Vacation Bible school has long been a summer tradition in United Methodist churches, bringing children together for Bible stories, music, crafts, games, and fellowship.  

But this year, several NIC congregations stretched the traditional VBS model, moving beyond a children’s program held at church toward summer faith formation that builds community, empowers young people, serves neighbors, and creates relationships beyond the church walls. They moved into community spaces, invited new partners, engaged multiple generations, and created experiences that connected faith with service and relationships. 

Several churches created or adapted their own summer faith-formation experiences rather than relying on a traditional VBS curriculum. At Baker Memorial in St. Charles, volunteers developed an original “Camp Hope” curriculum focused on God’s gift of hope.  

Apple River UMC created “How Does Jesus Love Us?," pairing daily themes of kindness, mercy, forgiveness, and sacrifice with Bible stories, children’s literature, and art. 

Community UMC in Naperville offered its third Creative Arts Camp, where children developed and performed a musical based on the story of the house built on the sand. Humboldt Park UMC and Grace UMC in Logan Square worked together again, creating a bilingual program centered on rainbows and God’s promises. The program culminated in a shared Spanish/English worship service. 

Moving Outside the Building 

A group of churches stepped outside their building: Wesley UMC in Aurora, UMC of Geneva and Batavia UMC joined The Neighbor Project in Aurora, an organization that works with families and the community towards homeownership. Rather than gathering at a church, children, youth, and adult volunteers met downtown Aurora at The Neighbor Project offices. Using the “Compassion Camp” curriculum developed by Illustrated Ministries, they led two Saturdays of songs, stories, yoga, crafts, movement, and compassion projects.  

Rev. Heather Connor, minister of faith formation and outreach at UMC of Geneva, said the purpose was not just to change locations but to be present with neighbors and build relationships beyond church walls. “Faith formation happens not only in classrooms and sanctuaries, but also in shared spaces where relationships are built and community is strengthened,” they said.  

Connor believes the location helped participants live out the call to love God and neighbor, recognizing that “compassion is more than a feeling. It is love in motion. It is noticing, caring, and responding.”  

The partnership demonstrates how VBS can become a bridge between churches and community organizations rather than an activity offered only to church families. 

Expanding the Concept 

At ChristFirst UMC in Elmhurst, a different kind of summer faith experience began with an idea from ninth-grade youth group member Lilly Sherman. She proposed a camp to give children who might not otherwise be able to afford summer camp an opportunity to participate. The youth-led idea grew into a free summer program, “Youth United Summer Camp,” for children ages four through eleven all day on Tuesdays and Thursdays in June, offering a safe and inclusive space for campers. 

Held in the church parsonage while ChristFirst was navigating a merger and move, the camp offered academics, arts and crafts, recreation, service projects, and community exploration. Campers also held a lemonade and treat sale that raised more than $500 to purchase toys for an immigrant community. The experience gave youth and young adults an opportunity to lead, share their resources, and build new relationships in the community. 

Gary UMC in Wheaton recognized that reaching beyond the traditional younger VBS audience can mean creating programs specifically for older children. They offered “BLAST Camp,” using the Grow curriculum, for fifth through eighth graders, in addition to Group Publishing’s “Rainforest Falls” VBS, which used a Group Publishing curriculum, for younger children. “BLAST Camp” focused on service and helping others. Campers prepared goodie bags for Kids Above All’s Camp Sheilah and painted a Fourth of July parade float for the Mersades Ann Foundation. 

At Kingswood UMC, the reach extended beyond children altogether. In addition to its regular VBS at the Buffalo Grove campus, the church offered Family Night Out, a four-week, Tuesday-evening multigenerational program at its Deerfield campus. Using Cokesbury's "Road Trip!" curriculum, participants explored biblical journeys and reflected on how God is present in their own journeys. They enjoyed recreation, shared meals, service projects, art workshops, and campfire vespers. 

These approaches to vacation Bible school reflected a growing willingness to rethink what summer faith formation can look like. Congregations found many ways to invite children and families into faith and community, welcoming hundreds of children through traditional VBS, community partnerships, multigenerational gatherings, service projects, creative arts, youth-led camps, and fresh approaches to familiar traditions. While the format may be changing, the heart of VBS remains the same: helping people to encounter God, build relationships, and discover what it means to love and serve their neighbors. 

Explore more stories from the vibrant vacation Bible school programs taking place across the Northern Illinois Conference below. If your church is missing, please share your story and photos with Lisa Smith, and we will continue updating the story as more information is received. 

---

Lake North  

Chicago: Urban Village Church  

Urban Village Church hosted Illustrated Faith’s “Compassion Camp,” helping children explore what all living things need to thrive, including shelter, food, water, air, and community. Through awareness, gratitude, reciprocity and hands-on activities, children learned how they can show compassion and become co-sustainers of God’s creation. 

