Does Vacation Bible School really make a difference in a kid''s life?

[AndrewF1995]

As someone who was in 3rd grade 6 years ago, I can tell you it was FUN but didn’t really make a difference for me. I guess it was good because I was with other people who were catholic for a week.

 

[rwillenborg]

I tend to feel the same way about such programs (and I agree with all of your post).

I never went to or even had anything like VBS when I was a kid. I got plenty of Catholic schooling at my very conservative parochial school, though I would have benefited from some more during the summer. I went on to, by the grace of God, remain loyal to Christ until I was about 27 or 28, when I fell away from Christianity totally, due to my then-girlfriend’s own falling away into paganism.

She grew up with it, and so did her sister; her sister is pretty much now a Christian In Name Only and thoroughly liberalized and secularized in most all other ways. My wife returned to Christianity and followed me into the Church when I pulled my head out of my spiritual behind; she has good memories of VBS but I am left wondering if it really does what it should.

Now, I’m not trying to blow my own horn nor run down my wife’s bad choices nor my sister-in-law’s. All I am trying to say is that VBS only seems to matter if it really teaches serious Christianity and if the individual in question is otherwise brought up in a serious Christian environment - almost like CCD only matters if those conditions are met or Catholic school only matters if those conditions are met.

I think the issue is making sure serious Christianity is taught and not watered-down or dumbed-down for children. Kids can handle more than most adults give them credit for.

Well, VBS is well under way for us now, and after the first day (which was VERY UNPLEASANT I will tell you that!) everything seems to be going well. Why was it unpleasant you say?
Because I have to say things like ‘Of course, Mrs. Jones, it won’t be a problem to put little Timmy into the group with his friend from down the street. Never mind that ends up shifting the kid from that group into another group, and actually ends up disrupting a third group. Never mind, I’ve already let everyone know that Little Timmy in group 4 has peanut allergies, and now I have to tell them all that he’s in group 5. And never mind that I still have 20 people to get through registration and we are supposed to start in five minutes. Never mind you knew a week ago which group little Timmy was going to be in and could have let me know them, instead of 5 minutes before we start. WHY WOULD THIS BE A PROBLEM?!?!?!’
Ahem.
Aside from that, it seems to be going well.
The kids ARE indeed having a great time.
But I have to agree with your post here. I was ready for more serious theological discussion probably by 3rd grade. God loves me. I get it. God forgives me. I get it. But the bigger questions I didn’t get, and since what little christianity I was fed WAS so watered down, I thought there wasn’t anything else to it except the warm fuzzies.
Do you want to know something? A friend of mine, probably the only Catholic I know, she said something, probably ten years ago now that I never forgot.
Someone at a party was talking about evolution and there were some evangelical guests at the party and they went off on the creationism line, and then someone turned to my friend and said ‘You go to church. What do YOU think about all this?’ and my friend said ‘Oh, honey, I’m Catholic. We figured out what to do about evolution 1400 years before Darwin was even born.’ and that was all she said. (She was referring to the writings of St. Augustine talking about how to interpret Genesis.) This statement seemed not to startle anyone but me.
How can anyone have an answer to a question that hadn’t been asked yet?
But that was just it - when a church is 2,000 years old, you can rest assured that EVERY question has been asked and SOMEONE has come up with an answer. Will you like the answer? Maybe, maybe not, but rest assured you are not the first to have thought of it.
And it was like a lightning bolt when I was an atheist and I thought, ‘But how can God permit so much suffering?’ and then I realized that SO MANY saints had worked DIRECTLY with suffering people. They were themselves, suffering. And they were intensely in love with God the whole time. And, I thought, FOR THE FIRST TIME, mind you, ‘Huh, maybe, instead of assuming the Church doesn’t have an answer to this question, I should go find it.’ And I did. And I was satisfied with the answer.
But my point is, WHY did I assume that the church was nothing more than fluff all those years? Why did I think the Church had avoided tough questions? It’s because they HAD - not the Church as a whole but the people who REPRESENTED the church to me. When I asked why my grandmother had to have Alzheimer’s, I got a pat on the head, and a ‘God will take care of her’ and you know what? I deserved more than that.
So, I guess what I’m saying is - I get this VBS thing, and I like it. I like the role modeling that is going on that cat talked about. But this only further reminds me that it can’t stop here. These kids, ESPECIALLY the older teens helping out, they need a forum, or something like that, they can ask questions to. Hard questions. And they need to get the REAL meat and potatoes answer.
Maybe this is something i will talk to our new parish priest about.
But maybe I’ll wait til summer’s over. I think I’ll need a break after this week!!!

