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Vacation Bible school materials traditionally revolve around fantastic adventures that can capture children's imaginations, and this year is no exception. In 2002 summer ministry options range from space journeys to a trip to the Amazon. Whether scaling mountains, braving the rapids, running before a packed stadium, or going on safari, children will be learning to trust God and depend on his power in all circumstances—a timeless message especially relevant in these difficult times.

Indeed, evangelistic messages are a critical component of most packages because vacation Bible school (vbs) is often a church's primary outreach program for the year.

Rob Sanders, editor-in-chief of LifeWay Church Resource's vbs materials, says he is motivated by "the number of churches who count vbs as their largest outreach event of the year; the number of kids who look forward to vbs all year long; and the number of families who will be involved in Bible study in nonthreatening, friendly environments."

He sees today's neighborhoods as "small United Nations," with people of many different faiths from all over the world. "Kids need to know that there is one true God and that God, through Jesus Christ, has made it possible for each of us to have a personal relationship with him," Sanders says.

In many programs, children are encouraged to bring their friends to church. Augsburg Fortress encourages church families to reach out to people who visited during the vbs program. Several programs, including those published by Kids in Action! and Regular Baptist Press, offer take-home papers to involve parents who may otherwise not hear the gospel message. The vbs package from Cook Communications Ministries features daily take-home lessons, including a paper designed to help children "discover" Jesus as their Savior.

Because not every child can attend vbs every day, Regular Baptist Press includes a salvation message in every lesson. "We believe that the local church has an important job to do in reaching out to the children of the community," says Phil Giggie of Regular Baptist Press. "Parents are willing to let their children attend a vbs program once they see the fun children are having and the love they receive at church."

Of course, Regular Baptist Press's goal is to see whole families understand that God provides answers to today's tough problems. According to Giggie, the company's take-home component draws parents closer to the program.

The vbs kit from Big Idea Productions, makers of VeggieTales, includes ten fully developed lessons for preschoolers, elementary-age kids, teens, and families. VeggieFamily is a ground-breaking approach to learning for the entire family. People of all ages can gather together to learn how to walk in God's ways—while having a ton of fun in the process.

Not only are this year's vbs programs focused on reaching the children and families who participate, many are also geared toward helping children see other mission opportunities in their neighborhoods and around the world. Kids learn about missions locally and globally by watching action-packed videos of real-life missionaries at work. They learn how they can join God's work by praying for, giving to, and doing missions.

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