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Good Shepherd

6/23/2024

 
PictureVBS team for Bethel 2024
Our 10th year of VBS! Hard to believe we have been doing this a decade with our friends at the Bethel, AK Church. We came early this year because one of our missionary friends was going to be moving. They invited us to come for an extra weekend with hopes of going to another village. Unfortunately, that didn't pan out however we were able to do an extra weekend of kids programming. Which you will get as bonus material at the end.

The theme this year was Good Shepherd. We were inspired by reading through the parables of Jesus, yes similar to last year. This is the first year we had "repeat" stories (check here for another variation on the theme: Lost and Found.) It was one of our smallest teams yet with some of the biggest kid crowds we had seen. We were blessed to see God providing for us each day as our Good Shepherd.


Lesson

Picture
The Good Shepherd was our VBS theme. It came about from reading through the book Christ Object Lessons and the corresponding parables of Jesus for Friday night Bible Study. The obvious stories where the Lost Sheep and the Good Shepherd from John 10. When it came to picking the other parables it was harder but made sense that we'd do the Good Samaritan and the Unmerciful Servant both of which answered the question "If Jesus is our Good Shepherd than how should we treat others?" And finally we threw in Psalms 23 on Sabbath as the classic example of God as our shepherd in scripture.

Due to the small number of team members, we decided to once again invite the children to be in the story. We utilized stick puppets for this purpose. First we'd read the story so the kids could know what to expect and then we'd give them a character from the story and re-read it with them playing the parts. This went so well that we ran through each story twice. That way s every kid could have a turn.


Day 1: Good Shepherd (John 10:1-18)

Day 2: The Lost Sheep (Luke 15:1-7)

Day 3: The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)

Day 4: The Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18: 21-35)

Day 5: Lord is My Shepherd (Psalms 23)
For the puppets following the link in the video below.

And here's our master list of what we made. Feel free to add whatever else you want. A pro tip, you can double on characters as long as they aren't in the same story. For example, Peter could also be the "Injured man" from another story.

Story Time Puppets
Supplies- cutouts, crayons, scissors, popsicle sticks, glue
Good shepherd -Jesus, Sheep, Robber, Stranger, Hired Hand

Lost Sheep- Jesus, Shepherd, Sheep

Good Samaritan-Jesus, Injured Man, Samaritan, Levite, Priest, Inn Keeper

Unmerciful Servant- Jesus, Peter, King, 2 Main Servants, Other Servants

Psalms 23- David, Sheep, Shepherd

Schedule

Memory Verse/Catch Phrase

Prayer- 5 min
Songs- 10 min
Memory Verse Practice- 5 min
Story Time- 15 min
Craft- 15 min
Games- 15 min
Movie- 15 min
Q&A- 5 min
Prizes/snacks as they leave
Total: 1. 5 hours

Picture
Catch Phrase:
We say: God is...
Kids say: My Shepherd

Memory Verse- Psalms 23:1
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.

Depending on your kids and ages this could be a very easy memory verse. Many of the kids already knew this verse from Sabbath School. However there were some others that needed the prompts. We gave out special prizes each night for those who did memory verse. The most memorable was a bunch of frames that we had put animal pictures in.

Registration

Music

PictureRegistration help in Bethel
We handed the taking down information over to the Bethel church since they do all the follow up. However here are a couple things that we do that make it smoother in general plus a bonus.
1) Name tags out and ready with markers handy
2) Colored dots on name tags if you think you are going to split activities.
3) Give away book. If you are going to give out a special book this a great place to hand them out from so that each kid gets one. We gave out "God Said It"- Book 12
4) Bonus activity: the Prayer Tree. We had cardboard circles (with ribbons attached) at the registration table and when kids came in they could write down a prayer request or praise. Then they'd place it on the tree. We would pray for those during the beginning of VBS.

Theme Song: I Just Wanna Be a Sheep
This was probably one of the most enthusiast theme songs we've ever done. The kids loved it! As for the rest of the songs, for once we kept it simple with a rotating 15 songs total. We had other songs regarding sheep, emphasizing the theme, or actions songs to keeping them moving.

Crafts

Day 1: Shepherd Wind Sock*
Instructions here: https://www.daniellesplace.com/html/bible-crafts-jesus-calms-the-storm.html
*We borrowed a cut out from another project for the shepherd, but not sure of the original source. However we think you can figure out how to make it work from there.

Day 2: Sheep
Instructions here: https://onelittleproject.com/sheep-craft/

Day 3: Walkie Talkie Craft
Instructions here: www.handmadecharlotte.com/80590/

Day 4: Grateful Spinners
Instructions here: https://makeandtakes.com/thankful-wind-spinners

Day 5: Puppets*
Instructions here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkMPxS0sj9Q&t=1s
* Yep, the same as the puppets for the story time. Helpful hint is to pick only one character to make and you'll want to have things pre cut to make it go faster. We made a shepherd puppet.

Games

Day 1:  Beach Ball Towel Toss
Instructions here: https://birthdaypartyideas4kids.com/beach-ball-games.html#google_vignette
 Application ideas: The game is about listening to each other and working together. Just like we listen and work with the Good Shepherd.

Day 2: Lost Sheep Ring Toss
Instructions here: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/95279348359220174/
 
Application ideas: We are searching for the lost sheep just like the shepherd did.

Day 3: Shepherd's Relay Race
Instructions here: www.daniellesplace.com/html/psalm234sample.html
Application ideas: The Good Shepherd looks after the sheep and is ready to get them across the line. We are helping our sheep like the Good Samaritan helped the injured man.

Day 4: Bowling
Instructions here: https://kansasdiscovery.org/diy-bowling-discovery-at-home/
Application ideas: We are bowling to pay back our debt. Knock down as many pins as you can to see if you can pay your debt back unlike the man in the story.

Day 5: No game (due to timing during sabbath school)
Picture
Watching the movies at VBS

Movie

Picture
Preparing for game time
Day 1 and 2- The Lost is Found
https://nestlearning.com/products/the-lost-is-found-video-on-interactive-dvd?_pos=5&_sid=19b7b137d&_ss=r
Day 3 and 4- Forgive Us Our Debts
https://nestlearning.com/products/forgive-us-our-debts-video-on-interactive-dvd?_pos=2&_sid=699e7420c&_ss=r

Goodie Bags and Q&A

Per usual, we put everything in brown paper sacks. We had a variety of items to give away including stickers, coloring pages, guides, small toys, chapsticks, and other trinkets. We also put in lollipops and fruits snack alternating nights.

Prize box: Each night we had three kids answer questions about the story. Instead of our usual prize box, we chose 4 special prizes for the kids to pick from. That varied from more picture framed animals to a coloring book kit. Limiting the prize options made the picking faster.

Decorations

This year's decorations was all about the sheep! We had sheep everywhere! In the sanctuary where the main program was we had a scene of a shepherd with sheep around them. Above that we put the theme "Good Shepherd." We repeated this scene in the hallway and the craft room. Elsewhere, we had the memory verse hanging up and sheep between it. We also put up streamers, of course, our favorite lightweight travel decoration. Mostly we wanted it to be simple because we had a small team of helpers and not alot of time between travel and start of VBS.

Ta-Dah! A Good Shepherd VBS

We hope this has inspired you to make your own Good Shepherd DIY Vacation Bible School. We enjoyed it and know you will too!
good_shepherd_vbs_list.pdf
File Size: 140 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Bonus Material- Pearl of Great Price

Some of us arrived a weekend earlier to help with a village outreach, but since that did not materialize we instead ran this for Sabbath at the church.

