Vacation Bible School is usually intended to be a fun time for children to spend at church learning about Jesus and getting yummy snacks. Two years ago, Christy Wilson, who leads the women’s ministry at Crossway Church, had a radical idea: What about Vacation Bible School for grown-ups?

In 2024, Crossway hosted the first VBS for women, themed Let it Glow. More than 120 women from 17 area churches attended each night, enjoying dinner, games, Bible study and crafts together.

This year, VBS for women returns with the theme Light Your Fire. VBS for women will run from July 14 through 17 at Crossway Church. It’s described as “The Ultimate Girls’ Night, VBS style.”

“This is geared around a week of basically just having fun (for women),” Wilson said, adding there will be four evenings of activities. “We’ll start at 5, 5:30 p.m., have dinner, then a study together,” she said. “(Church member) Kim Coomes is writing the study this year. The whole idea this year is to light your fire, to find the desire God has given you, to go do something, to step out. To feel alive and active. The study will be geared around that.”

After the Bible study, Wilson said Kids Pastor Angela Marshall will lead games. Last year, the group played a Bible Family Feud, among other games.

“We’ll have two nights of games and two nights of crafts,” Wilson said. “The cost is $10 and childcare from birth through third grade is provided.”

Wilson said Coomes and Evelyn Johnson help her as part of a team at Crossway that comes up with ideas for women’s ministry.

Wilson’s path in leading women’s ministry wasn’t planned. 

“I never had any intention of being a women’s ministry leader,” Wilson said. 

After going through a personal struggle, she found faith in a new light. 

“I felt God was telling me to lean in instead of away. Wilson was very involved in the church, volunteering in many areas. As she prayed, seeking God’s direction, the women’s ministry kept coming to her, she said.

“Women’s ministry in my mind was like, crying and flower arranging,” she said with a laugh. “I feel that every woman has a ministry. I feel a real purpose and a drive for ministry. Our goal (at Crossway) is to help women figure it out. Where a woman’s deepest issues are; where her worries, her feelings, her trauma and where God’s comfort meet is generally where her ministry is. So, where is that? How do we help her step out in that calling that God asked her to do? The thing that He’s equipped her for, the thing that He’s given her a gift for. How do we make her feel comfortable in saying yes? Everything we do is geared toward that end goal of helping women figure out what their place is, whether it be in life or in church.”

Wilson emphasized VBS week for women is open to everyone, regardless of church affiliation. She works with other area churches in planning events that will inspire women.

For those interested in attending the week, it’s recommended that they sign up now.

“We do have a limit of about 130 people, just because that’s all our (meeting) room can hold,” Wilson said.

Registration may be completed online at crossway.news. From the drop-down menu, select “Signups” to register.

“It’s a really fun week,” Wilson said. “The goal is to laugh a lot that week. We want anybody, no matter where they are in their walk with God or in their life, what they’re feeling, what they’re doing, we want them to walk in and feel comfortable.”