Once you’ve hit the 100 day mark at school, the next thing children look forward to is summer vacation! As a parent, and member of the church, you want them to keep their mind and bodies active during the summer months. What better way than Vacation Bible School?

Some people wonder what exactly Vacation Bible School is. Are children there to read the bible all day, or are they there to have fun? Well the answer is both. Children are learning lessons from the bible, and having fun at the same time with traditional summer camp. Religion is incorporated into fun activities that encourage children and their faith within the church.

Every Vacation Bible School is run differently, but they also have many similarities. For instance, they all have a theme. The theme can be anything from Summer Safari, to the Solar System, to Ship Wrecked, and everything in between. This helps to shape the activities and the lessons taught each day. They are all creative enough with the theme that it always ties into God’s word.

So besides the theme, what else is there to do during VBS? Well, you start your camp with a daily prayer. This element alone is what separates VBS from other day camps. Children are then involved with stories, plays and other team building activities. They sing songs and enjoy snacks as well; much like you would at other day camps.

After reading these activities, you are probably wondering what age group VBS is geared towards. Since most of the volunteers (yes, volunteers!) are adult members of the church, VBS is based around Pre-K through 8^th grade. It provides time away from home, without having to stay the night in a strange environment. Perfect for both kids and parents!

So now you are probably wondering why you should send your children to VBS; how do they benefit from it? Well it’s simple: they will learn about their religion in an age appropriate manner. They are taught life lessons such as being a good person and being a good friend. Many of the children who attend Vacation Bible School are part of the church, so they can make friends who share a similar their faith. Plus, you may already recognize them from Mass.

Now, the financial part – how are you to go about signing your child(ren) up, and how do you pay? Well, we at Parish Giving have the forms made, and they are offered online along with payment! We keep it simple by offering one form per family, so you can pick how many kids you want to sign up, provide the information and pay all in a couple of steps! We even email a confirmation! No more having to go to the rectory, fill out a form per child, hand them in, write out a check and collect a receipt. It is simple for the parish, and simple for the families. Something you should perhaps pass onto your parish business manager?

So now that the Easter holiday is quickly approaching, how about giving us a call to set up forms for your churches Vacation Bible School? You will be happy once you do! We are all about ease and customer service. Have a question? Just give us a call and we will help you every step of the way!