Sabbath School:
Prayer- 5 min
Songs- 10 min
Story Time- 15 min- Pearl of Great Price (Matt 13:45,46)- materials here: https://ministryspark.com/pearl-great-price-parable-elementary-lesson/
Craft- 15 min- Pearl Mobile (general idea here but substitute with "coins" and glitter www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt20z6z5gPo)
Games- 15 min-Pearl Collecting (Instruction: Place objects of various sizes, with scores on them,  on the floor. The kids then have to thrown coins in them to see how many "pearls" they can collect)
Goodie bag(see above)
Total: 1. 0 hours

Movie Night: Popcorn provided at intermission.
Nest Videos:
Prodigal Son- https://nestlearning.com/products/the-prodigal-son-video-on-interactive-dvd

Miracles of Jesus-https://nestlearning.com/products/the-miracles-of-jesus-dvd?_pos=1&_sid=73fcaa64c&_ss=r

See you next year in 2025!

Good Soil

8/26/2023

 
Picture
Bethel Mission Team in Kasigluk.
This was our 9th year of Children's Programming in Bethel, AK. We took a two person team from Wrangell to join with the Arctic Missionary team on the ground in Bethel. We shared two days worth of programs for Kasigluk, AK and Bethel, AK.

Our theme this year was Good Soil, Jesus in my Heart inspired by a reading of the Parable of the Sower from Matthew 13.  We kept the decorations very simple because of various time constraints. As usual we found this theme to speak to us as well as the children. We hope you enjoy!

Lesson Inspiration

Picture
As mentioned above we were inspired to do the Parable of the Sower. This inspiration came later than usual. As we were reading  the parable with the book Christ Object Lessons (book by Ellen G White), in July, we knew we needed this theme! And we were leaving in August. Anyways, we ended up using a couple more parables throughout the program including the parable of the wheat and tares for sabbath school and then using the first the blade then the ear parable along with the parable of the mustard seed for a sermon.

Schedule- 2 day program

Songs and Prayer- 10 min
Craft- 15 min
Games- 15 min
Story Time- 15 min
Goodie bags- 5 min as they leave

Total: 1 hour

Optional (We switched to this on Sabbath)
Songs and Prayer- 10 min
Story Time- 15 min
Games- 15 min
Craft- 15 min
Goodie bags- 5 min as they leave

Total: 1 hours
Our programs were only an hour this year since they were linked with other programs, like in Kasigluk where we had an adult health program shortly after the kids program. This lead us to par down the programming from year's past to what we considered the essentials.

Memory Verse

Music

"He who has ears, let him hear."
Matthew 13:9

Yes, despite the shorter programs we did have the kids learn a short memory verse. This one found at the end of the parable of the sower
Picture
Theme Song: His Banner Over Me is Love

It was hard to find exactly what we wanted in a theme song this year, but this turned to work fine. We did 4 songs total for the music part of the program.

Lessons

Picture
This year since only two of us went from Wrangell, we made a decision to have the kids do the acting for the story time. The way we set it up was to read the story once to the kids from the Bible, then we would ask for volunteers for each part (we will list optional parts below with each parable). We had some costuming or a stuffed animal the kids could act with. This was quite a hit with the kids and fun to watch.

Lesson 1:
The Parable of the Sower
Matthew 13:1-9 and Matthew 13:18-23
Read it in Christ Object Lessons here

Optional characters ideas
Narrator
Sower
Seed
Birds
Rocks
Thorns
Lesson 2:
The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares
Matthew 13:24-30 and Matthew 13:37-43
Read it in Christ Object Lessons here

Optional character ideas
Narrator
Sower
Enemy
Servants
Wheat
Tares


Games

Picture
Growing Flowers Game
Picture
Bird Shuffleboard
Game for Lesson 1: Growing Flowers

(We modified this game from a more complicated version we saw online)

Items needed:
Scarfs (2 colors or more and enough for the kids to collect 3+ of each)
Fake flowers
Rope

Set up: Using rope, designate an area in the room that is the garden. Make one for each team (we played with two teams). Have fake flowers nearby to give out. Designate a person to give out the scarves as directed below.

Play: Split group into two teams. Have the teams line up single file facing the person with the scarves. The person with the scarves holds one of each color behind their back. One team picks a hand and receives the scarf from that hand and the other team gets the other scarf. Alternate between teams who goes first to even this out as you go. The scarves are raced to the garden and the kid returns to the line. Once a team has collected three of one color of scarves then they get a flower. Play continues until one team gets three flowers or whatever designated number you want to play to.


Game for Lesson 2: Bird Shuffleboard

(We made this one up, because we needed an indoor game for Sabbath School. It is a mix of shuffleboard and hangman)

Items needed:
Table
Tape
Paper
Markers
Stuffed animal (preferably bird)
White board and markers

Set up: Write on slips of paper 0, 1, 2 (these represent how many guesses a kid will get for the word) and place them spaced apart on top of the table. Each one should act as a line the kids have to push their bird across. Have whiteboard nearby and group of words from the parable for the kids to guess. On the whiteboard, use lines (think hangman) to represent how many letters need to be guessed.

Play: A kid steps up to the table and pushes the bird across the table. Whatever "line" the bird passes is how many letter guesses a kid gets. Example: Bird goes past line 1, but not 2 then they can guess 1 letter in the word. Play until a kid guesses the word.

Crafts

Lesson 1: Tissue Paper Flower
These were surprisingly a big hit. We needed something that didn't take up too much room while traveling. That being said we had to provide extra help to the littler kids in the group, but the older kids appeared to enjoy making these fancy.
Instructions here

Lesson 2: Butterfly Craft
We had this craft in our supply closet at church. So while the link below is not exactly it, the idea is similar. To recreate our version you will need: a cut out of butterfly wings, pipe cleaners, rolled up construction paper, and something to color with.
Optional instructions here

Goodie Bags

Since we had a shorter time to work with we opted to put a treat in the goodie bags instead of a separate snack time. We had odds and ends from previous VBS ventures that we used. That consisted of small bible story magazines, bookmarks, glow sticks (always a hit), and foam craft of a bible story. For treats we stuck to hard candies since they aren't perishable. We like to use paper bags for putting things in because they are easy and cheap to find for a large group.

Decoration

We ended up with a basic design this year. Some of it had to do with decorating two places (one of which we had less than 30 minutes to put stuff up) and the other was because of our flight schedule. We had to take down quickly after the last program. We also didn't have our lovely decorating people with us (you know the folks that have an eye for this stuff!) Anyways... the inspiration was garden. We used greens and decorated with birds, bees, flowers, and stuffed animals.

Ta-Dah! A Good Soil, DIY Children's Program

Another year down and what an adventure. We were excited to be able to do something with the small amount of volunteers that we had to work with. We are thankful to the Arctic Mission Volunteers, Collette and Joy, for suggesting this alternative to a full VBS program this year. We hope that this helps you in your children's programming and that are inspired to do your our DIY of Good Soil parables.
good_soil_format.pdf
File Size: 133 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Jonah, Overboard

7/19/2022

 
Picture
Our 8th year of VBS, we joined forces with folks from Kennewick SDA church and the folks from SDA churches in Anchorage.  We went to Bethel, AK with this fun group.

Our theme this year was Jonah. The crew here put their heart into the acting and props. We had some fun improptu props such as a boat and this whale pictured here. We found this theme to speak us adults as we spent time our morning worship studying the story of Jonah. We hope you find some inspiration in the following VBS materials, too.




Lesson Inspiration

This year's inspiration to do the book of Jonah came from a sermon series on the minor prophets that Brooke, our team leader, preached at her local church in Wrangell. Here's what she had to say about it, "When I was doing the research for the minor prophet book of Jonah, I found this story to have so much depth to it. I was especially inspired by a sermon series done by David Asscherick called in a Felly of a Bish.  So, when it came time to do VBS, I knew this was the story that I wanted to share."

