Ah, summer—the season of sunburns, ice cream and Vacation Bible School. If you’ve ever spent a week (or more) in the whirlwind of crafts, Bible stories and snack time chaos, you know it’s an experience unlike any other. As summer kicks off and you find yourself reminiscing on the days of screaming children singing cheesy songs at the top of their lungs, here are ten unmistakable signs that VBS was your seasonal jam.
5. You Couldn’t Get the Week’s Theme Song Out of Your Head
While your friends were singing along to the latest hits, your mind was an endless loop of songs like “Deep, Deep, Deep (Deep as the Sea)” and “Dive (into God’s Word).” Those earworms have a way of sticking with you long after the closing ceremony, and you’ve caught yourself humming them in line at the grocery store more times than you care to admit.
4. You’ve Experienced Snack Time Chaos
Snack time at VBS is not for the faint of heart. You’ve witnessed the unrestrained joy of kids presented with cookies and juice, and you’ve fought your way through the snack line to get every last crumb imaginable.
3. You’ve Witnessed Your Fair Share of Costume Mishaps
Whether someone was portraying a Bible character or dressing up for theme day, VBS often involves some form of costume. Depending on your church’s budget, you might have seen some impressive costumes. But oftentimes churches spent most of the VBS money on snacks, leaving leaders with creative options that deserved a “You Tried” sticker.
2. You’ve Watched Some, Uh, Creative Story Skits
VBS skits could be their own category at the Oscars. Teenagers and overworked adults would come together to create brief skits that would have the audience in laughter, tears and praise — all within the span of five minutes. There was always one actor who took things way too seriously, but VBS was their moment to shine and they knew it.
1. You Actually Learned Something Valuable That’s Stuck With You
All jokes aside, VBS had a bigger purpose than filling kids with sugar and teaching them catchy songs. The week was a time to learn more about God and His people; a time to plant seeds that would hopefully bear fruit. If that meant learning a bubblegum pop song about the 10 Commandments, then so be it.
