How Is VBS Different from Sunday School?
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Summertime marks the beginning of Vacation Bible School (VBS) season in the lives of countless children. For some, it will be their first time at VBS, while others will prepare to have another memorable experience with friends and God.
For those unfamiliar with VBS, it is a program typically held at local Christian churches during the summer for children ages 4-12 (with some programs for older children). It provides activities and lessons to encourage the children’s spiritual growth in a fun atmosphere. Many can recall the time they spent forming meaningful friendships and getting to know who God was in their lives while enjoying VBS at church.
However, some might wonder how VBS could be different from regular Sunday School? If both are held at a church, combine biblical lessons with fun activities, and involve being with people of your age, wouldn't both be one and the same? There are differences within the programs, which, hopefully, will only enhance your appreciation of VBS and what it can bring to children and their families.
The Origins of VBS
The initial Vacation Bible School (VBS) program first began in 1894 in New York City at Epiphany Baptist Church. A woman, Mrs. Walker Aylett Hawes, wanted to make sure children in her community were staying engaged and productive both spiritually and scholastically during the summer months.
Started as a Bible school, VBS centers on providing children opportunities to read and learn from stories in the Bible, create friendships with other children in their church community, and understand how necessary a relationship with God, through salvation in Jesus, is.
Over a century later, there are many churches that offer this spiritual curriculum that also acts as a way for families to become involved in the church once VBS has ended. Several members of the church, from senior pastors to teenage members, take part in VBS to demonstrate the need for a church community in our lives.
The History of Sunday School
The beginnings of Sunday school go back even further in history to the late 1700s. Sunday school was started by an English newspaper publisher named Robert Raikes, who believed that children could be prevented from falling into a life of crime if they had biblical principles and education on Sundays. Given that at that time many children worked in factories every day except Sundays, Robert believed that with their involvement in Sunday school, they would have balance and structure that could prevent them from getting into trouble.
The first Sunday school session began in 1780, held in Sunday school teachers’ homes and with the advisement of the Anglican parish minister of Raikes’ town of Gloucester, England. He wrote about the program in his newspaper, which led to it’s being picked up by more towns and villages in the British Isles. Eventually, it was adopted by the United States and North America.
The purpose of Sunday school is to acquaint children (and also adults) with ideals and values of the Christian faith and the Bible. This pursuit, unfortunately, prompted people to question its need. This also began in England with critics saying it disrupted the observance of Sunday as a day of rest, while others thought it would encourage poor people to revolt. The United States appreciated more of what Sunday School had to offer because their separation of church and state meant religious principles could not be taught in school like they were in England. So, children could learn biblical principles away from school without breaking any laws or causing any political conflict.
The Bible was the main source of teachings in Sunday school until materials developed around different church denominations. These were implemented into the program that connected to each church’s doctrine.
Similarities and Differences between VBS and Sunday School
After learning the histories of both VBS and Sunday school, it could be easy to say both programs are one and the same in relation to their goals and what they most want to teach children.
VBS and Sunday school both have a similar overall structure in what they are instructing children – the core principles of the Christian faith, centering most on who God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are. Teaching children that Jesus died for our sins so that we could be in a right relationship with God and be led daily by the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit is the daily focus, with the hope that those who accept Jesus into their heart will take part in baptism as well while in the program.
Both programs are free, take place in the local church, and consist of children grouped together according to age so that instruction and activities are age-appropriate. Both include prayer, instructions using the Bible for reference, and discussing how these lessons can impact our lives for the better.
VBS and Sunday school do have noticeable differences, as well. While VBS happens a couple of days during the summer (hence why it is called Vacation Bible School) and can include children who do not regularly attend the church, Sunday school is held throughout the year and usually includes the same children in the classroom each Sunday. Some children may never see one another again after Vacation Bible School ends, while children in Sunday school typically will see the same children again unless someone were to move or stop attending the church.
VBS is run with the combined efforts of volunteers and church staff members and pastors, while Sunday school is exclusively led by volunteers, with the occasional visit or lesson from a member of the church’s pastoral staff. Your child doesn’t need to be a member to go to VBS or to Sunday school. Although, because Sunday school is held throughout the year, families are encouraged to consider membership so that the whole family can connect more with the church community.
Sunday school’s curriculum is more structured around Bible lessons, intermixed with some activities here and there. VBS is more focused on games, songs, and interactive lessons that are usually themed around a Bible verse or story. This approach by VBS is to keep the children active and engaged in the biblical content they are learning in a fun way and in a short amount of time, compared to Sunday school having each Sunday to build on lessons.
Yet even with the differences, both programs seek the same result of showing children how much they are loved by their heavenly Father, how important it is to have a relationship with Jesus, and why reading and learning from God’s Word will help them each day of their lives.
VBS and Sunday School Are Both Helpful for a Child’s Spiritual Growth
Many of us recall both Vacation Bible School and Sunday school as meaningful parts of our childhood. It may be where we first learned about Jesus, got baptized, and formed friendships that carried us into adulthood.
Both programs began from people’s efforts to connect children with the Word of God, realizing the need for children to know God loved and cared for them to develop a lasting relationship with God for life. Though the programs differ in length of time and curriculum, many children have benefited from participating in one or both programs for the last century or two.
Whether your child is just starting out at VBS or Sunday school or has been regularly attending one (or both) over several years, know that these programs are here to help children realize how loved they are by our God.
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