Schedule - 5 day VBS

Songs- 10 min
Prayer- 5 min
Small Group- 10 min
Craft- 15 min
Games- 15 min
Story Time- 15 min
Q&A- 5 min
Prizes/snacks as they leave
​

Total: 1. 25 hours
We shortened this year's VBS by 15 minutes because we had an adult program scheduled shortly after the VBS. The 15 minutes gave us some transition time to get the kids out and the adults in. 



Memory Verse

Picture
Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh.
​Jonah 3:3a​

Tag Line...

This year's tag line:

We say: When we go down.... 
Kids says: God brings us up.

We tried to vary the volume; working the kids up to shouting it out. This worked well to get them comfortable. They really liked to whisper.

Lessons

Picture
 This year we had another group that loved acting and prop building. We had our Jonah and cast of characters who took us from Jonah's running away to Jonah sitting under the vine upset with God. This story was told from the perspective of a mom telling her young daughter, Aleah, the story of Jonah. Spoiler alert, in the end it turns out that the mom and daughter are Ninevehives who were saved by Jonah's preaching. The kids especially loved the night where Jonah was in the whale. 

Day 1: 
Jonah Runs from God- Jonah 1:1-10
Lesson point: God sees us where we are

Day 2:
Jonah Overboard- Jonah 1:11-17
Leson point: God is with us in the storm

Day 3: 
Jonah in the Belly of the Whale-Jonah 2
Lesson point: God hears us

Day 4: 
Jonah Goes to Nineveh- Jonah 3
Lesson point: God has a mission for us

Day 5: 
Jonah's Dilemma- Jonah 4
Lesson  point: God Loves us All

Mom telling the story of Jonah to Aleah
Jonah runs from God
Jonah with the sailors
Sailor at sea
Jonah in the whale
Jonah under the vine
jonah_overboard_scripts.pdf
File Size: 393 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

<- We made scripts this year! Feel free to download, use, and improv from there. 

Registration

Picture
Registration was done by the church members at the Bethel church. Covid restrictions meant that everyone had masks. The registration form was basic. The file is a microsoft document. 

vbs_2022-_registration.docx
File Size: 14 kb
File Type: docx
Download File


Music

Theme Song: Over the Sea

We stuck with our three songs and the theme song this year. The kids in Bethel especially love songs with action. The theme songs was a perfect fit. 
Picture

Q&A/Prize bags

After story time each night the kids get to answer questions for a prize. This year we gave the kids a piece of paper that they redeemed for a prize bag at the door. This was quickest to get them out the door at the end. The prize bag had one larger item such a coloring book, puzzle, game, etc. 

Games

This year we did not get rained out like we had last year.  Below is a list of games that the kids liked to play during the week. 
1: Balloon pop game (here- look for Outdoor Balloon Pop)
 2: Tag or Mosquito (variations here)
3:  Box tag (Set up boxes made of string around an  circle and give them a number. The person in the middle closes their eyes and counts while the others run to a box. Then the middle person calls out a number and those in that box are out. The game continues until one person is left or all are out.) 


Goodies/ Snacks

Because of Covid restrictions we kept snacks prepackaged and threw them in the goodie bags. The goodie bags had odds and ends, such as pens, small toys, buttons, and books. 
We gave out this book as a special item on sabbath: God Said it- Old Testament Heroes- 4
​
We were fortunate to have school supplies donated by the Kennewick SDA Church and Arctic Mission Adventure. These we gave out separately in small back packs. 
Picture

Small Group Time

We added small group back into the rotation year. It is always a extra special time to get to know the kids personally. 
We set it up for them to do the following:
1) Review the Memory Verse
2) Go over the daily theme
3) Activity
Find the Difference/ Map to Tarshish
​Jonah Runs Away from the Lord Maze
Jonah Coloring page
Jonah Preaches in Nineveh Challenge Page
​Write Your name in Cuneiform
​4) Pray 
small_group_time.pdf
File Size: 97 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Picture

Crafts

We had a mix of homemade and premade crafts this year. The key is to prepare more for the little kids than the big kids. This helps with pacing. We also try to help the kids tie the craft direct to that day's theme. Below is the crafts with links to ideas. 

Day 1: Binoculars

Day 2: Jonah Stickers

Day 3: Slime

Day 4:Jonah foam craft

Day 5:  Jonah in the Whale Cup

Decoration

The team from Kennewick was in charge of decorating this year and it was fantastic, as you can see from the pictures. The idea was to create an underwater scene in most areas, except the front of the sanctuary where we made it more like an ancient  home scene. The home scene we used for the play. We used streamers, die cuts, plastic table cloths, preprinted backgrounds, and so much more. The lighting was key in the water scenes in the lobby area. We had a globe that made it look like underwater! So cool! 

Ta-Dah! A Jonah, Overboard DIY VBS

Another year and another excellent VBS team and group of kids. God always provides and this year was no exception as we had team members who brought diverse skills to the set up. From music, decorating, making props, acting, and setting up goodie bags it was a whole experience. The kids were especially engaged and we had a great time sharing with them. As always we hope this provides some inspiration for you to create your own version of a Jonah, Overboard DIY VBS. 
Jonah Overboard VBS Format
File Size: 275 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Don't forget that you can print and use any of our original materials for free. 

God Makes Me Brave

10/5/2021

 
Picture
Our 7th year of VBS, we are back in action. We managed to get to one place, tried and true, Bethel, AK. It was touch and go at the beginning. Due to Covid, the church in Bethel was not open until the beginning of June. However we made it work and are so glad we did.

Our theme this year was about Joshua. The kids especially loved helping act out the story of the walls of Jericho. We found the theme to resonate in these times. We hope you find some inspiration and creative ways to share this story. 


Lesson Inspiration

This year we had one month to prep the lessons due to short notice (Thank you Covid). This is where preparing ahead pays off. We had started with this theme last year and didn't go anywhere. But since we had one month to do all our prep and planning, we pulled this out and were able to make our from "scratch version" again this year. Joshua was a story we had read together in a Bible study. Many times we tend to only tell one part of this story (e.g. the walls of Jericho) but the story has so much more to it. Joshua was a mighty man of God and his story is worth the sharing with our kids.

Schedule- 4 day VBS

Songs- 10 min
Prayer- 5 min
Video- 10 min
Craft- 15 min
Games- 15 min
Story Time- 15 min
Q&A- 5 min
Prizes/snacks as they leave

​Total: 1. 5 hours
*Please note we shaved off one day due to our particular travel schedule. Typically we would have attempted 5 days. Should you like to try that we recommend that you add on your first night the story of Joshua and Caleb (Numbers 13-14). This story happened many years early but gives some additional insight into the stories for rest of the week.

Memory Verse

Picture
As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15c

Tag Line...

The year's tag line:

We say: GOD MAKE ME!
Kids say: BRAVE!



*It helps the kids to memorize the memory verse if you give it hand motions. 

Lessons

Picture
This year, we were blessed to have a team who enjoyed acting and telling the story. While we have had acting every year, this year we received extra help and energy from the Alaska Camps team. We didn't know each other's strengths prior to meeting in Bethel so it was  pleasant surprise to put their creative energy to use. We had a narrator and all the cast of characters: Joshua, Rahab, Spies, Priest, Israelites, etc.  We also had the kids help us fill in roles such as walking across the Jordan River with Joshua and then another night march around the walls of Jericho. The kids loved it. Because we improvised most of this on the spot there was no script this year. However, we believe you will be able to use the following materials for your VBS needs. 

Day 1: Rahab and the Spies
Joshua 2:1-24

Day 2: Crossing the Jordan
Joshua 3:4-7

Day 3: The Walls of Jericho Fall
Joshua 6:1-26

Day 4: Joshua is tricked by the Gibeonites
Joshua 9:2-27

Lesson ideas for each of these can be found at: 
https://freesundayschoolcurriculum.weebly.com/old-testament-lessons.html

Registration

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We kept registration simpler this year. Due to Covid, we went back to one time use sticker name tags. We also had to have masks available for each kid as they came in. Thankfully the Bethel Church took care of that part. 