 

[rwillenborg]

Does VBS have the same affect as living in an active Catholic family every day does? Probably not, but unfortunately, there are an awful lot of kids who don’t have active Catholic parents. I think of things like VBS as planting little seeds. Nothing may grow out of it right away, but eventually I trust that something they heard or saw will come back to their minds and start to grow.

Two of the girls in my RCIA kids class were at VBS last year. They have very vivid memories of the stories and everything else. It was a wonderful experience for them. This year they were back with their mom and younger sister (we had a family VBS) and had a great time. The oldest even got to help teach a bit.

What’s a family VBS?

 

[Cat]

I tend to feel the same way about such programs (and I agree with all of your post).

I never went to or even had anything like VBS when I was a kid. I got plenty of Catholic schooling at my very conservative parochial school, though I would have benefited from some more during the summer. I went on to, by the grace of God, remain loyal to Christ until I was about 27 or 28, when I fell away from Christianity totally, due to my then-girlfriend’s own falling away into paganism.

She grew up with it, and so did her sister; her sister is pretty much now a Christian In Name Only and thoroughly liberalized and secularized in most all other ways. My wife returned to Christianity and followed me into the Church when I pulled my head out of my spiritual behind; she has good memories of VBS but I am left wondering if it really does what it should.

Now, I’m not trying to blow my own horn nor run down my wife’s bad choices nor my sister-in-law’s. All I am trying to say is that VBS only seems to matter if it really teaches serious Christianity and if the individual in question is otherwise brought up in a serious Christian environment - almost like CCD only matters if those conditions are met or Catholic school only matters if those conditions are met.

I think the issue is making sure serious Christianity is taught and not watered-down or dumbed-down for children. Kids can handle more than most adults give them credit for.

You admit that you have never experienced VBS.

I would like to encourage you to please not discredit the vital importance of role-modeling in the training of Christians, especially children.

Children learn so much just by watching adults who are Christians. Yes, their parents should be their primary role models. But there is nothing wrong with seeking out other adults (and teenagers) and partnering with them to provide even more role models for your children to teach them HOW to live as Christians. There is strength in numbers.

A child who sees dozens of Christians all working together to advance the Kingdom of God will begin to gain an understanding that Christianity is much bigger than his/her own self and his/her own family. The line in the Eucharistic prayer about “all the souls your Son has won for you” will become very real to the child after attending VBS and witnessing so much love and activity, all for the glory of God.

One of the problems in Christianity todays is the idea of a “personal Savior.” I grew up with this, and I believe there is truth in the phrase. But I think that many Christians get so caught up in their “personal relationship with Jesus” that they actually become self-centered. They need to get OUT of themselves and be with other Christians and recognize that they are part of the Body of Christ, not an entity unto themselves.

Jesus Himself used this method of role-modeling to teach His disciples over the course of His three-year ministry. One of the best examples is when He washed the disciples feet, modeling for them the type of behavior that brings glory to God.

St. Paul was also a role model for several younger pastors, including Timothy.

What you have to realize is that at VBS, you get a group of children from a wide range of backgrounds. Some have been well-trained at home and could probably teach the classes themselves, while others come from Godless, faithless, and sometimes loveless homes.

These lesser-trained children are not ready for the “meat of the Word of God.” You have to start with the basics, and one basic that we should never tire of contemplating is “Jesus loves you.” It sounds too simple for those who are panting to delve into Aquinas’ masterpieces, or St Augustine’s pithy essays. But this simple message, “Jesus loves you,” is the essence of all Christianity. If a person does not understand this basic truth of God’s love for mankind, he/she will not understand Christianity and indeed, may develop a warped and even violent understanding of Christianity.

Parents of well-trained, well-catechized children might be tempted to keep their children at home, since the VBS is so very basic and simplistic. Please don’t do this. YOUR children become role models for the poor children (poor in spiritual things) who have been raised in homes where God is not honored and His Word is not taught.

Many times, a child will ask his/her parents to bring him/her to church after VBS is over because they want to see their “friend” again, a child who was kind to them and who helped them build their popsicle stick cross, or who was their partner in the game time, or who helped them fill out their workbook and memorize their verses. I met friends at VBS that I am STILL friends with after over 45 years!

