I know nothing about what they have achieved in the execution of the whole thing, but the most exciting concept that I've seen for 2008 Vacation Bible School is Group's Rome curriculum, subtitled "Paul and the Underground Church." I find it exhilarating to look at a curriculum for Vacation Bible School and see clearly that it might have something to do with the Bible.
BTW: Our first loyalty is to Lifeway. If all the VBS choices are equally uninspiring, we generally purchase Lifeway's curriculum for the year. But if somebody's curriculum offering stands out (Lifeway's or anybody else's), then we are willing to go with that.
Of course, there has to be a problem in there somewhere. Someone has just informed me that this is the loosely-graded curriculum from Group…not that easy to adapt to our setting. What a shame, if it is true!
ReplyDeleteBut you can take the post in this fashion: I think it is a shame that most VBS themes amount to gross exercises in eisegesis…a theme looking for a text, any text, to justify our cool week pretending to be in Hawaii.
Its been a long time since I was a youth pastor - wow, a really long time.
ReplyDeleteI used to peruse Group's stuff. At the time, they were great on activities and games, but there was a paucity of biblical content.
We recently reviewed Sunday School curriculum and I was wary of Group because of my ancient experience.
If their materials have a deeper content now, we may have to give them a second look.
I suppose this jogged me into a realization of the importance of VBS, which I have probably under-emphasized heretofore. The point at which I was saved was when my Dad reminded me, when I was about 7, of what I'd heard at VBS .. that if you believe in Jesus, you go to heaven when you die.
ReplyDeleteI remember that moment as though it were yesterday, and it likely happened toward the end of World War Two.
The best thing LifeWay has going is VBS material.
ReplyDeleteI remember when in college and seminary the 11th commandment was, "Thou shalt not buy from Cook."
And now here you are looking at other material.
I do not know what will become of you young pastors.
You all need a good sermon on curriculum adultery like we used to get every year during orientation.
cb
CB,
ReplyDeleteAmen!
Bart has turned liberal.
David
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to next year's LifeWay cirriculum. I hear the motto is going to be "No rules, just right!" and that the snack rotation will include Bloomin' Onions!
ReplyDeleteWes,
ReplyDeleteExcellent. Best of the day.
cb
A (non-SBC) pastor friend of mine used this curriculum and had tremendous success with it. His testimony was that it transformed all those involved, not just the kids. They have gone on to write their own curriculum this past year to continue this kind of approach.
ReplyDeleteI believe it is well worth considering for those churches who do VBS.
We've used Group's VBS material several times with good success. The big difference, of course, is that Group writes for a broad denominational audience and thus some of the distinctives that Baptists appreciate are missing from their material. We used Group for maybe three years in a row and then went back to LifeWay and our teachers were pleasantly surprised at how good it was. Last year's LifeWay theme inspired our children's minister to plan a Sunday morning lake service/cookout. We had record attendance and thirty baptisms!
ReplyDeleteLooks nice, and it could be combined with a study for adults from James Jeffers' book "The Greco-Roman World of the New Testament Era: Exploring the Background of Early Christianity." How cool would that be?
ReplyDelete