Mon, Oct 06 2008
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Published July 04, 2008 10:43 am - It’s a wonder vacation Bible school made it out of the 1960s. Back in the days of black-and-white TV, churches offered kids lemonade, cookies and flannel-board stories about Jesus, all set to a clanging piano. Children sat in short wooden chairs and listened to the tales for what seemed like an eternity. AP: Welcome to VBS 2.0: Summer Christian camps get a face-lift, at a price The Associated Press
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — It’s a wonder vacation Bible school made it out of the 1960s. Back in the days of black-and-white TV, churches offered kids lemonade, cookies and flannel-board stories about Jesus, all set to a clanging piano. Children sat in short wooden chairs and listened to the tales for what seemed like an eternity. Things are different in 2008. DVDs and video screens are everywhere, along with professionally recorded music, dancing and slick lesson books. Kids are as likely to jump on inflatable moon bounces or go to water parks as play on a church swingset once Bible time is done. Vacation Bible school, once a homestyle tradition, has become big business, with families helping to foot the bill through registration fees and donations. A handful of Christian publishers provide the curriculum, thereby setting the summertime agenda for millions of elementary-age kids at thousands of churches nationwide. “Gone are the days of making bird houses and golden macaroni frames,” said Kevin Clark, children’s pastor at Life Church in suburban Birmingham for the last eight years. “It costs a lot more compared to what it did when I first came here, but it’s really good.” At Mountain Brook Community Church, volunteer John Byrd pulls on a black wig, puts on a long white coat and gyrates at the front of the chapel for his role as a professor in this year’s “Power Lab” VBS, a curriculum produced by the Colorado-based Group Publishing Inc. Jumping around with a keyboard slung around his neck, he lip syncs a song with about the power of Jesus — the most powerful thing there is, the lyrics say. “What did we learn yesterday?” a leader calls out above the buzz of excited children. “Jesus gives us the power to be thankful!” they yell back. Used by hundreds of churches this year, the “Power Lab” theme incorporates music, DVDs, crafts and handouts. Children’s pastor Walter Arroyo said the $2,000 investment was well worth it for the non-denominational church. Small groups of children move between classrooms every few minutes rather than sitting in one place, and all the activities and lessons tie in to a central daily idea. Arroyo acts as the supervisor, patrolling the church campus with a walkie-talkie and clipboard. “What it has helped us do is organize and keep things moving,” said Arroyo. “We’re committed to the message of the Gospel, but we also have to engage them in their world.” For children’s pastor Chuck McCammon, 38, VBS 2.0 is all about using new tools to reach children who have grown up on TVs and computers. “The biggest difference between now and when I was a kid is we try to make it more interactive, with things that are more tactile,” said McCammon. His church does its best to pull in children from a wide area. This year, Valleydale Baptist advertised VBS with a billboard on Interstate 65. 
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