If your child is too advanced for VBS teaching, then train your child how to be a friend and role model and reach out to other children who do not know the Lord Jesus. Then send them out to VBS, just as Jesus sent out His disciples to preach the Kingdom of God.

 

[jmcrae]

Well, VBS is well under way for us now, and after the first day (which was VERY UNPLEASANT I will tell you that!) everything seems to be going well. Why was it unpleasant you say?
Because I have to say things like ‘Of course, Mrs. Jones, it won’t be a problem to put little Timmy into the group with his friend from down the street. Never mind that ends up shifting the kid from that group into another group, and actually ends up disrupting a third group. Never mind, I’ve already let everyone know that Little Timmy in group 4 has peanut allergies, and now I have to tell them all that he’s in group 5. And never mind that I still have 20 people to get through registration and we are supposed to start in five minutes. Never mind you knew a week ago which group little Timmy was going to be in and could have let me know them, instead of 5 minutes before we start. WHY WOULD THIS BE A PROBLEM?!?!?!’
Ahem.

One thing you learn over time is to just schedule this stuff into your time line. That way, you take away the stress that it causes.

 

[JadeStarr]

Well, VBS is well under way for us now, and after the first day (which was VERY UNPLEASANT I will tell you that!) everything seems to be going well. Why was it unpleasant you say?
Because I have to say things like ‘Of course, Mrs. Jones, it won’t be a problem to put little Timmy into the group with his friend from down the street. Never mind that ends up shifting the kid from that group into another group, and actually ends up disrupting a third group. Never mind, I’ve already let everyone know that Little Timmy in group 4 has peanut allergies, and now I have to tell them all that he’s in group 5. And never mind that I still have 20 people to get through registration and we are supposed to start in five minutes. Never mind you knew a week ago which group little Timmy was going to be in and could have let me know them, instead of 5 minutes before we start. WHY WOULD THIS BE A PROBLEM?!?!?!’
Ahem.
Aside from that, it seems to be going well.
The kids ARE indeed having a great time.
But I have to agree with your post here. I was ready for more serious theological discussion probably by 3rd grade. God loves me. I get it. God forgives me. I get it. But the bigger questions I didn’t get, and since what little christianity I was fed WAS so watered down, I thought there wasn’t anything else to it except the warm fuzzies.
Do you want to know something? A friend of mine, probably the only Catholic I know, she said something, probably ten years ago now that I never forgot.
Someone at a party was talking about evolution and there were some evangelical guests at the party and they went off on the creationism line, and then someone turned to my friend and said ‘You go to church. What do YOU think about all this?’ and my friend said ‘Oh, honey, I’m Catholic. We figured out what to do about evolution 1400 years before Darwin was even born.’ and that was all she said. (She was referring to the writings of St. Augustine talking about how to interpret Genesis.) This statement seemed not to startle anyone but me.
How can anyone have an answer to a question that hadn’t been asked yet?
But that was just it - when a church is 2,000 years old, you can rest assured that EVERY question has been asked and SOMEONE has come up with an answer. Will you like the answer? Maybe, maybe not, but rest assured you are not the first to have thought of it.
And it was like a lightning bolt when I was an atheist and I thought, ‘But how can God permit so much suffering?’ and then I realized that SO MANY saints had worked DIRECTLY with suffering people. They were themselves, suffering. And they were intensely in love with God the whole time. And, I thought, FOR THE FIRST TIME, mind you, ‘Huh, maybe, instead of assuming the Church doesn’t have an answer to this question, I should go find it.’ And I did. And I was satisfied with the answer.
But my point is, WHY did I assume that the church was nothing more than fluff all those years? Why did I think the Church had avoided tough questions? It’s because they HAD - not the Church as a whole but the people who REPRESENTED the church to me. When I asked why my grandmother had to have Alzheimer’s, I got a pat on the head, and a ‘God will take care of her’ and you know what? I deserved more than that.
So, I guess what I’m saying is - I get this VBS thing, and I like it. I like the role modeling that is going on that cat talked about. But this only further reminds me that it can’t stop here. These kids, ESPECIALLY the older teens helping out, they need a forum, or something like that, they can ask questions to. Hard questions. And they need to get the REAL meat and potatoes answer.
Maybe this is something i will talk to our new parish priest about.
But maybe I’ll wait til summer’s over. I think I’ll need a break after this week!!!

Girl! You need to talk to the Daughters of St Paul and write a book about your VBS experiences, along with your very terrific ideas on how to run one.
I would definitely buy it!

