by: Rev. Dr. Anna Hall
Does your congregation hold a Vacation Bible School or other weekday kids program during the summer? If you do, you are in the minority.
The Exploring Pandemic Impact in Congregations study found that pre-pandemic, 36% offered VBS, but at the height of the COVID pandemic, only 17% offered VBS. By 2022, there was some increase, but still only 31% of congregations were hosting this type of activity.
While Vacation Bible Schools could once gather dozens of kids from the congregation itself, there are very low numbers of children in many congregations these days. The average mainline Protestant congregation in 2025 had 50 people in attendance on an average Sunday. The average congregation (inclusive of all traditions) reported that 13% of their regular attendees were under 13. The math is clear. On any given Sunday, 6 children or less will be present in a lot of our congregations.
Churches also struggle to find volunteers. Across congregations studied, only 43% of active participants volunteer regularly in the congregation. Time for more math: that leaves 21 active volunteers in the average congregation. All will not be called to ministries with children. Let’s say half do feel called to serve in this area – if even half of them have day jobs, running a children’s day camp with appropriate coverage by trained and background-checked volunteers would be difficult if not impossible.
Finally, with over half of families having two working parents these days, even getting a child to and from a partial-day experience in the middle of the work day is challenging at best. Family structures were different in the mid-20th-century when Vacation Bible Schools thrived, and often included a stay at home mother who could take her children over daily for VBS and volunteer as well. In 2025, only 23% of families had a dad working full-time and a mother who was not employed.
What is the alternative for congregations that care deeply about enriching the spiritual lives of children? A few ideas spring to mind.
Get Strategic: Spend time in discernment. What are you hoping to accomplish? If your aim is simply to get more church members, that isn’t enough. Why do you feel it is important for children to learn what you want to share? What is the best way to maximize learning? What formats and structures support learning in this way? Those answers will help you begin discerning what to do and when.
Get Creative: Keep discerning. What do your neighbors actually need? Many working parents are struggling with work/life balance and finding childcare. Can you help with some of those needs? What timing and structures work best for the families you actually have in your congregation and neighborhood? Have you asked them? Once you find out, arrange schedules in the ways that are most helpful to them. This might mean evenings, weekend days, or something after worship on Sundays. Be prepared to provide childcare for volunteers, even if that means paying some childcare workers.
Get Collaborative: Talk to your neighboring congregations and nonprofits. Congregations in a town that share similar beliefs could join together for an ecumenical day camp. They could pool their resources and volunteers to offer an experience much greater than any one could do alone. Nonprofits in your area may also be interested in partnerships for summer enrichment programs. How can you help those already serving local families rather than trying to start your own thing?
Get Intergenerational: Include everyone. Rather than children-only experiences, offer the whole congregation free dinners, crafting nights, service projects, or hikes with a small lesson included. This eliminates worries about staffing and supervision and only requires one or two facilitators to lead the experience.
There are many ways to shape the spiritual lives of children and families. Don’t let old models keep you from seeing new possibilities. If you need help with this discernment and planning, reach out to Convergence.