Alison James, Columnists, Opinion
 By  Alison James Published 
4:54 pm Monday, June 13, 2022

Don’t forget Vacation Bible School

It’s a great blessing to live in an area of the country where many of your friends and neighbors are people of faith. With that in mind, hopefully many of you will agree with me that Vacation Bible School – or VBS – is one of the best things about this time of year.

As I’m sure many of you are, I’m busy preparing for the part I myself will play in VBS this year. Our congregation plans a four-day event – Sunday through Wednesday, each evening – with classes for all ages, from baby through adult!

I’m teaching the baby class this year, from birth to 2 years old. It’s a class I’ve taught before for Sunday School, but never for VBS. I’m both nervous and excited.

To me, the value of the cradle roll class is two-fold: not only is it a precious time to start our sweet babies on a path of faithfulness, helping lay a foundation that will hopefully lead them to eternal truth, but it’s also an opportunity to serve the parents – giving them a chance to leave their little ones for an hour and have some uninterrupted time to hear a Bible lesson themselves.

I love thinking that even though I’m not teaching an adult class, I’m nonetheless playing a part in making it possible for mature Christians or seekers to learn more about the gospel and become closer to the Lord.

Because that’s what VBS is really about. Even though we might think of it as a time to “make church more fun,” so to speak, for little learners – an occasion filled with special songs, colorful crafts, unique activities and other enjoyment – at its core, VBS is about redeeming the time and taking the opportunity to build a little more Bible study into our summers.

More than sports camps, more than vacations, more than family reunions, more than birthday parties, Vacation Bible School is one of the most important and best ways we can enjoy the summer.

This is the opinion page of the Franklin County Times, so of course that’s my opinion. But I believe and have faith that it’s an opinion rooted in Biblical truth, and therefore it’s one I hold firmly.

If I could desire anything for the readers of the Franklin County Times, it would be to find deeper truth this summer, whether through VBS or any other means. That is my hope and prayer.

Also on Franklin County Times
$5M is secured for I-22 connector studies
Main, News, Phil Campbell, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
June 3, 2026
PHIL CAMPBELL — A $5 million federal earmark has been secured for engineering and environmental studies tied to the long-discussed Haleyville bypass p...
Ayers hired as RCS assistant superintendent
Main, News, Russellville, ...
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
June 3, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — The city schools board of education has hired Nate Ayers as the system’s next assistant superintendent. Ayers’ hiring was approved by b...
Reserve deputies provide manpower where needed
Main, News, Russellville, ...
By Addi Broadfoot Staff Writer 
June 3, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — A group of volunteers dedicating their time to help local law enforcement is playing crucial roles ranging from courthouse security to ...
Search for executive director begins soon
Franklin County, News
Bernie Delinski For the FCT 
June 3, 2026
TUSCUMBIA — The board overseeing the Alabama Music Hall of Fame has established procedures for selecting a new executive director. The position has be...
Cultura Garden Club celebrates America 250
Editorials, News, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
June 3, 2026
Cultura Garden Club members gathered in red, white and blue for their May meeting at the scenic home of Ann Marie Bucholtz in Phil Campbell, and welco...
The world needs some family values
Columnists, Opinion
June 3, 2026
Far out in Colbert County in an area near Cherokee called Freedom Hills, my parents, Dewey and Lillie Mae Denton, scratched out a life from a small cr...
Tharptown names Burkett baseball coach
High School Sports, Russellville Golden Tigers, Sports
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
June 3, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Becoming Tharptown High’s head baseball coach is the culmination of a goal that was years in the making for Michael Burkett. Burkett jo...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *