In May 2025, the Children’s Ministries Department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Japan hosted three Vacation Bible School (VBS) seminars under the theme “POWER,” equipping leaders and volunteers from across the country. Held in Ishikawa, Tokyo, and Osaka—with an additional online session—the seminars welcomed pastors, VBS staff, parents, and children’s ministry leaders, offering them practical tools and spiritual encouragement as they prepare their summer programs.
The seminars featured a variety of presentations, including reports from the 2024 VBS season, hands-on demonstrations of crafts and songs, and the introduction of new Sabbath School materials such as Alive in Jesus. These sessions aimed to empower local churches to run vibrant, Christ-centered programs that engage children and their families.
Despite the nation’s demographic challenges—marked by a rapidly aging population and a Christian demographic of less than one percent—the atmosphere of the seminars was filled with optimism. In 2024, 905 children participated in VBS programs across Japan, representing a 60% increase from the previous year. Notably, more than half of these children came from non-Christian families, reflecting the growing impact of VBS as a community outreach tool.
Organizers emphasized that VBS is not merely a seasonal event but a vital component in a long-term spiritual journey. Participants were encouraged to view it through the lens of a five-stage evangelism cycle: preparing the soil, sowing the Word, nurturing growth, establishing discipleship, and sending others to serve. Churches were invited to reflect on what they should start, stop, and continue doing better to nurture children and their families in their faith journeys.
Testimonies from local churches illustrated how VBS is not only transforming children’s lives but also serving as a gateway for parents, grandparents, and neighbors to encounter the gospel. Through initiatives like prayer walks in parks, support for multilingual families, and Sabbath activities tailored to young children, churches are finding new ways to plant seeds of faith in their communities.
“The heart of these seminars was the shared belief that, even in a society with few Christians and declining birthrates, God is still at work,” said Mie Morita, Children’s Ministries department director of JUC, “Whether through prayer, service, or simple acts of love, each VBS becomes a seed of hope.”
