BRENTWOOD, Tenn — Culture claims to know about Jesus, but many people are in the dark about who He really is. Lifeway Christian Resources’ 2026 Vacation Bible School (VBS) theme — “Illumination Station: Shining a Light on Who Jesus Really Is” — prepares churches to help kids discover Jesus is the Light of the world.

“I’m so excited that VBS 2026 is all about Jesus,” said Melita Thomas, VBS specialist for Lifeway. “There’s so much confusion in today’s culture about who Jesus is. Some people say Jesus was just a man who lived a long time ago. Some might acknowledge Him as a good teacher or even a miracle worker. But He’s so much more. He’s the perfect, proven and powerful Son of God — the only One who can rescue us from sin and bring hope and light to a dark world.”

Shining a light on Jesus, “Illumination Station” VBS introduces Jesus’ question to Peter — “Who do you say I am?” — and helps kids answer this question based on what the Bible says about Him.

“Every church will bring ‘Illumination Station’ to life differently. Some may opt to create an immersive world of a light exploration center, while others may choose to decorate each room with a different type of light source. You really can’t go wrong with a theme like this that’s going to be so much fun to decorate for,” said Thomas. “We just want to encourage churches to not turn out the lights and make their churches dark places but to create a celebratory atmosphere of light on top of light on top of light.”

From Spotlight Bible Study and Suncatcher Rec to Mirror Ball Music, Kaleidoscope Crafts, Neon Snacks and Glow-in-the-dark Missions, Thomas said “Illumination Station” is designed to allow kids to explore all the ways light brightens, illuminates, reflects and reveals while discovering Jesus is who Scripture says He is.

According to the State of Theology research, more than half of Americans (53%) say Jesus was a great teacher but not God. And more than 2 in 5 evangelicals (44%) agree.

“Illumination Station” features the theme verse, John 8:12: “Jesus spoke to them again: ‘I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”

Unique to this year’s VBS is each day’s “Spotlight Question” that reflects what culture says about Jesus. Through each of these questions, Thomas said, kids will discover the answer clearly revealed in Scripture about who Jesus really is. At the end of a week of “Illumination Station” VBS, kids will know:

• Jesus is God’s promised Son.
• Jesus is God’s perfect Son.
• Jesus is the powerful Son of God.
• Jesus is the proven Son of God.
• Jesus is God’s plan for forgiveness.

According to a study from Lifeway Research, 6 in 10 Americans say they went to VBS growing up. And most American adults who attended VBS as children say they have positive memories of VBS and that it helped them understand the Bible better and positively influenced their spiritual growth. Today, 7 in 10 parents (69%) say they would encourage their child to attend VBS at a church they don’t attend if a friend invited them.

Thomas hopes that as kids from various backgrounds participate in “Illumination Station” VBS it will light up their summer and shine a light on Jesus.

“After attending ‘Illumination Station’ VBS, kids will no longer be in the dark about who Jesus is. They will discover who God says Jesus is, who Jesus said He is and who the Bible says He is,” Thomas said. “They will be offered the opportunity to respond to Jesus as the only way to receive God’s forgiveness. After all, that’s the real reason we do VBS.”

More information about “Illumination Station” — including Bible stories, the theme song and the theme reveal video — can be found at Lifeway.com/VBS.

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Marissa Postell is a writer for Lifeway Christian Resources.)