in 1965) was “Time is on My Side.”
My memory doesn’t serve me well but DVBS seemed to go like this:
- Big sign on the lawn of Holloway United Church inviting kids to DVBS.
- Ride your bike over – even as a kid – and sign in. I don’t think our parents signed us up.
- Bring some coins – there will be a collection plate to help kids somewhere.
- Someone would strum the guitar and lead us in kids’ hymns – using a flip chart. I remember it being Rev. Lamb. Yes, that was his real name. And I loved singing those “United Church” songs – “Our Father Who Art in Heaven”, “This is my Father’s World”, “All Things Bright and Beautiful,” and I think we even started with “Holy, Holy, Holy.”
- Then it was Bible story time. I honestly don’t remember what Bible stories we learned – but the technology would have been very old school. Likely flannelgraph. If you haven’t had lessons from a flannelgraph board…well, I pity you. Learn all about it here… https://www.bettylukens.com
- Then it was craft time. The only craft I really remember is carving a duck out of a bar of soap – using a paring knife. Yes, all us klutzy little kids playing with knives. I don’t recall any incidents, though there may very well have been. I do know that I lost my mom’s favourite paring knife. I expect she could still find it in the church kitchen if she went looking for it.
- Then snack time. A different flavour of Freshie everyday. But the same cookies. We didn’t care. Freshie and cookies before lunch! We were really getting away with something.
- Then we were sent out to play on a playground that bordered on the church property. Like all good playgrounds back in the day, all the equipment was set in cement. Yes, if you fell off the monkey bars, you would very likely break something. I don’t think that was good – in fact I think, in retrospect, it was quite awful. But such were the community standards in those days.
- Then after a time, we were hauled back into the church for more song singing – usually the same ones – before we were dispersed to wherever we had come from. No signing out.
- And inevitably, someone peed their pants.
Very likely I then went to my cousins’ for lunch, and then we went to play in a junkyard or something like that. I did have to call my mom to let her know where I was and when I would be home. But, living in a small town as I did, very likely the neighbours let her know before I did.
*****
I’m not complaining, but DVBS – oops – VBS has had to keep up with the times. And I get that. This year’s big hit is “Maker Fun Factory.” https://www.group.com/category/ministry-resources/childrens-ministry/vbs/maker-fun-factory.do A church a few streets over from ours opted to have it – and I opted to volunteer for it.
It’s complicated.
The organizers order in this program and it costs a few hundred dollars. And then the organizers spend hundreds of hours … well … organizing. Volunteers (and you need many) are required to have a detailed police check. (And I agree.)
With Maker Fun Factory, there are at least six centres that the kids visit and participate in. There are videos, experiential Bible stories, safe but interesting crafts, organized games outside on the grass surrounded by six to eight volunteers, and different (and sometimes elaborate) snacks every day.
Kids are registered ahead of time – and there is a maximum. Parents or guardians bring the kids and sign them in. Each child and volunteer has an individualized and plasticized name tag around their neck that is colour coded. (And I am grateful for that.) Group leaders count their kids every five minutes (or at least this one did) and – in theory – kids are signed out to an identified parent / guardian.
Oh, and there are bathroom breaks every half hour. (Likely someone peed their pants anyway.)
*****
I am not one to glorify the community norms of my childhood. Children got hit while riding their bikes, I’m certain not every volunteer was safe, concussions happened on playgrounds, children went missing, and kids died playing in junkyards.
But I miss an era – at least in Sunday school circles – of simplicity, of minimalism. Not because it was the style, but because there just wasn’t the money and there was so much time.
But you gotta change with the times. United Churches that still have kids are now too offering Maker Fun Factory this summer. And my beloved Holloway United Church is now an amalgamated church called St. Matthews. Its senior congregation is not offering any DVBS; its days are numbered.
And Sunday School at my home church, Grace Mennonite? My class is lucky to have two kids – my granddaughter and grandnephew – and their home churches are actually elsewhere. Says Emma to me on a day that she was my only student, “If I wasn’t here, there’d be no Sunday school.”
Time is no longer on my side.