Overview – Cathy Howell, one of the clinic faculty who taught the younger children’s class, is minister to preschoolers and children at Wellford Baptist Church.Teams from associations across the state gathered Feb. 18 for the first step in helping churches prepare for this summer’s Vacation Bible Schools. The state VBS Clinic, held at White Oak Conference Center, introduced leaders to curriculum and gave helps in knowing how to lead in associational VBS clinics.
Attending the state VBS Clinic were teams of leaders from 33 associations. In their conference sessions, they experienced learning activities that they can use as they teach in the VBS clinic held in their association. They also saw ideas for developing the theme with decorations and accessories to attract attention and add fun.
Since the majority of churches in the South Carolina Baptist Convention use VBS curriculum from LifeWay Christian Resources, training events focus on helping churches to effectively use these materials. This year’s LifeWay VBS is built around the theme, “Arctic Edge: Where Adventure Meets Courage.” Bible stories of Elijah, Esther, Nicodemus, Saul, Peter and John teach about having courage to know and follow Jesus in the everyday challenges of life.
The arctic theme can be described as “Alaska in the summertime.” In their classrooms, participants could see simulated arctic lodges, northern lights, mountain scenes, railroad depots and Alaskan bays. Emphasis was given to keeping theme decorations in perspective as the “hook” to draw people in so that VBS workers have the opportunity to tell them about Jesus. Participants were cautioned that this is Vacation Bible School, not Vacation “Arctic” School. VBS is a leading evangelistic tool for many churches, with the average VBS resulting in four professions of faith.
The focus of one class at the state VBS Clinic was outer space rather than the arctic. “Space Quest” is the theme for this year’s Club VBS materials. Club VBS is designed for small churches, or for any church that wants an alternative to LifeWay’s main theme while staying with Southern Baptist materials.