​We had the help of local church members.  This helps the kids see faces that they are likely to see the rest of year when there is no VBS.

Picture
Registration form

Video time

We shared two videos this year. Each video was 20-30 minutes and we broke those in half. So two nights the kids watched one video and then another two nights o the other video. 

​Videos shown:
VeggieTales: Josh and the Big Wall
Torchlighters: Harriet Tubman (this might seem an unusual choice but we wanted to bring a story of a person outside the bible that was brave.)


Games

Picture
Games were a moving target this year. Usually we can play outside but this year we had two night where it was too rainy and the team had to adjust for indoor games. However, below we will give you what was planned.

Day 1: God says (Play like Simon Says)
Day 2: North, South, Central (Instructions here)
Day 3: Fruit Basket Upset (Instructions here)
Day 4: Free pick (We omitted a game due to timing on Sabbath)​


Crafts

We went back to homemade crafts this year after trying premade craft previously. Part of our reason is we found the homemade crafts were cheaper and more engaging for all ages.

Day 1: Rope Making
Supplies: Red yarn, Tape, Scissors
Note: This was by far one of the coolest crafts we did!

Day 2: Painted Grapes
Supplies: Acrylic Paint, Toilet paper rolls, paper plates
Note: Consider having newspaper down on the table.

Day 3: Kazoos
Supplies: Toilet paper rolls, Wax paper, Rubber bands, Stickers
Note: Fair warning the kids loved this and will blow this all the time. For extra fun let them blow them when the walls of Jericho come down.

Day 4: House Bookmarks
​
Supplies: Construction paper, stickers, markers, pencils/pens
Note: We were supposed to do this with popsicle sticks but we forgot glue (I know!?)

Music

Theme Song: Be Bold, Be Strong

The sweet spot seems to be 3 songs then the theme song.  Bonus, you can always sing the theme song again at the end if you need to fill time.
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Q&A/ Prize Box

After the story time we always give three questions to the kids to see if they were listening. It works really well to have a prize attached to it. We keep our prizes to give out at the end of the night. Usually the prizes are larger items such as coloring books, bubbles, toy cars, etc. 
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Goodies/Snacks

This year, with added Covid precautions, we decided to send the snacks (store bought packaged items) home in the goodie bags. The goodie bags are made up of small fun items like notepads, pens, bouncy balls, bible story activity books, etc. 
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Decorations

The year we tried to recreate the city of Jericho. At the front of the sanctuary we made a wall with soldiers on it. Then to one side we built Rahab's window, where we hung a red cord. Additionally, when the walls of Jericho fell, we took down part of the Rahab window to represent the broke walls. As usual streamers and balloons were our friends. Since we are a traveling VBS team we have to think lightweight and compact for decorating. We were especially pleased with the streamers at the windows, which turned out amazing. We also put our memory verse on the walls throughout the building with pictures of the Bible stories. 

Ta-Dah! A God Makes Me Brave DIY VBS

This is no exaggeration to say that this was funner (that's a word, right?) than the previous VBS. What we learned is having a team the works together makes any VBS better. This year was no exception, only God could have put this together. Many of us did not know each other before we got to Bethel. As for the kids, the enthusiasm for learning about how God makes us brave was contagious. We hope that we have inspired you to create your own version of a God Makes Me Brave DIY VBS.
god_makes_me_brave_vbs_format.pdf
File Size: 271 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Don't forgot any materials we have created are free for your use. Enjoy

Vacation Bible School 2020 Podcast

5/24/2020

 
Well... about that planning for VBS thing. God has other plans apparently. During the this pandemic we have used our time to reflect on our previous years of Vacation Bible School. We aren't going anywhere this year due to the pandemic, so we decided this was a good time to share what we have learned (in audio format) on how we do VBS. We hope you enjoy this journey and get more ideas on how to do your own DIY VBS.
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Welcome to the Wrangell SDA Podcast! Season 3 is everything Vacation Bible School. This season has 9 episodes where we discuss all about the details about how we created our own Vacation Bible School. Each episode has tips and tricks for you to do the same. The Wrangell VBS Team has travel for six years to various communities in Alaska sharing our DIY VBS with kids. Join our host Brooke as she talks with members of the team who share their expertise and experience. We hope you enjoy and are encouraged to make your own DIY VBS for your next VBS.

Theme music: "Jesus is Whiter than Snow" by monilutz. You can find more of monilutz music at tribeofnoise.com. Song used under the conditions of creative commons license. 
Episode 1: Intro
In this episode Ashleigh Reynolds shares about how the Wrangell VBS team got its start.
Tips in this episode:
  1. Keep it Simple
  2. Use What You Have (including people)
  3. Seek Inspiration in what you have studied
Aired
June 14, 2020

Episode 2: Schedules and Themes
In this episode Dena Meigs discusses how the Wrangell VBS team gets its themes each year. We also discuss how to create a schedule for your VBS.
Tips in this episode:
  1. Start your planning early
  2. Make things as simple as possible
  3. Be prepared for your location
Aired
June 21, 2020

Episode 3: Registration
In this episode April Eilertsen talks about how to run a successful registration for your VBS.
Tips in this episode:
  1. Have a registration form
  2. Use name tags
  3. Reinforce daily lesson with activity books
Aired
June 28, 2020

Episode 4: Daily Lesson
In this episode, Stephanie Eilertsen gives her thoughts on planning daily lessons, picking a memory verse, and creating taglines for your kids.
Tips in this episode:
  1. Keep memory verses easy and simple
  2. Make sure your taglines go with your main themes
  3. For daily lessons try starting your story at the beginning and move through each day
Aired
July 5, 2020

Episode 5: Crafts
In this episode, Tiffany Eilertsen talks about creating crafts for your VBS, including what to do with those kids who don't seem to want to participate.
​Tips in this episode: 
  1. Know your theme and match your crafts to it
  2. Research to see what others have done, for inspiration
  3. Know what supplies you have on hand
Aired
July 12, 2020

Episode 6: Games
In this episode, Charlie Meigs encourages you to create games that are fun and kids will want to participate in.
Tips in this episode:
  1. Match games to daily lessons
  2. Knowing  your space, don't be afraid to improvise
  3. Make sure that you have your supplies, and back ups
​
Aired
July 19, 2020

Episode 7: Music
In this episode, Sam Eilertsen shares how to pick music that gets kids to sing along with you.
Tips in this episode:
  1. Pick a theme song
  2. Use 15-20 songs you can rotate
  3. Practice, practice
Aired
July 26, 2020

Episode 8: Decorating and Goodie bags
In this episode, Jackie Eilertsen discusses decorating for your VBS. She shares her tips and tricks for making goodie bags that the kids can take home.
Tips in this episode: 
  1. Know your themes and stories so you can pick material
  2. Pick small kids stuff for goodie bags
  3. Think about your budget
Aired
August 2, 2020

Episode 9: Ending Extras (Q&A, Snacks, etc)
In this final episode, Melissa Reynolds, Debbie Reynolds, and Sarah Haarsma give pointers on odds and ends of a good VBS. This includes talking about what to consider when picking snacks, doing a question and answer time to keep the kids engages, and finally utilizing the talents of your team.
Tips in this episode:​
Snacks
  1. Make sure you are aware of food allergies
  2. Consider what the kids do like for snacks
  3. Think of the timing of your snack
Q&A
  1. Pick questions related to your daily theme
  2. Tailor questions to your kids' ages
  3. Offer prizes for answering questions
Extras
  1. Just Try
  2. Tailor things to kids interest
  3. Utilize the volunteers you have, find out what their special interest are that you can use
Aired
August 9, 2020

