October 2, 2026
In 1898, Mrs. Virginia Hawes at Epiphany Baptist Church in New York City started a daily Bible school for neighborhood children during the summer. A bronze plaque honoring her efforts adorns the foyer of First Baptist Church in her hometown of Charlottesville, Virginia. 127 years later, Vacation Bible Schools in churches across the country are a staple of summer.
Vacation Bible School provides a safe place for children to connect with peers and caring adults, fostering a sense of belonging and community. VBS is designed to make learning about faith a positive and memorable experience. Many children make professions of faith in VBS, because every song, every Bible story, every game, and every conversation is designed to point kids to Jesus.
“VBS continues to be an effective tool for churches to disciple the children in their church, as well as reach out into their communities to present the gospel for the very first time," said Krista Staton, the Georgia Baptist Mission Board's kids ministry consultant. "Every church has a different way of executing their VBS week, and I love that it's adaptable to fit the specific needs of a community. The week of VBS is fun and exhausting, purpose-driven and expensive, impactful and so worth it! It’s wonderful to hear the stories coming in from all over the state!”
County Line Baptist Church – Small and Dynamic
County Line Baptist Church in Rayle, Ga., is a small church averaging approximately 30 in worship on Sunday morning. Todd Gaddis, a faithful pastor for many years, is the current interim/transitional pastor of the church.
Even before the 10 dedicated workers ministered to 23 children and youth, the church covered the volunteers in prayer. "At the Sunday morning worship service before the Vacation Bible School started that same evening,” Gaddis explained. “I called for the church to come to the altar and pray for those who had agreed to serve in the VBS.”
Gaddis said 15 of the 23 kids were in grades 5 through 9, and he served as the assistant teacher in that class. “The VBS was made up with a healthy combination of our kids, kids from other churches, and unchurched kids."
Five of the students made professions of faith, Gaddis reported, and the church will hold a baptismal service on July 13th.
One nine-year-old boy came up to Gaddis as he was leaving on the last night of the Bible school and said: "Preacher, I want to be baptized."
Gaddis took the time to make sure the boy knew why he wanted to be baptized and led him to the Lord on the front steps of the church. It was a fitting conclusion to a very successful VBS.
Lizella Baptist Church – Larger and Effective
Tony Elder, the children’s pastor at Lizella Baptist Church, and his ministry assistant, Amy McTyeire, reported a very successful VBS in middle Georgia.
The Lizella church had 120 children and 40 workers serving each night of their Vacation Bible School. Elder reported that a record-breaking 21 children shared that they had prayed to receive Christ.
Chris Minton, the pastor of the Lizella Church, hails Elder as a valuable and creative staff member who wrote/created his own curriculum and program for their VBS.
“Over the years,” Elder explained, ”we’ve discovered that boxed curriculums often require just as much—if not more—work to adapt to our unique context. Plus, many churches in our area use the same two publishers for their VBS, which can make things feel repetitive. By writing our own curriculum from scratch, we invested more on the front end but experienced a much smoother week overall."
This year’s theme, Elder said, was Holy Pursuit, “a creative blend of classic board games and a 70s-style game show. It was completely original and unlike anything other churches in our area were doing. And the response was overwhelming—many agreed it was the best VBS we’ve had in over a decade.”
As always, Elder made clear, each day’s activities were tied to the gospel, “helping the message stick in fun and relatable ways."
On Friday night, Elder planned a special “Golden Edition” of Holy Pursuit, inviting parents, grandparents, siblings, and other family members to join in the final team competition that included a “triple sliming” of the church’s three pastors.
To follow up with the children who prayed to receive Christ, the church will host an “I Have Decided” class—a special evening for the children and their parents. A kid-friendly meal is served and the church creates a warm, welcoming space decorated around themes of Easter and new life for the occasion.
During the class, the gospel and the meaning of baptism is clearly explained. Those in attendance learn what it looks like to walk with Christ.
“We even tour the baptistry to help ease any fears,” Elder said. “One of the most impactful parts is when parents walk through a short workbook with their child, sharing their own faith stories and baptism experiences. That moment of spiritual connection between parent and child is incredibly powerful."
First Redeemer – Mega Church and Powerful
At First Redeemer Church in Cumming, more than 1600 children and volunteers participated in this year’s VBS, and 195 made professions of faith.
With an average worship attendance of approximately 3,000 people, the church is making a significant impact in Atlanta’s metro area and is one of America’s mega churches.
VBS at First Redeemer is designed for those who will be entering kindergarten this fall to those who have just completed 5th grade.
Amanda Myers, the Director of Kids Ministry, explained that the church “will reach out to each child by email letting their parents know of their decision and follow up with those who want to meet about baptism."
Andy Darnell, First Redeemer’s Children’s Pastor, highlights the evangelistic focus of the church’s VBS effort. “From a pastoral standpoint, we think Vacation Bible School is a huge opportunity to share the gospel with kids and families. God has blessed it since the beginning of First Redeemer Church. It’s an event we prepare the next year for, almost as soon as it ends. So many people are involved in bringing their talents and gifts together to serve the kids."
These three churches—small, mid-sized, and large—demonstrate that regardless of size, Vacation Bible School continues to be a vibrant and effective outreach to teach kids about Jesus and share the gospel.
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Georgia Baptist churches, regardless of the curriculum used, are encouraged to submit a report at https://vbs.lifeway.com/church-report/.
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