https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZfmquZUR-w By Tess Schoonhoven PANAMA CITY, Fla. — Uprooted dead trees line the ground. Uninhabitable apartment buildings are empty. Street signs are missing. Businesses are closed. Families have vacated their homes. It might sound like a war zone, but this is Panama City, Fla., and the surrounding community that was devastated by … [Read more...]
FBC Sutherland Springs finds healing after tragedy through VBS
By Joy Allmond SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, Texas —When First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas, kicked off their annual VBS the week of June 3, it looked profoundly different from two years ago. On Nov. 5, 2017, a gunman entered their sanctuary, opened fire, and took the lives of 26 people. Several of those who lost their lives were instrumental in the VBS ministry … [Read more...]
New book based on Lifeway Research shows VBS is ‘Worth It’
By Joy Allmond NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Many of today’s American adults have fond memories of Vacation Bible School (VBS). Memories range from Bible stories and fun songs to flower-shaped cookies and Kool-Aid in Dixie cups. “It’s Worth It”—a new release from Lifeway Kids in partnership with Lifeway Research—shows the positive memories don’t end at cookies and … [Read more...]
2019 VBS takes kids ‘in the wild’
By Aaron Wilson NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Next summer, kids will seek animals in rainforests, grasslands, frozen tundra, and even the Rocky Mountains with “In the Wild,” the 2019 Vacation Bible School theme from Lifeway Christian Resources. “In the Wild” will have kids embark as photographers, seeking to snap pictures in settings decorated to mimic animals’ natural habitats. … [Read more...]
Even if they don’t go to church, Americans still love VBS
By Bob Smietana NASHVILLE, Tenn.— Back in the 1890s, a pair of Sunday school teachers—D.T. Miles of Hopedale, Illinois, and Virginia Hawes of New York City—both had the same idea. School kids were off for the summer. Why not invite them to church to study the Bible? And maybe sing a few songs and have some fun along the way? The idea was a hit. Today, Vacation … [Read more...]