At the beginning of the Twentieth Century, the church in the United States was wrestling with a dramatically new social situation. Cities swelled with new residents from the countryside. Families were leaving farms looking for a better life in places like Philadelphia, New York, and Chicago.
Urbanization brought with it large social problems. There were the usual difficulties of overcrowding, poverty and crime, but also communities were losing social cohesion. The ties that bound one another together were being weakened. Institutions such as the church were ill-equipped to deal with the changes.
Around 1910, Pastor Abraham Latham at the Third Presbyterian Church in Chester, Pennsylvania, noticed that his denomination, the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, was losing around 50,000 members a year. This reality grieved him, and he decided that he would do something about it. He would start with the children. He believed that a good foundation in the Bible would prevent them from falling away in the future. Rev. Latham began to teach the Scriptures in the summer when schools were on break. Thus, he started the Vacation Bible School.
There are others who also claim to have invented the Vacation Bible School. Perhaps, they came up with the idea independently and about the same time. In each case, Christian leaders believed that the challenges of the day could be addressed by the gospel. The idea quickly became so popular that Standard Publishing printed its first Vacation Bible School curriculum in 1923. Ardmore Presbyterian Church held its first Vacation Bible School in 1926.
At the beginning of the Twenty-first Century, we are still gathering in Fellowship Hall, singing God’s praises and teaching the stories of Jesus. Things certainly have changed over the years. Our teaching methods are a bit different. Technology has brought dramatic new possibilities. Still, we face many of the same challenges. Communities are still looking for what brings them together. Our children still need a good foundation in the Bible.
Please join the Ardmore Presbyterian Church June 17-21, 2013 as we engage in the dynamic tradition of Vacation Bible School. We will give our children an experience of God’s love in a fun and safe environment. There will be crafts, games, songs and stories.
Then join us for worship on Sunday, June 23, 2013 when we bring Vacation Bible School into worship. We will share some of the songs that you sang growing up, and we will tell again the stories of Jesus and his love. The gospel still has something to say to our children and our families if we are willing to listen.
Grace and Peace,
James Hodsden
Check out these links…
- The history of the Summer Bible School at Third Presbyterian Church in Chester.
- The curriculum that Rev. Lathan used for that early Vacation Bible School.
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