How to Write Your Own VBS

Piecing Together Curriculum Written by N.H. Beaman

Elements

• Central truth- the Bible Point of the Day • Bible Story- illustrate the central truth • Music- emphasize the central truth • Games- review the central truth or introduce the memory verse • Crafts- take home the central truth • Life Application- apply the central truth • Snacks- build interest in theme or Bible point

Five Point Lesson Outline

• Choose five central truths or lesson focus’ to build your curriculum around • Can be derived from God’s Plan of Salvation or any five point message • Choose five Bible stories that emphasis your five central truths • Choose five memory verses to further emphasize your lessons focus

For Example…

Using God’s Plan of Salvation 1. All Have Sinned 2. The Cross 3. Asking Forgiveness 4. The Promise of Eternal Life 5. Growing In Christ

Another Example …

Using a Five Point Sermon Outline 1. Come to Jesus 2. Jesus Cares 3. Thank and Praise Jesus 4. Serve Jesus 5. Trust Jesus

Some Sample Stories …

Using God’s Plan of Salvation: 1.

Adam and Eve- Genesis Chapter 2 and 3 2.

The Road to Emmaus, Luke 24:13-35 3.

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman, John 4:4-42 Jesus in the Vineyard, John 14: 1-14 Peter’s Letter- 1 Peter 1:13-25 Using a Five Point Sermon Outline 1.

Bartimacus, Luke 18:35-43 The Last Breakfast- John 21:1-14 The Ten Lepers, Luke 17:11-19 The Feeding of the 5,000, Mark 6:30-44 The Storm- Mark 4:35-41

Stories can be told by…

• Skits, live actors and a MC • Puppets and full body puppets • Video clips or slides • Multi-media (in acts using different media) • Theatre Games • Songs • Lectures (and Object lesson formats) • Readers or Story Tellers Theatre

Memory Verses

• Should contain a element of the Bible point • Should not be too long • Should introduce life application (a clear instruction), contain an attribute of God, or statement of praise • NIV, The Message, New Living, or Standard translations are easier for children to understand in general

Some Examples…

For example one God’s Plan of Salvation 1. Romans 3:23 2. 1 John 1:7 (shorten) 3. Proverbs 28:13 (paraphrase) 4. John 14:6 5. John 8:31 Example two- Five Point Sermon Outline 1. Psalm 119:18 2. 2 Corinthians 9:8 (shorten) 3. Colossians 3:15 (paraphrase) 4. 1 Corinthians 9:19 (shorten) 5. Psalm 62:8 (shorten)

Memory Verses can be taught through…

• Games • Rebus • Props • Activity pages • Puzzles • Songs • Sign Language • Puppet skits- where the children teach the puppet the verse

Music

• Choose age- appropriate styled music • There are many recourses available at your local Christian book store • Use actions and sign language to engage the children • I Worship for Kids, Integrity Music for Kids have great worship dvds out

Themes…

Once you have chosen your music you may want to consider your theme, as music styles will some times dictate a mood.

Some themes to think about- safari, Bible times, castles, islands or nautical, road trips or race, sports, spy, pirate, cartoon, space, future, country or pioneer, zoo, circus, ice, fire, camp, adventure, occupational, survivor, reality tv, movies, hobbies, board games, science, animal, prehistoric

Games

• Tag (Bible Point emphasis) • Obstacle (Bible Story review) • Relay (Memory verse games) • Change the name of classic games to suit your theme • Keep rules simple • The library is a great resource of books with rules and tips of classic games

Crafts…

• Arts and Crafts Approach poster making, collage, mobile making • Service Project Approach- making cards, decorating bags, baskets, or boxes to send to missionaries, nursing homes, pediatric wards, or homeless shelters • Traditional Crafts- placemats, bookmarkers, wall hangings, fridge magnets, pencil holders, journals, door hangers, jewelry, desk or dresser boxes, piggy banks, paper weights, sun catchers, simple toys • Link crafts to either the theme, Bible story, memory verse or daily point

A few tips…

• Keep crafts simple • Keep crafts age appropriate • Limit the use of paint and permanent markers or other hard to clean supplies • Computer clip art adds instant graphics to tie in the theme or memory verse • Collect recyclable supplies to use in craft making

Life Application

• Connects the Word to the students • Potentially has the greatest effect on the children’s lives • Possible to assess the understanding of your lesson focus • Many ways to approach • Hands-on activities allow children to experience the lesson (see following list)

acrostics, assignments, banners, book reviews, brainstorming, bulletin boards, buzz groups, case study, cds, chalk boards, charts, choral reading, circular response, colloquy, contests, creative lighting, costumes, debate, demonstrations, dioramas, dramatic reading, dyads, exhibits, field trips, flannel graph, flash cards, flip chart, forum, games, graphs, handicrafts, hymns, illusions, illustration, imagination machines, inductive Bible Study, interest centers, interview, journaling, lecture, letter writing, listening teams, maps, mime, memory work, mobiles, models, monologue, multimedia, murals, music, mystery bags, neighbor-nudge, object lessons, projection (overhead, LCD), oral reports, painting, panel discussion, papier mâché, paraphrasing, photographs, posters, power point, prayer, projects, props, puppets, puzzles, question and answer, rebus, recitation, research, review games, role-playing, room decoration, scripture search, seminar, skits, song writing, storytelling, surveys, symposium, testimony, web pages, word association, workshop, video

Objectives and Learning Activities

• To know or understand, to instruct or communicate (educational) • To encourage or comfort, to feel or appreciate (inspirational) • To Enlist or involve, to apply or commit (motivational) • Identify the specific change you want to achieve (acquiring new knowledge, changing attitudes, or action taken).

• Brainstorming with other teachers with experience is invaluable • Writing your own curriculum beneficial at this stage • Opportunity to develop new skills and talents • Ask your students lots of questions to determine rather or not the Bible truth was clearly presented in the activity • Ask lots of questions to determine rather or not the students see the Bible truth as relevant in their lives

8 steps to Practical Life Application

1. Relate passage to the whole scripture 2. Relate each lesson to the students life 3. Use real illustrations from modern life 4. Use positive role models from scripture 5. Identify role models in modern life 6. Solve problems 7. Point out how facts relate to each other from the lesson 8. Point out the Biblical principle or truth

Snacks…

• Bagged snacks are easier to serve • Popsicles and freezies are always popular • Shaped cookies are fun • Avoid nuts and milk based snacks • Give snacks themed names • Tell a little story about the snack- it’s name, and how it relates to the Bible point, theme, memory verse, or Bible Story

Missions and Service Projects

• These are great to include as pre-vbs activities • Teach the children about missionaries, the Great Commission, where their mission field is- their friends and family, and about the outreach efforts of VBS • Weeks in advance give the children an opportunity to pray for the program and all who will attend

Conclusion…

• Do not be so consumed with the activities as to disregard the message.

• VBS is a evangelistic focused out reach for children • Strive to share the gospel message in each element of your program • Above all tell, show, and share the love of God this year at VBS to your community.