Every summer for most of my childhood, I would attend vacation bible school, I am sure several of you can relate to this and like me, have lots of fond memories. Countless memories of memorizing John 3:16, making bracelets, learning songs, and making friends. Now that my kiddos are getting older, I am excited about them attending VBS and making similar memories.
Last summer, a friend invited us to attend VBS at Crosspoint Church in Gulfport. It was my oldest son’s first time attending a VBS and to my delight, after day one he was hooked. He was bursting with eagerness every day to get to the church to see what fun was in store for him.
Each afternoon, he would excitedly recount the events to me on the ride home. He had an absolute blast. At the end of the week, parents were invited to attend an event showcasing what the kids had done all week. I went to this event with expectations based on my experience in VBS. So, I had visions of a charming singing of “Jesus Loves Me.” Now that would have been perfectly wonderful but that is not what I got.
The volunteers at Crosspoint Church worked with the kids on creating a full musical show with acting and video production. I was blown away and left the night grateful to all the volunteers that made an impact on my son by speaking the gospel. Afterwards, I had to practically drag him home because he didn’t want to leave.
Now that summer is upon us, my son is already asking about going to VBS again. Seeing his eagerness, I began a hunt for other opportunities for VBS adventures. There are several churches on the Mississippi Gulf Coast conducting VBS open to your children. Here is a list of several in our area happening in June (not an exhaustive list I am sure).
- Crosspoint Church
- Northwood Church
- First Baptist of Gulfport
- Trinity United Methodist Church
- Bayou View Baptist Church
- St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
- Highland Baptist Church
- Cedar Lake UMC
- First Presbyterian Church
I encourage you to look at this list and find a good fit for your family. While most of these happen in June, the times are different for several. Some are only in the morning, or in the afternoon, or even in the evening. Creating opportunity for working parents to take advantage of the VBS fun for their children. I have no doubt that whichever camp you choose you and your kiddos are in for a fantastic week!
