Vacation Bible School

Definition and Meaning

Vacation Bible School is an intensive program of Christian education that a church holds, chiefly for children, during the summer when schools are on break. The Korean name means "summer Bible school"; in English it is known as Vacation Bible School, abbreviated VBS. Korean churches commonly shorten it to "Bible school." Whereas the regular Sunday school meets briefly each Sunday, Vacation Bible School runs for several consecutive days. It is characterized by weaving Bible stories, singing, crafts, and games together under a single theme.

Biblical and Historical Background

Vacation Bible School is not an institution directly prescribed by Scripture; it is an event that arose within the church's educational tradition. When explaining its purpose, churches frequently cite Deuteronomy 6:7, which commands parents to teach God's words diligently to their children; Proverbs 22:6, "Train up a child in the way he should go"; and Mark 10:14, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not."

The practice of gathering children during school vacations to teach them the Bible is generally believed to have begun in the United States between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It is said to have been introduced to Korea by missionaries around the 1920s and to have spread alongside the Sunday school movement.

Practice in Korean Churches

• Timing and length: It is usually held between late July and early August. In the past it sometimes lasted nearly a week, but today many churches hold a shorter program of two or three days, or of one or two days over a weekend.
• Content: Programs consist of theme songs with choreographed motions, Bible stories, lessons (Bible study using a prescribed curriculum), crafts, recreation, water play, and similar activities. A presentation or awards ceremony is sometimes held on the final day.
• Curriculum and teacher training: The education departments of the general assemblies of various denominations publish a theme and curriculum each year and hold teacher training workshops in the spring. Independent churches and small churches sometimes use materials produced by Christian publishers or mission organizations. Although curricula differ by denomination, the purpose and format of the event are broadly similar.
• An opportunity for evangelism: It has also been regarded as an opportunity for evangelism through inviting children from the neighborhood, and it has served as a means by which children who do not attend church first come into contact with one.
• Programs by age group: Middle and high school departments and young adult groups often hold a retreat around the same time instead of a Bible school.
• Recent changes: As the number of children has declined in recent years, the format has diversified to include joint Bible schools held by several churches together, outdoor camp-style events, winter Bible schools, and other forms.