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2019- Bethel VBS (L to R) Sarah Haarsma, Melissa Reynolds, Sam Eilertsen, Brooke Reynolds
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2019- Montana VBS (L to R) Tiffany Eilertsen, Debbie Reynolds, Charlie Meigs, Dena Meigs, Jackie Eilertsen, Brooke Reynolds, Sam Eilertsen
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2017- Craig VBS (Clockwise) Charlie Meigs, Dena Meigs, April Eilertsen, Brooke Reynolds, Jackie Eilertsen, Sam Eilertsen, Tiffany Eilertsen, Stephanie Eilertsen
Guest Bios (in order of appearance:

Brooke Reynolds- is the host of the Wrangell SDA podcast. She is currently the young adult leader and audiovisual coordinator for the Wrangell SDA church. She enjoys walking and doing crochet projects in her spare time.
Ashleigh Reynolds- is the sister of the Wrangell VBS Podcast Host, Brooke Reynolds. She lived in Wrangell, AK at the time that the Wrangell VBS Team got started. She enjoys drawing and working with small children. She currently lives in Maryland.
Dena Meigs- is the wife of former Wrangell SDA Pastor Charlie Meigs. She and her husband lived in Wrangell, AK for several years before moving to Kennewick, Wa. Dena enjoys music and was a member of the Wrangell SDA praise team. 
April Eilertsen- is the mother of several of the Wrangell VBS Team members, Tiffany, Stephanie, and Sam. She and her husband are also caretakers for the local church camp (Camp Lorraine). She enjoys being outdoors.
Stephanie Eilertsen- is a long time member of the performing group On Fire for Him. Now a young adult, she helps preach sermons and plan VBS trips. She enjoys horseback riding and dreaming of the house she'd like to build someday. 
Tiffany Eilertsen- is a founding member of On Fire for Him and the Wrangell VBS Team.  She has since moved to Oregon but still provides long distance support to the team. She enjoys hiking, kayaking, and taking her dog places to explore. 
Charlie Meigs-  is the former pastor for the Wrangell SDA Church, now living in Kennewick, WA. He considers marrying Dena the greatest accomplishment of his life. He also has the honor of being in every season of the Wrangell SDA Podcast. 
Sam Eilertsen- is the youngest of the Eilertsen clan. She has been actively involved with youth ministries at the Wrangell SDA church. She plays mandolin in the Wrangell SDA Praise Team. Her hobbies include photography and horseback riding. 
Jackie Eilertsen- is the grandma of the Eilertsen girls. She got involved in VBS when we needed help with costumes and decorating. She is a long time member of Wrangell SDA Church. Among her many skills is sewing and baking. 
Melissa Reynolds- is a sister of Brooke Reynolds, Wrangell SDA Podcast host. She works as an accountant in Vancouver, Washington. She enjoys reading, hanging out with her cats, and trying new exercise classes. 
Debbie Reynolds- is the mom of our host, Brooke Reynolds. She has been an avid supporter of the Wrangell VBS Team and has traveled to two VBS locations to help out. She currently lives in Vancouver, Washington.
 Sarah Haarsma- is a new comer to the Wrangell VBS team, but not to VBS. She has experience helping her church in Oregon host VBS. Sarah brings energy and humor to the team. She is a friend of both Brooke and Melissa Reynolds. She currently resides in Washington.  

Jesus, Water of Life Theme

9/5/2019

 
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Our sixth year of VBS we were able to branch outside of Alaska! We shared in Trout Creek, MT in May and then Bethel, AK in August.

Our theme this year was based off of the life of Jesus and all the things he did around water. We especially were aiming to connect with the kids in Alaska who are familiar with waterways, but the kids in Montana enjoyed it to.   We are excited to share this year's journey and theme. We hope you can find some inspiration and something that is useful for your VBS.


Lesson Inspiration

While there are many stories to chose from about Jesus, we narrowed our picks down to stories mostly related to Jesus using water. You will note some stories that don't fit that criteria, but we wanted to tell them so we added them as a segue into the story that is about water. We also didn't tell the stories entirely in order, again we did that for effect such as telling the Cana Wedding story at the end and inviting the kids to come celebrate with us. Finally, it helps to have a strong knowledge of the gospels in general, especially Matthew and John. 

Schedule- 5 day VBS

Songs- 10 min
Water of Life Video/Prayer- 5 min
Activity Time: (40 min)*
  1. Crafts
  2. Games
  3. Water Experiment
  4. Jesus Video & Snacks
Story Time- 15 min
Q&A- 5 min
Prize bag- 5 min
​
Total: 1. 5 hours
*Note- We ended up with the groups we had doing two small rotations instead of sending everyone to everything as written in order.

So it goes likes this... 
Rotation 1: (Switch between the two)
1. Craft 
2. Water Experiment

Rotation 2: (Switch between these two)
3. Games
4. Jesus Video & Snacks

Memory Verse

Tag Line... 

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"Whoever is thirsty let him come! and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life." Revelation 22:17 b

By our second VBS, we got a little silly or creative and made up a song to this. You can hear it on our video here (starts around 4 min 30 sec)

This year's tag line:
We say: JESUS IS....
Kids say: WATER OF LIFE!
Don't forget if possible have an extra special prize for those who memorize the memory verse!

Lessons

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This year, the creative juices were flowing plus we were down a couple of people so we changed a few things up. The story was told from the front with a character named "Darlane" who was a descendant of the woman at the well, but the kids don't find that out until the 4th night (and yes made up that character. Don't go looking for a Darlane in your Bibles.) Darlane is the keeper of the local well and one day two sisters (Sasha and Manna) show up looking for some water. The rest of the week progresses with Darlane telling them a story about Jesus each night. The girls get more and more excited about the real water of life: Jesus. It is always hard to tell what the VBS kids will like, but this year's idea really caught their attention. We as per usual wrote our own scripts and have posted a copy for your use for free below. 

Day 1: Jesus' Baptism and Temptation
Bible: Matthew 3:13- 17

Day 2: Healing at Bethesda
Bible: John 5:1-17

Day 3: Jesus Feeds the 5,000 and Walks on Water
Bible: Matthew 14: 13-33

Day 4: Jesus meets Zacchaeus and the  Women at the Well
Bible: Luke 19: 1:1-10, John 4:1-45

Day 5: Jesus Turns Water into Wine at the Cana Wedding
Bible: John 2:1-12
Another quick note: Per the request of our actor who played Darlane and also arranged our lessons, we downloaded some visuals for each lesson to play in the background while the story ran. You can access the slideshows here: https://freesundayschoolcurriculum.weebly.com/old-testament-lessons.html
Water Seekers Script​
water_seekers_script.pdf
File Size: 92 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


Water of Life Videos

Something else new this year was we recorded a short segment that we called Water of Life Videos. These videos used people from our church that were willing to share about their answer to the question "What does Jesus, Water of Life mean to you?"  We encourage you to consider making your own videos to share, too. 
Day 1 video
Day 3 video
Day 5 video
Day 2 video
Day 4 video
For the tech savvy: I know that many of you could create a much nicer flow of a video. Our only excuse is that these got edited at the last minute when we had a  team emergency. The point though was we got them done.

For the less tech savvy: Give it a try with your basic software such as window movie maker or you can try an online option called animoto. It's fun and it adds variety. Trust me the kids don't mind. .

