Vacation Bible School

My children are both grown and living on their own, which in itself is a good thing. When they were younger they were always participating in summer activities. They were in band, ran track, did volleyball and summer league softball. One attended a modeling clinic; they were always in some sort of camp in the summer, from aeronautics to going to class at Dallas Baptist University. Their father and I even put them in college for kids. It kept us running, but we knew that it was well worth it. Even though they were busy, they still had their free time-time when they would read, go to the library or just hang out. Now as I run errands or go out, I wonder about the young children today and how they are spending their free summer time. When school starts I know that some of the students will tell me they did absolutely nothing, they just hung out and had free time.

There was no such thing as free time growing up in East Texas. Your parents always had you doing something, for the life of me there was always something to clean, sweep, mow, hang on the line, take in, pick in the garden or whatever. There were fun things too. There was the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, band practice, 4-H and so much more that was virtually free or cost very little to participate in. We learned to sew and try our hand at modeling the clothes we made in 4-H. We learned etiquette, how to sit a table with way too much silverware. In 4-H we learned foods and nutrition, public speaking, modeling and so much more that we still use in our lives today. One thing we learned that was so important was the art of being away from home without our parents especially in the early days of integration when we attended 4-H Camp.

Somehow, we all made it to summer band practice at Womack High School and hardly anyone had a car. My mother or someone's mother would drop me off and after practice I would walk, yes I said walk to my grandparents home to wait for my parents to pick me up. I would sit on the porch in their swing, and read and swing and eat my grandmothers wonderful cooking.

Even though everyone was not in band, 4-H or some other group, there was one thing that children of my generation did; at least as long as they lived with their parents, all the children I knew went to somebody's Bible School. It was a wonderful thing. It was a rite of passage. It was expected. All denominations had their youth groups; we at St. Mark Christian Methodist Episcopal Church had the Christian Youth Fellowship (CYF) as did Post Oak CME and others. Big Bethel Baptist along with Red Oak Baptist and others had Baptist Training Union (BTU). I'm sure East Cotton Street Church of Christ had some form of youth organization along with everyone else, but it was Vacation Bible School that no matter what, if you were a child, you would attend yours and someone else's.

Bible School was held during the day as I remember, and you got to see people you saw on school days, but not readily during the summer months. Each age group had their own classes-back then most churches did not have classrooms, you just had a certain section of the sanctuary to sit in. Of course you learned about the Bible, but you also played games, made eyes at the boys (you know you did) and vice versa. You did arts and crafts. It was imperative that you knew how to read, because each day at the end of class, they picked a group to read something or other. Back then, there was still a dress code, it may have been Bible School, and in the summer, but it was still the "church", and you were to give God your best.

Did I forget to mention the food; it seems as if Bible School people could make the best tuna fish salad sandwiches in the world. On the last day of Bible School, everyone was given a certificate that you were so proud of. Some Bible Schools held programs where you had to say speeches that were memorized, not read from the paper. It was just so much fun, and there was so much that was learned, from public speaking, reading, manners and so much more.

After you had Bible School at your home church, you would then go with your neighbors to their Bible School at their home church the next week, and the cycle would continue throughout the summer. They were basically the same, but just a little different and believe it or not their tuna fish sandwiches were never was as good as St. Marks', but their Bible School was fun.

You could go from church to church almost all summer long just doing Bible School. There was no such thing as football, baseball, hockey or soccer camps-there was Bible School. You didn't go to summer school to make up work, you passed doing the year-there was Bible School. You didn't stay at home and do nothing, after you finished cleaning house-there was Bible School.

Today on the street where I attend church, I count 12 churches alone-- all denominations. There has to be at least 10 churches before I even get to Wichita Street. I think of all the children whose parents cannot afford to send them to camps, summer school or whatever. All the children without jobs cross my mind. What are they going to do this summer? Are they going to read, write or just play video games, hang out too much with the opposite sex, loiter or what? I then think that back in the day, they had it right. They did Bible School.

With 12 churches near my present church (Carter Metropolitan CME), each church could have a weeklong Bible School. That would take up the entire summer. Each church could assist the other churches when their week came. Some churches have life centers, others are just small little churches, but all have something unique to offer. They offer Bible study, but they offer so much more. To some children, they offer the only meal they have during the day. They offer some children an opportunity to talk with others who are their age, and not have to baby sit for a couple of hours. Bible School offers all who are involved something that is missing in the world today--good clean fun. Even though pizza and nachos have taken the place of tuna fish sandwiches-- all kids still enjoy (Vacation) Bible School.