 

[JadeStarr]

My mom and aunt definitely used VBS as “guilt-free babysitting” when my cousins and I were younger. We made the rounds all summer–the Methodist church, the Baptist church, the non-denom church, and finally our C&MA church.

Most of those programs were in the evenings, though. I’d think it would be really hard to get volunteers for during the day.

Unless the teenagers in your area need to put in x numbers of hours before they can graduate. I agree with you because the same problem is happening in my area with the Church Bazaars. People have jobs and they can’t get off for something like this. Mostly it’s retired women and teens who are available. Of course, children love teenagers, they think they’re cool.

Back in the fifites, when moms could stay at home things were much different because folks could invest a lot of hours into these things. I remember one Catholic church had a bazaar and we were allowed to visit during school hours, they served hot dogs and soft drinks and, to MY eleven year mind, they were the best tasting hot dogs in the Universe!

 

[Cat]

One thing you learn over time is to just schedule this stuff into your time line. That way, you take away the stress that it causes.

I agree.

It’s VBS, not school. I always tried to accomodate reasonable requests for friends to be in the same class even if there was a slight age difference. Things got a little dicey when a 3-year old wanted to be in the same class with his/her fourth grade sibling, and usually the mom or dad would understand when I explained that material used in the class would be far above the head of the younger child. But if the parents insisted, I would go along with it. It usually worked out just fine. It’s not much different than when a large family all sits around the dinner table–everyone manages to get some food and enjoy a little time together, even if they are all different ages.

 

[Nicea325]

So, this year at my parish I am heading up vacation bible school (vbs). Until four months ago, actually, I had never even HEARD of vbs. Now, I know more than I EVER wanted to know. LOL!
Anyway, it’s a TON of work. Ridiculous. I’ve taken days off work to get things done, paid for babysitters to watch the kids so I could get stuff done, and that’s just ME. When you look at the work EVERYONE puts out collectively to put this on, it’s mind-blowing. All for a total of 15 hours of actual school time.
So, I ask you people - is this really worth it?
It builds community in the church,. That’s good. It’s certainly better that kids come to church and learn about God than sit in front of their TVs and learn God-knows-what. That’s good, too. But I can’t help but wonder, will any of this nonsense - will the pretzel snacks, and the crafts made out of paper tubes and skits where grown-ups have to act like idiots, will any of that really make any difference to a kid’s faith life?
I know it wouldn’t have for me, even as a kid.
I feel like, in the end, after the kids have been going to vbs for years, and then they help volunteer at it, and then they go off to college…and they’ll just become atheists like everyone else was and at that point, who really cares that you pretended you were a pirate in the basement of your church to learn that ‘God’s love is bigger than the ocean’.

I’ve been joking with the other volunteers that ‘I spent 20 hours building a ship out of foam. I spent another 5 hours making seagulls that say things like ‘Would you please donate a clear vinyl shower curtain to VBS?. I have spent time talking to parents who didn’t understand that it is REALLY REALLY important that you give me emergency contact information for your kids, even if you dont’ want to be bothered at work. I even set up a website, and learned a bit of HTML code! And VBS is STILL a week away and I have a TON of stuff to do. I have missed fun outings with my family, friends and co-workers, so I could do work for vacation Bible school. I’ve taken days off of work, hired babysitters, so I could do VBS stuff. If these kids go off to college, read ONE Nietzsche essay, and decide they’re atheists, I swear, I will find them, and I will beat them with my Holy Catholic Bible. Even the protestant ones I will beat with the Catholic Bible because it’s bigger, so it will hurt more.’

I’m joking…mostly. What I’m getting at of course, is really the title of this post, which is Does VBS make a difference in a person’s faith formation?

Depends a lot too on the child’s parents and their involvement to parish life. If mom and dad simply use VBS a temp baby-sitting service,VBS will slightly or have no bearing whatsoever,especially if mom and dad or not practicing Catholics.

 

[Bluegoat]

I think it is important to know what you want your VBS to do.

A friend of mine (Anglican) started a VBS in her parish, during March Break. They are in a small community of about 800 people, and there were no other March Break activities. Most of the kids in town went to no church, and there are a smattering of Baptists, Ctholics, and United. Not too many Anglicans.

Their main goal was to provide some much needed child care for the parents, and give kids a chance to learn, often for the first time, about Jesus. They hoped some would come back, but they weren’t trying to poach from the other local churches.

In light of this, they chose a program that was very basic, and scripturally based. Since most of the kids had no religious experience, a more in depth catechism based curriculum wouldn’t really make sense.

