When was the last time you drove your child to an extracurricular activity — but instead of dropping him or her off, you stuck around because there was something to do? This concept of parents and their kids enjoying an evening or morning at church at the same time is the goal of Lakeside Baptist’s unique Vacation Bible School program. This year, Lakeside’s VBS did not run during traditional summer vacation months, instead slated to run in September and October, on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings. Brad Tollison, Minister of Discipleship and Outreach, along with the entire staff at Lakeside, take the responsibility of reaching people in the community quite seriously.
“Our church is in a metro area, and it’s hard for parents to drop their kids off and immediately leave because of the traffic,” Tollison pointed out. “So, we wanted to offer a reason for parents to stay. We took prime times — Sunday and Wednesday, just like for most churches — and we decided to offer our VBS on those days. And since Life Groups already exist for adults, parents who sign their kids up for VBS can attend those classes.”
Parents who enjoyed the event known as “Cafe Church” can expect a similar concept for the coinciding classes during VBS. Topics covered will include subjects like theology, as well as parenting and “hot button issues” according to Tollison. Each year’s VBS has a theme, and this year’s theme is “Press Play.” Kids and parents can look forward to 1980s decor, music and other elements.
The VBS programs will run September 8 to October 10, with a family night to kick things off on the evening of September 8. Food, music, inflatables and other carnival-like touches guarantee fun for everyone. Not a member of Lakeside Baptist Church? Not a problem — VBS is open to all kids, and the adult classes are welcoming to any adult who is interested. The Wednesday night program starts at 6 p.m., while Sunday mornings are at 9:45 a.m. All kids from K3 to sixth grade, plus their parents and guardians, are welcome.
Tollison is also looking forward to Halloween being on a Sunday this year and shared the plans for a special “trunk-or-treat” event at Lakeside. “Our Life Group classes will have the opportunity to decorate a parking space and give out candy there on the campus,” he said.
“When you think of reaching the community, we can’t just target kids and leave out parents or vice versa,” he added. “We want to provide opportunities to connect with everyone from every walk of life.”