Humboldt Park and Logan Square: Grace 

In a Spanish and English bilingual VBS experience created specifically for Humboldt Park UMC and Grace UMC in Logan Square, brought together volunteers and children from both churches. Together, they explored the theme of rainbows, God’s promises and the promises we make to one another. Children learned Scripture and a bilingual theme song and participated in stories, music, crafts, games and fellowship, concluding the week with a shared bilingual worship service led by the children. Throughout the week, participants built community and sought to live out the promise to love and protect one another. 

Kingswood UMC in Buffalo Grove and Deerfield  

Kingswood UMC offered two distinct summer faith-formation experiences.  At the Buffalo Grove campus, “Measure Up” VBS, based on Grow Curriculum’s series, invited children to explore Jesus’ early life and ministry. Through Bible stories, activities and games, along with fun traditions such as collectible pin trading and a Family Fun Fair, children discovered how they, too, can continue growing in faith. The church also offered a four-week, multigenerational VBS at the Deerfield campus using Cokesbury’s “Road Trip!” curriculum. This VBS brought people of all ages together for recreation, dinner, service projects, art workshops, and campfire vespers while exploring how God accompanied people in the Bible on their journeys and continues to journey with us today. 

Libertyville  

Using "Rainforest Falls," a Group Publishing curriculum, the United Methodist Church of Libertyville welcomed children, including many not affiliated with the church, for four mornings of singing, Bible learning, crafts, games, and community. Children explored daily truths about God, tracked their “God Moments,” collected school supplies for children in other countries, and celebrated the week with a music-filled family worship service. 

Park Ridge: First 

At First UMC in Park Ridge, “Surprise Party” VBS, a Lift curriculum, brought the Bible to life through the stories of the Lost Coin, Zacchaeus, and the Prodigal Son. Children participated in puppet devotions, singing, games, crafts, and snacks, while learning that God’s love is always present through joy, forgiveness, and welcome.  

---

Lake South 

Chicago: House of Praise  

House of Praise UMC in Chicago found peace amid the chaos during “Camp Chaos” VBS from Children’s Ministry Deals. They invited guests from another local church to join them for a week of faith, fellowship and fun. Through Scripture, creative activities, games and honest conversations, participants explored how Jesus can be their source of peace in difficult times, with a special focus on the 12–15-year-old group, who used poetry and creative writing to explore trauma, tragedy, forgiveness and God’s love. 

Chicago: Wesley 

After a six-year break, Wesley UMC in Chicago brought Vacation Bible School back this year with “Shining Brightly for Jesus,” a curriculum created by Urban Ministries. The week welcomed children, youth, young adults and seasoned adults for faith, fellowship and fun, with shared meals, age-group classes and activities. The return of VBS also brought renewed hope and joy to the congregation as young people filled the church once again.

---

Prairie Central  

Aurora: Bethany of Fox Valley   

After a one-year hiatus, Bethany of Fox Valley UMC in Aurora revived its VBS with Group Publishing’s “Rainforest Falls,” welcoming children ages six through twelve from Bethany and its space-sharing sister churches, Hope United Church of Christ and Tabernaculo de Luz. Children participated in music, Bible stories, games, science experiments, snacks, and faith-in-action activities while families contributed “Change for Change” to support local missions.  

Aurora: Wesley, Batavia, and Geneva  

Wesley UMC in Aurora, UMC of Geneva, and Batavia UMC joined The Neighbor Project in Aurora and the surrounding community for “Compassion Camp” VBS created by Illustrated Faith. The Neighbor Project hosted the gatherings. Children, youth, and adults explored compassion through Bible stories, music, yoga, crafts and service activities, learning that compassion is “love in motion” and discovering ways to care for themselves, their neighbors and the wider world. 

Crystal Lake: First  

First Church in Crystal Lake welcomed more than 100 children from the congregation and surrounding community for four days of Group Publishing’s “Rainforest Falls” VBS in June. The program brought children together for a week of faith, fun, and fellowship. 

Elmhurst: ChristFirst 

ChristFirst in Elmhurst’s homegrown VBS experience, “Youth United Summer Camp,” provided a free summer camp experience for children ages four through eleven, proposed by a ninth-grade youth group member, to provide the opportunity for children who might not otherwise be able to afford the summer camp experience. Meeting Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout June, campers participated in academics, arts and crafts, recreation, service projects and exploration, while a lemonade and treat sale raised more than $500 to purchase toys for an immigrant community. 

