This is the month so many churches hold their annual VBS. We held two afternoons of Bible School Day Camp. We had great fun—sang songs, did crafts, had refreshments, played games, studied the Bible lessons, memorized the Bible verses.
During the planning, since I provide music for our church, I started digging into the children’s music in my memory and I found that I remembered every word. I also found that when I researched the old Sunday School and Bible School songs online, it appears they are still being used today. Of course, some of those aren’t from my childhood, but from my children’s childhood. I’ve been singing children’s Christian songs all my life.
I picked out action songs, with dual purpose—to impart a truth into the child’s heart through repetition and to exhaust some of his endless supply of energy so he could sit still during the lesson time that followed.
We sang, “Father Abraham had many sons….right arm, left arm, right foot, left foot, chin up, turn around, SIT DOWN!” to the music of a CD, while we marched in place. Of course, that required me to march too, which wore me out before it did the children.
Several weeks before our Day Camp, I had taught the children about Father Abraham. God came to Abram, as he was called at that time, told him to leave Ur of the Chaldees, and go to a land he’d never been to before, so Abram believed God and obeyed. We talked about why God blessed Abraham, because he obeyed God. And God blessed Abraham so he would be a blessing to others.
“Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Romans 4:3.NKJV
I believe the main purpose of Vacation Bible School or Church Camp should be to bring a child to that point like Abram, hearing God for the first time in his life, to the point of choosing to place his faith in Christ.