They also wanted to be fun - it was supposed to be a vacation.

And the program is really popular, and every year some parents start bringing their kids to church after they go to the VBS. It’s there they get more in-depth religious instruction.

The Church I am in now is in an inner city community, though most of the parishioners don’t live there. The VBS gets kids from the parish and community, so it is geared to both groups. One benefit is getting those groups together.

Does it make a big difference - probably not to all, but I think it can for some, especially those who then go on to further their religious commitment.

 

[KarenElissa]

What’s a family VBS?

We had parents come with their kids. It was an interesting experience, like anything in some ways it was really good, in other ways not so much.

Some of the parents got really involved and were really helpful and I think had fun participating along with their kids. Other parents just sat in the back and didn’t really do anything, it also made it a bit akward to correct those kids when they were acting up.

I do think it was a good, casual way to get parents involved in helping teach their kids the faith and maybe they will be more likely to do so in the future.

 

[Cat]

Here’s a suggestion for those of you who would like to see “deeper” teachings at VBS.

Make sure to allow plenty of time for adult/child interaction and conversation one-on-one and in small groups. Do not cram so much activity into the VBS that there is no time for these precious times.

It is during these moments that those students who want and need “more” teaching, more depth, can learn more from the adults (and teenagers).

One place where this often happens is during the Craft Time, especially in the older groups (3rd - 6th grades). A student is gluing popsicle sticks together, and a counselor/teacher (whatever you call them) is helping the student by holding the craft together until the glue sets. THIS is the perfect time for the craft counselor to bring up the lesson of the day and ask a few searching questions.

E.g., let’s just say that the VBS was about the parables of Jesus, and the Parable of the Day was the Good Samaritan. The craft counselor could ask a child or small group of children, “Tell me about some people you know who help people in trouble.” Many children will mention their parents or grandparents, or perhaps their priest, or a teacher. The counselor asks them to describe what the “Good Samaritans” do to help others, and the children describe. The counselor could then ask, “How do you think you, as a child, could be a Good Samaritan?”

That’s a tough question. It’s what we called “Application of the Gospel” back when I worked with Pioneer Clubs.

Another place where children and counselors can have some quiet interaction time is during the Treat Time. While the cookies and Kool Aid (or veges and juice!) are being consumed, a good counselor or teenager can raise some questions. e.g, “Tell me about some Good Samaritans that you’ve seen here at VBS?”

These questions can lead to other questions and heavy discussion. E.g., I can see that the Good Samaritan questions might eventually end up as, “Do people ever get hurt trying to help other people? Should we avoid helping people when we might get hurt?” This question would have to be handled with extreme care, and perhaps the children could be told, “Here’s your homework assignment. Talk to your parents about Good Samaritans in modern times, and how sometimes people get hurt, and ask them what they think Christians should do and not do to try to help others.” (That way, you have a discussion topic for the next day–reporting the homework answers!)

I believe this method of teaching is called “The Socratic Method,” in which a group of students is attached to a teacher that they admire and respect. ANYONE at VBS could become that heroic “teacher” or “Socrates” to an admiring young child. I would train my VBS staff to be acutely aware of these “teachable moments” and use them to teach those students who are ready and hungry for more solid “food.”

I personally love this method of teaching children. I used it with my own children. I always tried to stay alert for “teachable moments,” and used rocks, flowers, clouds, etc. to teach my children truths about life and God. I do the same thing with my niece and nephews–it’s amazing how wide their eyes can get when they hear a little snippet of teaching about something. I know a lot of adults think that kids don’t listen, but they really do listen and retain information when it is imparted to them in this way.

I don’t think that every adult feels comfortable with this method of teaching. But I think for those who do, it is important that they be placed in positions in VBS where they will be able to use their skill.

I haven’t mentioned this before, but I think it’s important to remember propriety in situations where there are children. No VBS student should ever be alone with an adult. There should always be more than one adult present, and if at all possible, the children and the adults should be easily visible to others, not hidden in little rooms with no windows. It’s sad that are our world is like this, but it is.

 

[rwillenborg]

I haven’t mentioned this before, but I think it’s important to remember propriety in situations where there are children. No VBS student should ever be alone with an adult. There should always be more than one adult present, and if at all possible, the children and the adults should be easily visible to others, not hidden in little rooms with no windows. It’s sad that are our world is like this, but it is.

