{"id":31603,"date":"2022-09-10T15:36:53","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:36:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/vbs-a-time-tested-effective-strategy-to-combat-cultural-crises\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T15:36:53","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:36:53","slug":"vbs-a-time-tested-effective-strategy-to-combat-cultural-crises","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/vbs-a-time-tested-effective-strategy-to-combat-cultural-crises\/","title":{"rendered":"VBS: A Time-Tested, Effective Strategy to Combat Cultural Crises"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Rene Bernal photo – Unsplash<\/div>\n

By Jana Magruder<\/em><\/p>\n

For First Baptist Church of Panama City, Fla., Vacation Bible School (VBS) was more than simply \u201cworth doing\u201d last summer. It was a critical need for the community.<\/p>\n

Although Hurricane Michael had ravaged the panhandle of Florida in October 2018, the Panama City area still looked like a war zone in June 2019. And the aesthetics of the community reflected the emotional and spiritual condition of the people who suffered.<\/p>\n

Many of the families\u2014parents and children\u2014suffered post-traumatic stress disorder from the harrowing impact of the Category 5 storm. They felt forgotten. They felt isolated.<\/p>\n

They felt lonely.<\/p>\n

But one doesn\u2019t have to endure a life-altering crisis to feel lonely. In fact, loneliness is seeping into the fabric of our culture\u2014and our churches. According to a 2018 Cigna study, nearly half of American adults say they sometimes or always feel alone (46%) or left out (47%).<\/p>\n

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And it seems the younger the person is, the more likely they are to feel lonely. The study shows that Generation Z\u2014in this study those age 18-22\u2014is the loneliest generation.<\/p>\n

The local church isn\u2019t immune to loneliness. But there\u2019s another crisis our congregations must face: apathy toward the lost.<\/p>\n

A 2019 Lifeway Research study found more than half (55%) of those who regularly attend church say they haven\u2019t with anyone how to become a Christian in the past six months.<\/p>\n

We know the Great Commission is ours to do, but we\u2019re not doing it.<\/p>\n

We have an evangelism crisis in our churches.<\/p>\n

We have a loneliness epidemic in our communities.<\/p>\n

But we\u2014the Church\u2014have a solution to both of these problems. A solution that\u2019s been in front of faces for decades: VBS.<\/p>\n

Why VBS?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For well over a century, VBS has been spreading the gospel in dynamic ways. The Lord has used this ministry to make His name known to millions. Just in the past 10 years, nearly 800,000 people haven\u2019t only said yes to VBS; they\u2019ve said yes to Jesus. And that’s only one denomination! Imagine the countless others who’ve been eternally impacted.<\/p>\n

Kids, teens, and adults encounter Jesus in a powerful way through VBS. Some for the first time; others just at the right<\/em> time. It\u2019s a proven ministry tool that addresses both the evangelism crisis and the loneliness epidemic like no other strategy the church has today.<\/p>\n

But some churches have thrown in the towel and given up on VBS because they think it\u2019s not culturally relevant. Others cite a lack of volunteers. And many simply say it\u2019s too much work.<\/p>\n

Yes, VBS is a lot of work. It takes an army of people and resources. And each year, churches ask themselves: Is it worth it?<\/p>\n

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See also  3 Practical Steps for Reaching the Mission Field in Your Neighborhood<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Lifeway Kids commissioned a comprehensive research project to determine, if, VBS, is indeed still worth it. Here are a few of the findings:<\/p>\n