Registration

We have been trying to get church members to help the last couple of years in this area as they are the ones that will be seeing the kids regularly. We provided the registration forms, name tags, and end of the week booklet. The name tags we have used in the past have been stickers, but this year a team member had an idea for reusable tags. Some of us were skeptical at first, but it worked out fine. You can see them in the pictures on the left they are the cards with the orange yarn.
A few more notes on registration. We have posted our registration form as an example (forgive the typo, please), but we want to point out that it is a good idea to get parental consent for photos which we added at the last minute on the road. We don't post the pictures here on the blog for privacy sake though. And for the booklet, we didn't picture the whole thing here just the cover. Inside the book we had color pages for each days story, so we encourage you to use your imagination on what to put in your books. The kids then get something to take home with all the things they learned. 
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Registration form with consent for photos
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Cover of give away book

Craft

This year we did a mix of foam crafts and original craft ideas. The foam crafts were bought at: oriental trading

Day 1: Jesus' Baptism foam craft
Supplies- all supplies came with the order

​Day 2: Well project
Supplies: popsicle sticks, construction paper, cardboard, scissors, hot glue gun with glue, toilet paper rolls

Day 3: Jesus Walks on Water foam craft
Supplies- all supplies came with the order

Day 4: Zacchaeus Tree
Supplies: construction paper, paper towel or toilet paper rolls, pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, cardboard, scissors, glue or hot glue gun supplies

Day 5: Jesus, Living Water foam craft
Supplies- all supplies came with the order
For instruction on the two original up crafts:
Zacchaeus tree & Well project

Both are found on our Pinterest page under the VBS board.

Extra Craft idea: You can have a simple coloring page for the kids to write their memory verse and color. Good for kids who finish faster than the others.

Water Activity 

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Day 1: Ice Fishing
Supplies: Ice, Ice tray, String, Sticks, Salt,
Cups
Instructions:
http://www.sciencefun.org/kidszone/experiments/ice-fishing/


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Day 3: Tin Foil Boats
Supplies: Tin Foil, Pennies, Container for floating boats
Instructions: https://www.kids-fun-science.com/easy-science-experiment.html

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Day 2: Slime
Supplies: Glue, Baking soda, Food coloring, Borax, Containers,  Bowls or cups
Instructions: ​https://www.thoughtco.com/step-by-step-slime-instructions-604173

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Day 4: Glitter Bottles
Supplies: Water bottles, Food coloring, Glitter,  Super Glue,  Stir Sticks,  Permanent marker,  Stickers
Instructions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=36&v=LVQSE82-c3Q

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Day 5: Water to Wine
Supplies: Water bottles, Kool-aid,  Construction paper,  Tape

Instructions: ​https://www.pinterest.com/pin/695172892464220831

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Extra activity: Bubbles
Supplies: Water, corn syrup, soap, bubble blowers, bowls

Instruction: https://www.homesciencetools.com/article/how-to-make-super-bubbles-science-project/


Games

Jesus Videos

For this rotation we showed the DVDs from the Nest DVDs called: The Miracles of Jesus and He is Risen. We showed them in 10-15 min segments, which left the kids wanting more!
Ideas:
T or F game running game
How to:  Name off some facts about the lesson of the day and the kids run to another spot with what they think the answer is. 

Musical game
How to: Similar to music chairs except standing in a circle. The person who gets out has to tell some thing about the lesson of the day. 

Package game
How to: Kids have to guess an item in a bag related to the lesson of the day. Then they also have to share another bible story that has this item or what it represents in it. Nothing gross, please. 

Guessing game
How to: Similar to charades, except that the game leader prepares a list of items that the kids will act out about the lesson. They draw these items from a hat or bucket or our case a stuffed animal whale. 

Music

PictureMusic team at Bethel, AK

Theme song: I've Got a River of Life

About 3 songs this year filled up the time. We made it a little shorter because we felt like the kids got bored with the longer set up.

Special music: There were only two On Fire for Him members that went to VBS this year so we kept it to a special at church. Here is a link to the song: here  (shown as performed for Easter not during VBS).


Goodies

Snacks: We tried out doing our snack time during game time instead of at the end. We were going to do it during the movie time but all our movie time was in the sanctuary so that was a no go. The biggest thing about snacks during games is that you give it out early during instructions, no choking please while running!

Goodie bag: We still use our brown paper sacks. The kids get anything you can think of that is small: pens, notepads, tops, etc. We tend to mark our bags boy or girl and sometimes small boy or girl if we have items specific to them.

Prize box: Prizes were larger items that kids earned for either answering questions during the Question and Answer time or when they had done their memory verse.   

Decorations

This year's inspiration, of course, was WATER! We decorated the front of the sanctuary with a water background, with boats, fishes and streamers to represent waves. The main attraction up front was the well that the Water Seekers met at each night to hear the story of the night. We got creative and made one with wrapping that looks like stone and covering the outside of a laundry hamper.  And we had some posters of various water scenes with kids on them that we put on the walls of the church. The registration table had the theme on the front "Jesus, Water of Life" as well as some boats and fishes.  We did streamers elsewhere per usual especially in the craft room at Bethel we had fish hanging from the ceiling. We posted the memory verse everywhere at kid height so that the kids could see it and learn. 

Ta-Dah! A Jesus, Water of Life DIY VBS

This was the most fun VBS that any of us could remember. The flow worked out really well with the double rotation. We had a lot of laughs. The kids got into all of it, but especially loved the water activities this year.  Anyways, we hope we have inspired you to try your hand at your own variation of a Jesus, Water of Life DIY VBS. And per usual all the materials we created are free to use. 
water_of_life_vbs_format.pdf
File Size: 190 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

For video diary of this year's trips to Troutcreek, MT and Bethel, AK, make sure to check out our Vlog link to the right.
VBS VLOGs 2019

Prayer Warriors Theme

8/26/2018

 
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Our fifth year of VBS included two full VBS weeks in Bethel,AK and later in Craig, AK. We also did a mini-VBS in Ketchikan, AK.

Our theme this year came from our classes’ Sabbath school study of David’s life. At first we knew that we want the theme on prayer. This came from our Pastor’s emphasis on having a prayer life. We started deciding what types of prayers we wanted to teach and were going to use different Bible characters to tell the story. Once we got into it, we thought of Prayer Warriors and because we had recently studied David, well… the rest is this VBS’ history. Read more below...


Lesson Inspiration

We recommend for you to read 1 Samuel 16-31, 2 Samuel as a whole, 1 Chronicles 28- 29:10-20, and then 1 Kings 1:28-3. This will give you the whole of David's life and beginning of Solomon's ruling, which you will understand why when you see the lessons. We think this helps to tell the story, knowing the background of what happens between each lesson.                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Schedule- 5 day VBS

Schedule- 2 day/Mini-VBS

​Games- 10-15 min
Songs- 10 min
Special Music- 3 min- 
Prayer Requests/Prayer Zone- 5 min
HQ Time- 5 min
Activity Time: (30 min)
  1. Craft
  2. Story Time w/ Memory Verse Review
  3. ASL Time
Mission Time- 15 min
Prayer Warrior Q&A- 5 min
Snack time/Prize bag- 5 min

​Total running time: 1.5 hours

Memory Verse

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"I call on you, O God, for you will answer me, give ear to me and hear my prayer." Psalms 17:6

Tip: For mini-vbs, we only asked the kids to memorize where it was found. The thinking was that if they memorize that they can at least find it again.

Use same scheduling for Friday night and Sabbath School as to the left.
​
Alternate lesson option: (Mini- VBS edition)
Friday night: 
Lesson: David Anointed/David and Goliath
Craft: Use Day 2 craft (see below)
Emphasis: Prayer of Guidance/Prayer of Help and Safety

Sabbath School:
Lesson: King David and the Temple
Craft: Use Day 4 craft (see below)
Emphasis: Prayer of Praise/ Prayer of Forgiveness

Church:
Use prayer warrior script for lesson: David Prays for Solomon
No craft.
Emphasis: Prayer of Intercession
Sermon time: In our case our pastor preached a sermon on intercessory prayer after the final skit.

