Vacation Bible School

Bottom of a white rocketship blasting off with white clouds underneath on a blue background. VBS is on the side of the rocket in orange text with blue and orange text underneath in the cloud.

Vacation Bible School was first started in the late 19^th century when a Sunday school teacher, D. T. Miles, felt that there was not enough time to sufficiently teach the Bible to children once a week. The program began to spread and in 1922 the World Association of Daily Vacation Bible School was founded. In 1923 Standard Publishing published and printed curriculum for Vacation Bible Schools. The curriculum was enough to fill a five-week course for three age levels (kindergarten, primary and junior). Although some churches do not use materials from the national level, there are still annual themes and curriculum that can be used. The Southeast Missourian on August 20, 1965 reported that Bethel Vacation Bible School, that was held the week before, had 131 children enrolled. The theme for Bethel’s VBS was “Living for God in the Space Age.” The newspaper also reported “the junior class with the largest attendance won the contest, ‘Journey to the Moon’.” (pg. 8)

"The Race to the Moon contest is an attendance-building feature, which will be produced, in full color. It will include a large chart (26 by 38 inches) and nine: space stations for the nine days of VBS after the opening day. A spaceship and pennant for each competing side and complete contest instructions will also be included." (The Pentecostal Evangel, pg. 32)

The 1965 theme was the first year that the Gospel Publishing House introduced a theme with their VBS curriculum materials.