Camp for the Soul

By Amy Dickinson

Most of us cling to a version of summer left over from our childhood--a memory of opened hydrants, a lifeguard's whistle, the smell of cocoa butter on skin. For me, this has to include Vacation Bible School, held every summer at the Methodist church in my hometown. Kids would gather in the musty sanctuary for songs featuring hand gestures that seemed, for our brand of Methodism, dangerously close to dancing. We played Bible tag, memorized the books of the Old Testament and drank gallons of Kool-Aid out of waxy paper cups. Our teachers entertained us so well that we scarcely noticed that with every Popsicle-stick ark they helped us build, they were molding our little souls.

After years of dormancy, Vacation Bible School is once again attracting families who want to expose their children to spiritual teachings. This summer churches, synagogues and mosques are offering educational and camping programs, and are seeing a boom in attendance, according to the National Council of Churches. The organization points to the highly competitive market for Vacation Bible School materials, with 20 publishers offering dozens of snazzy programs that are designed to appeal to kids' interests. "A Great Bibleland Dig," for instance, combines archaeology with Bible stories.

Studies show that kids with a spiritual grounding tend to be more resilient in the face of life's setbacks and are less likely to suffer from depression. For parents who are eager to give their children some basic spiritual or religious teaching, a program like Vacation Bible School can be a good start. Unlike Sunday school, most V.B.S. programs tend to be ecumenical and welcome children with varying religious backgrounds or none at all. The schools usually offer weeklong sessions during the summer, and local churches often stagger their schedules so kids can bounce from one program to another.

I spent a week back at V.B.S. in my hometown this summer, happy to see the little church being host to 65 kids each evening from 6 to 8 (a modern accommodation to busy daytime schedules). The kids still sing and do lessons and crafts, and the Kool-Aid still flows. Thirty adults, all with jobs and families, volunteer their time to help teach in the program, which is offered at no charge to any child who walks in the door.

Kids at V.B.S. had "the ultimate experience with Jesus," during which they learned portions of the Psalms and made fabulous and bizarre craft creations. (The "shepherd on a stick" was my favorite.) I am happy to report that I observed incidents not only of Bible-verse spouting but also of sharing and Golden-Ruling galore. Christine Kirkpatrick, 8, told me she understood Psalm 139: 9-10, "If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there your hand will lead me, and your right hand will hold me fast." She explained, "It means we are never alone. So if there is a new kid at school this fall, I'm going to try and be his friend and introduce him to people so he won't feel like he's alone." She also said she was going to try to be nicer to her little sister.

Christine's mother, who helps teach a class, is happy about that. "It's nice," she said, "when they really bring the lesson home."

You can e-mail Amy at timefamily@aol.com or write her at TIME, 6th Floor, 555 12th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20004