"Vacation Bible School" at night?

So our little one is staying with my mom for the week. She signed her up for Vacation Bible School which we knew about-no problem really hell I missed out on all kinds of joke material after we stopped (my mom pretty much initiated it) going to church when I was 11 or so

But the Vacation Bible School that we went to was like a summer camp thing (it didn't take) without the sleep over (thank God). NOW apparently this is all the rage. Since I found out about it being at night I have noticed banners advertising different church's Bible school being at night. The one Josie is going to is from 5:30-8:00. That is a lot of kid's bedtime, our little girl is a bit of a nightowl anyway.

Apparently there are two reasons for the nighttime bible school thing
1. My mom tells me that her church had 100 or so kids show a few years ago. They had never been to the church and never went back. Not that it is a bad church and they didn't care except that they didn't really have the planning and means for all these kids to show up. Basically it was free daycare and this is in an area that has 24-hour daycare businesses (lots of good 3-shift manufacturing jobs). So the church moved the bible school to the evening.

2. (aside from number 1 this is the REAL reason) Numbers baby!! Got to get those numbers through the door. Get the parents in an you get more meat in the pews BABY!!!
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Anyway it seemed odd to me but this seems to be the trend

Quoting a great scene from "Dogma" with George Carlin as a Cardinal Glick O8)

Cardinal Glick: Fill them pews, people, that's the key. Grab the little ones as well. Hook 'em while they're young.
Rufus: Kind of like the tobacco industry?
Cardinal Glick: Christ, if only we had their numbers.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120655/quotes

except for the one retired person.

we went to various day camps sponsored by the scouts, the city, & the county otherwise. Too bad there's no funding for day camps anymore. :(

dg