Naperville: Community UMC 

Community UMC of Naperville hosted its third annual Creative Arts Camp, welcoming children from kindergarten through eighth grade to learn how to put on a musical. Campers prepared and performed Happily Forever After, a fairytale retelling of the parable of the house built on the sand, while also participating in crafts, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) activities, games, Bible stories, and mission projects such as planting flowers for homebound members and assembling Midwest Mission cleanup buckets. 

Schaumburg: Our Saviour's

Our Saviour’s UMC in Schaumburg took children on a journey through Ireland during its, “Emerald Crossing” VBS, created by Answers in Genesis. Through hands-on activities and the story of David, children explored Psalm 23 and discovered God as their Shepherd, Guide, Comforter, Provider and King.

St. Charles: Baker Memorial  

At Baker Memorial UMC in St. Charles, the “Camp Hope” VBS’s custom program welcomed a multi-age group of children from the Fox Valley region for four days of Bible stories, crafts, games, singing, and snacks focused on God’s gift of hope. Volunteers created an original curriculum and transformed the church with elaborate camp decorations, and the week concluded with a child-led worship service that included a special folk song band.  

Wheaton: Gary 

At Gary UMC in Wheaton, VBS at Group Publishing’s “Rainforest Falls” helped children discover that God knows them and promises to love them forever—even through fun, ocelot-shaped cookies! Older students in “BLAST Camp” by Grow Curriculum (5-8 grade) focused on serving others, creating goodie bags for Kids Above All’s Camp Sheilah and painting a Fourth of July parade float for the Mersades Ann Foundation. 

---

Prairie North  

Apple River  

Apple River UMC created its own VBS curriculum around the theme, “How Does Jesus Love Us?” Each day focused on kindness, mercy, forgiveness or sacrifice, combining Bible stories, children’s literature and in-depth art projects. 

Freeport: Faith UMC 

Using Illustrated Ministry’s “Compassion Camp,” the children of Faith UMC in Freeport met each Wednesday afternoon in July rather than every day for a week. Using Psalm 104, children explored the needs of all living things and considered how they can care for people, plants, and animals in their local Freeport ecosystem. 

German Valley  

German Valley UMC co-hosted a community VBS with Grace Valley Christian Reformed Church and Silver Creek Reformed Church. Children participated in a four-day "Rainforest Falls" (Group Publishing) adventure, exploring the message that God is forever and celebrating the theme “WOW, GOD!” 

Rockford: Christ 

At Christ UMC in Rockford, children participated in “Kingdom Quest” VBS from Orange, exploring God’s kingdom through Bible stories, worship, music, games, crafts, and hands-on activities. The week included a foam party and concluded with family worship and a community celebration involving children, families, youth helpers, and adult volunteers. 

Scales Mound 

Using Cokesbury’s “Snowball Mountain Challenge” curriculum, Scales Mound UMC welcomed children and volunteers. In addition to the regular VBS activities, they also collected food for the Apple River Food Pantry and raised approximately $1,000 for local charities and future VBS expenses. 

Shannon: Bethel  

“Galaxy” VBS created by Group Publishing, invited children of Bethel UMC in Shannon to discover God’s Word through daily Bible truths, games, energetic music, and meaningful projects. Children created their own solar systems, built friendships and learned about God’s love, with the church especially celebrating the opportunity to welcome children who had never attended church before.  

Stockton: Wesley 

Wesley UMC in Stockton created a custom VBS experience, “Jesus is the Ticket,” as a Fresh Expressions-inspired community outreach event that welcomed about 150 people. Through carnival games such as fishing, basketball, cake walks and target games, participants connected faith lessons with fun activities, while families also enjoyed free hot dogs, bingo and more than $600 worth of school supplies. 

---

Prairie South  

Dixon: First  

First UMC in Dixon used Lifeway’s “Magnified! Discovering the Bigness of God in the Smallest of Things” curriculum. Through nature-focused imagery, hands-on activities, crafts, games, music, and a trip to the park, children explored God’s greatness as Creator and the intimate ways God cares for each person. 

Hinckley  

Hinckley UMC used Orange’s “Kingdom Quest” curriculum to follow the story of the Apostle Peter as children explored four key truths: Jesus is the Way, Jesus is with me, Jesus is alive and the Holy Spirit helps me. The program welcomed over 100 children, youth volunteers, and adult leaders.  

Oregon 

Oregon UMC partnered with St. Paul Lutheran Church for a free community “Rainforest Falls” VBS (Group Publishing), welcoming children from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. They report that they had an amazing adult volunteer base to help run the stations and behind-the-scenes activities and a great group of teen volunteers to help each crew of children. 

Sterling: Wesley 

Wesley UMC in Sterling used Lifeway’s “Illumination Station” VBS to welcome children and volunteers to learn who Jesus really was. They enjoyed Bible stories, songs, games, crafts, and snacks, then celebrated the week with a pizza party.