Almost 80,000 children and adults made professions of faith, receiving Christ as their personal Savior, as they took a Big Apple Adventure during Vacation Bible School2011.
Almost 25 thousand churches have reported statistics to Lifeway’s VBS area, and those numbers are telling some good news.
More than 2.8 million preschoolers, children, teenagers and adults were enrolled in Vacation Bible School in churches across the United States and around the world.
The number of churches reporting their VBS numbers was up by more than 2 percent, reversing a several-year decline in the numbers of churches reporting.
“Vacation Bible School consistently returns a statistic that says the number of professions of faith made by those attending VBS equals about 25 percent of the number of baptisms in the Southern Baptist Convention,” said Jerry Wooley, Lifeway’s VBS specialist.
“Having more churches reporting their statistics helps us have a better grasp on just how many people are reached through VBS,” Wooley said. “Numbers are important when you remember that every number represents someone touched.”
Wooley said the Lifeway VBS team is encouraged by the numbers.
“It shows how much prayer and work our churches put into making VBS not only fun, but most importantly, evangelical,” he said.
The statistics show VBS enrollment for 2011 was up by about 3 percent over 2010.
“Some great news for churches was the number of prospects added to their Sunday school rolls,” said Wooley. “This number was up more than 15 percent. This represents more than 39,000 men, women and children who said they want to be contacted by churches and enrolled in Sunday school.
What takes place following the week of VBS is as important as what goes on during the week.
“Good follow-up is crucial,” Wooley said. “You have opportunities following VBS that didn’t exist before. We can’t even measure how many people may be reached after VBS ends when churches get the privilege of visiting with the families of the people attending VBS.”
Statistics for 2012’s Amazing Wonders Aviation VBS will be available in summer of 2013.
By Polly House, Communications Department
