Children screaming and running, parents scrambling to catch them, and the faint sound of the camp counselor over the microphone trying to quiet the crowd. This was the image of Vacation Bible School (VBS). As my freshman self walked through the cafeteria doors with my crew leader shirt on I was unaware of what I had just gotten into. After taking in the chaotic sight, I glanced to my right to see the sign in table; this was the location where they assigned you a group of five or six kids to lead around the stations for the week. Little did I know however, that the lower the number, the younger the kids. There were 32 groups. I got 6. I did not know this at the time. So at 7:30 am, the time the crew leader was supposed to arrive, I awaited the arrival of my crew.
Soon they started to trickle in one by one. As the kids sat in a circle they were pretty quiet and still a little upset about having to leave their parents (they were all around the ages of six or seven). This is when I decided to get to know them and make them all feel a little more comfortable. I began by asking them their names and then favorite hobbies and so on. One thing I learned pretty quickly was that these kids possessed a great amount of energy. As I sat there watching the kids I was amused to think that I was in exactly the same spot as these kids only ten years prior. Thinking back to the days when I attended VBS as a member created a wave of memories. It made me reflect on ways to make the camp more enjoyable and welcoming. Then I remembered that attention from the leader was extremely important to the campers. When I would take my attention off of one, they would immediately try to earn it back with numerous strategies. Of these strategies I particularly thought the removal of a shoe and throwing it was a good attempt (seriously this happened more than you might think).
As the crews wrapped up opening introductions and song, it was time for our first journey into vacation bible school. This meant attending one of five stations that had different activities to strengthen the bond between the kids and Christ. Now of course there were two definite favorite stations: gym activities and snack. This meant the continual questioning of when snack time and gym would begin (not gonna lie these were my favorite stations as well). As day one was beginning to wrap up, the kids in the group started to befriend one another and understand how VBS worked.
8:00 am. Day two. Time to do it all over again. This time however, as the kids started to walk in, and they actually seemed like they wanted to be there. One thing I did notice right off the bat was a small clique forming between two of the campers. This was a big no no in the eyes of the counselors. So right away I decided to mesh the kids together and bring about reasons as to how Jesus wants for all of us to be included. This worked extraordinarily well. With this problem out of the way we began day two. As the day went on all of the kids wanted to be my favorite. Of course as a crew leader my attention was split between all of them. This meant trying to show me a cool talent or running the fastest across the field. I guess all that really mattered was that this showed that the kids were much more comfortable around me which created a better camp.
Day three. This was the day that I noticed a complete shift in the way the campers acted. Whether it be laughing and joking with their new friends or chasing after me in tag, the kids were beginning to present who they really were. This made for a more memorable experience, which of course is the goal at VBS.
Day four. This was the second to last day of camp so I had to make sure everything went smoothly heading into the final day. And everything did. Well in a sense. The kids in my group were considered the “fun group” (probably my fault) which meant that the camp counselors would have to reprimand us every time they got out of line. Now “getting out of line” is not as harsh as it sounds. Remember when I said that snack and gym were the kids favorite activities. Well that was still the case. And whenever we were not partaking in these two favorite times, the group would do anything to keep their mind occupied. But besides that the fourth, and second to last day, was a success.
Day five. The final day. This was by far the most desired day. The kids in the group had a blast with all the fun water activities that were scheduled, as promised, on the final day. The last day represented more than just fun activities and prime snacks however. It represented the friendship between the kids. It represented a lasting positive memory of Christ. And most importantly it represented a connection between the camppers and the crew leader (myself) that would always remain. This transformation was truly something special and presented how a person or group of people can change in a matter of a week.
Showing that in just a weeks time a person can truly make a lasting impact is what VBS was all about. Saying goodbye to my crew was sad and some of the kids even started to tear up; it sounds cheesy but these kids had grown on me. Seeing a complete transformation in them between Monday (day one) to Friday (day five) was surreal. From not wanting to leave their parents to not wanting to leave camp, the campers change was a terrific sight in the eyes of a crew leader. Vacation Bible School revealed to me that people bond when working towards a common goal, kids have a ton of energy, and that a splendid ending can have a slow start.
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