Ugh. So sad but true. in our diocese, if you work with chldren you have to go through a brief training. One of the things they talked about was to have one exit/entrance, and have empty rooms locked, and I thought ‘How stupid is that?!?’ and then they went on to explain that things happen if given an opportunity, and empty rooms and unlatched doors are that very opportunity. It makes me not want to leave my house!!

day 3 of VBS done - today was God is full of surprises. And we had three balls lined up on a table with tablecloths and you lift up the tablecloths and then on the 4th ball you say ‘What’s under here?’ and they say ‘a SOCCER BALL!!!’ and you say ‘Is it?’ and, instead it’s a volunteer’s head (with the hole cut from cardboard attached to the table and all of that!) We have a new parish priest so i asked him to do it, and those kids were STUNNED!!! First that it was a person and NOT a soccer ball, AND that it was GASP! their priest!!! It helped that he’s new, and therefore he’s still willing to get bossed around by people like me. :thumbsup:
So, he popped out and said SURPRISE!

tHE KIDS WENT CRAZY!

However, this weeks’ VBS is not without its problems. We have some kids who aren’t acting right, some crew leaders who aren’t acting right, and some kids who are being downright terrible to eachother. that’s this week’s nonsense…I suppose we’ll get it all worked out tomorrow.

 

[Cat]

Ugh. So sad but true. in our diocese, if you work with chldren you have to go through a brief training. One of the things they talked about was to have one exit/entrance, and have empty rooms locked, and I thought ‘How stupid is that?!?’ and then they went on to explain that things happen if given an opportunity, and empty rooms and unlatched doors are that very opportunity. It makes me not want to leave my house!!

day 3 of VBS done - today was God is full of surprises. And we had three balls lined up on a table with tablecloths and you lift up the tablecloths and then on the 4th ball you say ‘What’s under here?’ and they say ‘a SOCCER BALL!!!’ and you say ‘Is it?’ and, instead it’s a volunteer’s head (with the hole cut from cardboard attached to the table and all of that!) We have a new parish priest so i asked him to do it, and those kids were STUNNED!!! First that it was a person and NOT a soccer ball, AND that it was GASP! their priest!!! It helped that he’s new, and therefore he’s still willing to get bossed around by people like me. :thumbsup:
So, he popped out and said SURPRISE!

tHE KIDS WENT CRAZY!

However, this weeks’ VBS is not without its problems. We have some kids who aren’t acting right, some crew leaders who aren’t acting right, and some kids who are being downright terrible to eachother. that’s this week’s nonsense…I suppose we’ll get it all worked out tomorrow.

That is so funny! Isn’t it amazing that in this age of movie special effects and DSIs and video games and television that children can still be amused by a vaudeville trick that’s older than all of us added together!

I don’t know if this will help you or not, but I’d like to tell my mother’s VBS story.

When we were kids, she volunteered to help (as did all moms back then). On the first day, a group of children from the “wrong side of town” came to our VBS. They were wild, to say the least. They didn’t know how to read or write, so the workbooks were destroyed.

All of the rest of us kids were horrified and fascinated at the same time. We were good little boys and girls, while these new kids were…well, they were entertaining!

And they were not the same color as everyone else at the VBS.

Well, the ladies were quite upset, and there was a lot of hushed discussion in the kitchen about how the church could possibly deal with this difficult situation. Apparently there was talk of not allowing them to come back the next day.

My mother got wind of that talk, and she immediately approached the VBS Director and said, “I’ll teach them. I don’t need any books.”

Now the ladies didn’t know my mother at all, since she didn’t circulate in the same social set as they did. But they were more than willing to allow her to take the “situation” off of their hands.

My mother took those half-dozen kids to a table all by themselves, and she taught them Bible stories the old-fashioned way, with no flannelgraph and no pictures and no books. She used her voice and her hands and eyes to tell the stories, just like poor people have always done. (She grew up as poor white trash in the South, and picked cotton alongside the African Americans.) And she gave them hugs and compliments and helped them with their crafts and made sure that they got a treat and some Kool Aid.

And those kids stayed, and they calmed down, and they had a great time.

I often wonder if a few years later, during the race riots in Chicago, if some of those kids, all grown up, thought about that white lady who was kind to them, and perhaps decided not to join in the riots but instead, to practice love, which is the best way.

It will all work out, rwillenborg. It may take some tough love. These are tough times, and you’re probably dealing with some children who’ve been raised with different teachings about manners and kindness. It may be that some of the crew leaders will learn a lot about God and their own attitudes from this VBS. One way or another, it will work out.