Lessons

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This year we decided on continuing what we did last year in that we taught the story in two different formats. At the beginning of the VBS, we had two prayers warriors introduce the prayer topic of the day. One prayer warrior was in training. They got a video from HQ or Headquarters nightly that reinforced the mission of the VBS for the evening. After the kids came back from activity time, they would receive another video from HQ that featured "David" speaking one of his Psalms. We wrote and video taped all our own materials to use. Below is a copy of the scripts for the Prayers Warriors, HQ, and then David. They are free to use.

Day 1:
David Anointed/ David and Goliath
Emphasis: Prayer of Guidance
1 Samuel 16- 17

Day 2:
David on the Run
Emphasis: Prayer of Help and Safety
1 Samuel 21- 24

Day 3:
King David and the Temple
Emphasis: Prayer of Praise
2 Samuel 6

Day 4:
David and Bathsheba
Emphasis: Prayer of Forgiveness
2 Samuel 11-12

Day 5: 
David Prays for Solomon
Emphasis: Prayer of Intercession
1 Chronicles 28- 29:10-20, 1 Kings 1:28- 3


​
This year's tag line:
We say: GOD ANSWERS
Kids say: PRAYERS!

Prayer Warrior Videos

Day 1- Prayer of Guidance
Day 2- Prayer of Help and Safety
Day 3- Prayer of Praise
Day 4- Prayer of Forgiveness
Brief example of how prayer warrior script and HQ work together. Example is from Ketchikan, sound quality is poor (sorry!)

Scripts and Videos for Prayer Warriors
davids_prayers.pdf
File Size: 191 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

prayer_warrior_scripts.pdf
File Size: 366 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

vbs_2018_hq.pdf
File Size: 140 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

In order for this all to make sense you will have to open all the scripts. The Prayer Warrior Script has dialogue for "live" actors and then shows the cues for what video to play. The HQ script and David prayers scripts are meant to be video taped separately and then edited into their appropriate videos. See the videos for examples.  

Day 5- Prayer of Intercession
We hope you have enjoyed these as much as we did it. If you find them helpful you can use them as is with full permission. Below is a filming guide if you decide to create your own
vbs_filming_schedule.pdf
File Size: 181 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


Story time

During story time which was during activity time our story tellers used resources from here:
https://freesundayschoolcurriculum.weebly.com/old-testament-lessons.html

These are the activity titles:
Day 1: Samuel Anoints David, David and Goliath
Day 2: David Spares Saul's Life
Day 3: The Ark is Brought Home
Day 4: Read straight out of 2 Samuel 11- 12, as you see fit to tell this sensitive story
Day 5: Solomon is a  Wise King

ASL Time

We added this year an additional activity, based off of the interest the previous year from the kids. We taught them Jesus Loves the Little Children in sign language. For the smaller ones we gave them some cutouts of kids to hold during the song. Then we shared the song during church time. It worked well in all formats, including during the mini-vbs.
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At story time

Registration

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Waiting at the Registration table
At the table this year we have a couple of things, our registration form (see below). And also our give away prayer warrior hand book. This booklet had all five prayers that the children learned over the week. 
registration.pdf
File Size: 361 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


Crafts

Day 1: Door hanger prayer reminders
Supplies: Cardboard circles, stickers, ribbon, hole punch, scissors, colored paper, pen/crayons, glue

Day 2: Sheep faces
Supplies: Paper plates with middle cut out, cotton balls, glue, construction paper, scissors

Day 3: Ark of the Covenant
Supplies: Template, scissors, glue
Link to template here:
(https://craftingthewordofgod.com/2014/04/22/ark-of-the-covenant/)

​Day 4: Cross bookmarks
Supplies: Form crosses, foam letters and stickers, hole punch, yarn

Day 5: Prayer hands
Supplies: Construction paper, pens, colored papers with various things to pray for on them, stapler

Music

Theme song: Whisper a Prayer

About 4 songs and then a theme song usually fills up 10 -15 minutes. It depends on if you have singers or not among the kids.

We also did Special Music each night at the beginning with On Fire for Him. If you want to know more about this ministry click here: (OFFH)
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On Fire for Him performs- Jesus Loves Me at Craig
On Fire for Him performs Jesus Loves me at Ketchikan

Games

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Day 1: Sling Shot Throw
How to: Put down three lines and a starting line. Have the kids make sling shots out of string, cups, and aluminum foil ball. See who can throw their foil ball the furthest

Day 2: True and False Game
How to: Put up signs between two objects, two walls or two chairs. One sign says "True" and the other "False". Then ask the child questions related to the topic of day or bible story of yesterday and have them run to where they think the answer is.

Day 3: Praise Game
How to: Put down lines on either end of the room. The kids line up at one end. The caller yells out something they are thankful for, if the kids are thankful for the same thing they run to the other side. The caller tries to tag them.

Day 4:  Balloon Popping Game
How to: Kids get a balloon with string to tie around their ankles. Then, they get to run around trying to pop each others balloons.  

Day 5: No game, because it was sabbath morning

Tip: After each game, have a debriefing about how the game fits the theme of the day. 


Goodies

PictureVBS team consulting on goodie bags
 Snacks: This year we requested for the church's to provide snacks. Some ideas from that were: Apples, cake, carrots, and animal crackers. And as always make sure you are aware of any food allergies.

Goodie bags: The usual brown paper bags, marked "G" for girls and "B" for boys. Inside each bag was some non-edible goodies such as a ball, small game, coloring pages, and other various items.

Prize box: Kids got prizes for learning the memory verse and for answering the nightly questions. These were usually larger items and not something found in the goodie bags. Kids got to pick what they wanted from a box. ​The things that work well here are larger items like bubbles , small games, and art supplies.


Decoration

Alas, as we look over the photos we took, we missed a very important decorated element and that was our mural of David's life. The idea was to show visually David from being a shepherd to becoming king. You'll have to use your own creativity to recreate that idea. We had a sign with it too that said Prayer Warrior: Life of David. Anyways, everything else is pretty much here. We were even shorter on VBS team members this year so our decorating was very simplified (except Ketchikan, who gracefully set us up with an elaborate Prayer Garden). We used poster showing kids praying. We had posters that said "Prayer Warrior" and also copies of the Memory Verse up. We used many prayer hands around the spaces. And, of course, streamers... what would our VBS be without them. We decided for the most part less twist and to make it look like "ribs" of a whale.  

Ta-Dah! A Prayer Warriors DIY VBS

 ​We learned a lot about prayer this year. One story from our Bethel VBS is this. A little boy’s mother told us that after he left VBS one night he told her that they had forgotten to pray in the car. This was after we had told a story about the importance of prayer. We hope we have inspired you to try your hand at your own Prayer Warrior Vacation Bible School. And as usual feel free to borrow/use material and make it your own. All our posted materials that we made are for use for free.
prayer_warrior_format.pdf
File Size: 118 kb
File Type: pdf
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prayer_warrior_format_mini.pdf
File Size: 109 kb
File Type: pdf
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As a side note: If you'd like to know more about how our VBS Trips went this year, we did a vlog each day of our travels. Click below if you'd like to watch them. 
VBS Vlogs Here

God Leads His People Theme

5/1/2017

 
PictureVBS team at Craig, AK
Our fourth year of VBS, included three locations: Bethel, Craig, and Ketchikan, AK. 

This year's theme was once again inspired by reading with our church's Bible study group which focused on Genesis. Originally the plan had included a night for Moses and Joshua (to extend our story into the promise land), but quickly it became apparent that our stars this year would be Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. This year also marked another creative inspiration that we called OT News. Want more? Read below

Lesson Inspiration

We recommend you read Genesis 12-50. Yes that is chapters not verses. This will help set up the background so that you can tell the story effectively. 

