Why Non-Christian Parents Say Yes to Vacation Bible School
What Churches Must Understand About Today’s Families
Vacation Bible School reaches families far beyond the church walls. Every summer, children from diverse backgrounds enter sanctuaries, fellowship halls, gymnasiums, and basements transformed into imaginative worlds. Some come from Christian homes, but many come from families who rarely attend church or who identify as non-faith, interfaith, spiritually curious, or respectfully distant from organized religion. And yet these parents still say yes.
To understand why, we must look past assumptions and listen to what parents are truly seeking for their children.
The First Question Every Parent Asks: “Will My Child Be Safe?”
In a culture shaped by uncertainty and rising anxiety, safety is the foundation of every decision parents make. They want to know their child will be protected, noticed, and cared for by responsible adults. This desire is deeply human and profoundly biblical. Augustine once wrote, “Safety is the first gift of love,” an insight that rings true across every worldview. When VBS provides secure check-in, attentive volunteers, warm smiles, and environments where children are known by name, parents—regardless of belief—recognize that this is a trustworthy place for their child.
Proverbs 18:10 (NLT) captures the heart behind this: “The name of the LORD is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe.” Even if parents do not share the theology, they deeply appreciate the atmosphere it creates.
The Gift of Joy in a Tired World
Children today face pressures previous generations did not: digital overload, academic expectations, loneliness, and emotional fatigue. Parents are desperate for spaces where their kids can experience joy again—real joy, not entertainment. VBS offers a week when children sing loudly, laugh freely, build, create, imagine, and belong.
Dallas Willard famously said, “Joy is the serious business of heaven.” When children encounter genuine joy at VBS, families feel it. Even parents who do not believe in God believe in the importance of joy. VBS becomes one of the few places where childhood feels like childhood again.
Belonging: The Silent Need Every Family Carries
Modern parents often feel disconnected, unsupported, and alone. Even those who do not attend church want their children to experience belonging. VBS creates a relational environment where children are included, greeted warmly, invited into new friendships, and surrounded by adults who genuinely care.
The early church understood the transforming power of community. Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NLT) — “So encourage each other and build each other up” — reflect the kind of environment VBS naturally cultivates. Parents may not know the theology behind belonging, but they recognize its fruit in their children’s faces.
Goodness Still Speaks to the Human Heart
Even when parents do not share Christian beliefs, they deeply value the moral and character formation their children receive at VBS. They want their children to grow in kindness, honesty, gratitude, courage, forgiveness, and compassion. These are not uniquely religious desires; they are universal longings of every parent’s heart.
Clement of Alexandria captured this beautifully when he wrote, “Children are the most fertile of soils; plant in them what you desire to grow.” VBS plants seeds of goodness through story, example, and gentle daily rhythms. Parents see that goodness, and they appreciate it deeply.
Cultural Curiosity Opens Doors Churches Don’t Expect
Many non-Christian parents view VBS as cultural exposure. They want their children to understand the community around them, learn what Christians believe, ask questions, and experience something different from their daily routine. In a pluralistic society, parents see value in exposing their children to diverse beliefs in safe and respectful ways.
This is not indoctrination from their perspective. It is education, enrichment, and exploration. When VBS leaders present Jesus with warmth, clarity, beauty, and imagination, children respond with curiosity. Parents notice, and their respect grows.
The Practical Reasons Matter More Than Directors Realize
Life is busy. Parents are stretched. Summer schedules are complicated. VBS offers relief. It is often free or low-cost, conveniently located, and easy to access. It gives children a structured routine during the week and provides parents with a moment of breathing room. And when a child begs to attend because their friend invited them, parents almost always say yes.
Practicality may not sound spiritual, but God uses ordinary pathways to open extraordinary doors.
The Communication Shift Churches Must Make
Understanding why non-Christian parents say yes changes how VBS directors must communicate. Traditional ministry language—phrases like “a powerful week of discipleship” or “join us for evangelism outreach”—does not resonate with non-Christian families. They do not understand the vocabulary, and it creates distance rather than connection.
Parents respond to human language, not insider language. When directors describe VBS as a warm, safe, joy-filled environment where children learn to be kind, brave, and hopeful through uplifting stories about God’s love, families immediately understand. When churches communicate that every child is welcome, that families do not need to attend the church to participate, and that there is no pressure attached, parents feel respected rather than intimidated. When directors speak about Jesus simply and beautifully, parents become open rather than cautious.
A Forward-Thinking Vision for Reaching the Next Generation of Families
The next decade of families will be more spiritually curious and less institutionally connected. They will come from more diverse backgrounds, hold a wider range of beliefs, and be more cautious about religious spaces. Yet they will hunger for community, safety, hope, joy, and meaning more than ever.
VBS is uniquely positioned to meet these needs. It can be one of the most powerful bridges between the church and the neighborhood when directors communicate with cultural intelligence and pastoral wisdom. Families will come when the invitation speaks to their real hopes and real challenges. And once they come, Jesus does what only He can do.
Matthew 5:16 (NLT) offers the guiding vision: “Let your good deeds shine out for all to see.” VBS shines with joy, compassion, safety, and goodness. When it does, families—Christian or not—say yes.