VBS: It’s Not Just for Kids

VBS: It's Not Just for Kids

by Robert Mitchell

Mention Vacation Bible School, or “VBS” as it’s commonly called in the church, and it conjures up images of a fun, Bible-based program for children every summer.

But two Salvation Army corps in the Northern New England Division are turning that notion on its head by offering VBS for adults, including soup kitchen patrons and seniors. In both cases, officers say the adults involved are excited to attend and feeling like kids again.

In Berlin, N.H., Major Robin Hager says she was telling people in the soup kitchen about VBS for children when she was asked an interesting question.

“I was announcing our summer programming for kids in the soup kitchen and someone said, ‘Well, what about the adults?’ A few others said they’d be willing to come if we did a program for the adults,” Hager says. “This is bred out of our soup kitchen clientele. So, we’re doing Vacation Bible School for adults.”

And the program will go on all year long; the people don’t want it to end after a week like VBS usually does.

“They want to keep coming,” Hager says.

Cheryl Paradis, the retiree who asked Hager the question, lives next to the corps and goes to the soup kitchen. After her VBS experience, she hopes to start going to church services soon.

“We discuss the Bible, we do crafts, and we just spend time together,” Paradis says. “It’s a good time and we have fun. We all enjoy it. We feel like children when we get out of there, and we look forward to the next Thursday. I’ve learned things about the Bible I never knew. We’re going to have more people joining soon.”

A reintroduction to Jesus

The adult VBS has been going on for six weeks, and Hager says a group of about seven meets every Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. for a lesson, crafts, games, puzzles, and other fun. She’s covered such topics as the fruits of the Spirit and how to apply them; spiritual gifts; praying in all circumstances; putting on the armor of God; Jesus calling His first disciples; Zacchaeus and how Jesus dealt with tax collectors; and much more.

“We’re dealing with people who either haven’t been to church since they were kids or they are not churched at all,” Hager says. “We have a few coming who go to church every week. We’re covering the gambit. They get Jesus for a few hours every week. Some of them have heard of Jesus, but they don’t know much about Him.”

The adults often have as much fun as the kids, according to Hager. On a sweltering day recently, the adults turned water guns on each other during a game outside.

“It’s like working with the kids,” she says with a laugh. “The adults sit just like the kids would. We do it just like we do with the kids.”

Berlin is a remote, economically challenged city in the heart of the White Mountains. The spiritual need here is great, as the Northern New England Division is home to several locations identified by Barna Research as among the most “post-Christian” in America in 2019.

Filling a void

Hager says a teen Bible study that started last spring has seen many “desperately seeking something” to fill the emptiness in their lives. The teens keep her on her toes.

“There is a desire to know who Jesus is and that’s awesome,” she says. “They’re latching onto Jesus, and it’s pretty incredible. There are those who are seeking; they just don’t know what they’re seeking.” She sees a parallel in the adults attending VBS.

That’s certainly the case for Cathleen Galloway, who describes herself as a non-practicing Catholic and “not a very religious person.” The VBS has reenergized her faith, which suffered a setback when her mother died.

“I’m learning about the Bible and things I didn’t know,” she says. “It’s very interesting the way [Major Hager] is teaching it. It gives us a time to talk and share our thoughts and stuff. I look forward to going. It’s not just sitting there reading the Bible. She explains it and we watch videos.”

Galloway enjoys the teaching, gym time, arts and crafts, and games offered at VBS and says, “It’s a chance to forget about everyday problems for a little bit and have fun.”

She watches The Salvation Army’s livestream on Sundays, and Galloway says she may start attending the corps because of what she’s learned at VBS.

Companionship and more

Tricia Wessels, a self-described people person who lives alone, says she loves getting out of the house and attending VBS. A Catholic, she has found the biblical lessons helpful in her life.

“I’ve learned that when you have problems and there’s nobody you can look to, you can look to God,” she says. “He’s always there for you and never lets you down. He’s always there to listen to you and help you through rough times.”

Wessels remembers receiving gifts from The Salvation Army at Christmas when she was young. Now, she volunteers in the soup kitchen and finds support from Hager and her husband, Major Mark Hager.

“If you just need someone to talk to, they’re there for everybody and to listen to you,” she says.

Never too old to learn in Portland

Adult VBS is offered at other corps in the Eastern Territory in various forms, including in nearby Portland, Maine. Major Keith Jache says he held a three-day VBS program for seniors this summer using the “True North: Trusting Jesus in a Wild World” curriculum employed by many churches throughout the country. The program drew 12 to 14 seniors each day.

“We did it last year and it was successful, so we decided to do it again,” Jache says. “We just took the second half of their day, and we did a Vacation Bible School with them like we would the kids.”

Each day included a Bible lesson, a memory verse, crafts, and hands-on learning. The group played games like Jeopardy one day.

“The seniors actually loved it,” Jache says. “I was surprised how much they loved the crafts and the conversations we had about the Bible and how we tied it all in with the memory verses. It was a great time for those who knew a lot about the Bible and those who didn’t know much about the Bible at all.”

Jache says the seniors relived the excitement of their youth, and leaders discovered some talented artists in the group when everyone painted pictures of their favorite places to visit.

“It was a great time for them to use their hands and get them moving, painting, and cutting,” he says. “They got into it, and it was good for their dexterity.”