Schedule- 5-6 day VBS

​Games- 10-15 min
Songs- 10-15 min
Group time & Memory Verse- 5 min- 10 min
Craft- 15 min
(rotate for larger groups)
Activity-15 min
Lesson- 20 min
Q&A- 5 min
Snack time/Prize bag- 5 min
Total: 1. 5 hours

Lessons

PictureReporters Rebekah and Rachel at the station with roaming reporter Leah
This year we decide to present the story in two formats. The first way was in the activity where the kids got to listen to the story of the day while coloring. The second way was in the lesson time where we shared the lesson in a news story format. Each night we had three newscasters at our Old Testament News Channel (OT News) who reported on the story. The two in the studio, who set up the background for our story, and then a roaming reporter who met with the characters. Below is a copy of the scripts that we made. Feel free to use!

PictureReporter Leah interview Abraham and Sarah
Day 1: Abraham
Emphasis: God leads His people to trust
Genesis 18:1-15

This year's tag line:
We say: GOD LEADS...
Kids say: HIS PEOPLE!
PictureReporter Leah speaks with Abraham and Isaac
Day 2: Isaac
Emphasis: God leads His people to obedience
​Genesis 22:1-19

PictureJacob by the "Jacob's ladder" of his dream
Day 3: Jacob
Emphasis: God leads His people in determination
Genesis 27-28

PictureReport Leah talks to Joseph on his way to meet his brothers
Day 4: Joseph Pt. 1
Emphasis: God leads His people in faith
Genesis 37

PictureJoseph speaks from Jail to Reporter Leah
Day 5: Joseph Pt. 2
Emphasis: God leads His people to listen to His voice
Genesis 39-40

PictureJoseph leaving his palace to speak with Reporter Leah
Day 6: Joseph Pt. 3
Emphasis: God Leads His people to be strong
Genesis 41-50

Alternate scheduling option 1:
Day 1: Abraham
Day 2: Isaac
Day 3: Jacob
Day 4: Joseph Pt. 1
Sabbath School: Joseph Pt. 2
Church: Joseph Pt. 3
Alternate scheduling option 2:
Day 1: Abraham
Day 2: Isaac
Day 3: Jacob
Sabbath School: Joseph Pt. 1
Day 4: Joseph Pt. 2
Day 5: Joseph Pt. 3
We used alternate schedule 1 in Craig and Ketchikan where we didn't have six nights. At Bethel we used alternate schedule 2 as we had an extra night. This was because of our travel schedule.
vbs_scripts_2017.pdf
File Size: 228 kb
File Type: pdf
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Small Group Time

Small group time was a way to get the kids ready for the lesson of the day. We split them into 2- 3 groups with a leader to go over questions and also the memory verse in a smaller setting. It worked well. 
small_group_lesson.pdf
File Size: 185 kb
File Type: pdf
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Memory Verse

PictureMemory verse on display in the activity room








​"Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior" Psalms 25:5a - NIV

Tip: Post the memory verse in all areas so that readers can look at it in passing and also use it for memorizing the verse. 

<- Scripts for all the lesson written by the VBS team

Activity Time

PictureActivity time: Story and coloring
During the activity/lesson time our story teller borrow resources from here:
https://freesundayschoolcurriculum.weebly.com/old-testament-lessons.html
We used lesson titles: Abram Travels, Isaac, Jacob Tricks Isaac, Joseph's Brothers Sell Him, Joseph Interprets dreams, and Joseph Forgives His Brothers.
But you can also make up your own based on the story.


Registration

PicturePreparing registration
This year we had some exciting stuff such as a key ring full of characters for each night. Each key ring has the theme for the night as well as where the nightly story it can be found in the Bible. See below.

god_leads_his_people_vbs_2017__1_.pdf
File Size: 265 kb
File Type: pdf
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cards_for_printing__1_.pdf
File Size: 446 kb
File Type: pdf
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Crafts

Day 1: Memory Verse/Compass
Supplies: Paper plates, crayons, brads, arrows, stickers

Day 2: Altar
Supplies: Paper plates, tissue paper (orange and yellow), Popsicle sticks, glue

Day 3: Jacob's Ladder
Supplies: Ribbon, foam, glue (or self adhesive foam), scissors

Day 4: Coat of Many Colors
Supplies: Paper plates, cut out people, crayons, glue, construction paper pieces

Day 5: Joseph in Jail
Supplies: Construction paper, cutout or coloring page of Joseph in jail, glue, pipe cleaner, crayons
​
Day 6: Pharoah's Headdress
Supplies: Headdress cutout, crayons, scissors, staplers, strips of paper for the bands
PictureHeart string art
Bonus craft: String art
Supplies: Foam block, small nails, string, templates

Because we had extra time to fill at Bethel we threw in this extra craft rotation for fun. It was a huge hit with the kids. We used hearts and crosses for templates. We also did a little kid variation where we used a paper plate instead of foam and nails. 


Music

PictureMusic at Craig VBS
Theme song: Thy Word

And we used On Fire for Him to fill in after our main lesson time. If you'd like to know more about this ministry click here: (OFFH)

On Fire for Him performed during the week:

Games

Picture
Ball and Sheet
Day 1: Ball and Sheet
How to: Using a ball and sheet have the kids toss a rubber ball back and forth to each other
Picture
Isaac says
Day 2: Isaac says
How to: Similar to Simon says
Picture
Determination Stones
Day 3: Determination Stones
How to: Using rope build a course that the kids have to learn to jump from step to step
Day 4: Pick Joseph
How to: Similar to duck, duck, goose

Day 5: Jail Break
How to: Kids line up at one end and someone calls jail break and they try to run for the other side without getting caught. If caught they help the jailer. Last person standing is it next time.

​Day 6: Relay Race
How to: Create whatever team related relay you'd like.

Goodies

PictureFruit cups
Snacks: Fruit was the order of the day. Fruit cups worked well because then kids could pick out what they liked to eat. Apples and grapes are a hit. And of course we had some cookies. Word of caution: remember to check for food allergies.

Goodie  bags: Brown paper bags again. We decided on only putting in 3-4 items each especially at some of the locations where they had easier access to fun little items in their town.

Prize box: We used our prize box for both answering questions at the end of the night and memory verse memorizers. We had our highest number of participants this year for memorizing the memory verse.


Decoration

This year we were inspired by our studio set up for OT News. And we tried to keep everything else deserty since these stories were in the desert areas. So we decorated in the main room for the desert with a image for each night of story on the wall, except the jail which we put up the night of during the Joseph 2 story. We especially liked the "V" formation this year with the streamers. We had to get creative as we use them every year. We also like the decorative balls . We made signs for the different rooms as well such as "crafts" and "story." We made sure to post the memory verse all over and also have a couple of signs for our theme "God Leads His People."

Ta-Dah! A God Leads His People DIY VBS

We had tons of fun this year creating everything from the story lines and OT News, which was a big hit with the kids, to the activities and crafts which the kids really got into. We hope we have inspired you to try to your hand at your own variation of a God Leads His People DIY VBS.  And don't forget the materials that we have post are yours to use and make your own. 
1_god_leads_his_people_format.pdf
File Size: 121 kb
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2_god_leads_his_people_format.pdf
File Size: 124 kb
File Type: pdf
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Lost and Found Theme

5/1/2016

 
Picture2016 VBS team at Bethel, AK
Our third year of DIY VBS, was a special year as we expanded our VBS vision to include two locations: Bethel, AK and Ketchikan, AK. 

This year's theme was born out of inspiration from a program that our youth group, On Fire for Him, did at Easter time.

This included stories of lost and found sheep, coins, and people. We had a lot of fun expanding our time to include rotations between craft and a new activity time this year.

We hope you enjoy and get the chance to make your own Lost and Found VBS!

Lesson Inspiration

Luke Chapter 19 - The Parable of the Lost Sheep, Coin, and Son
Then we used parts of Jesus' story to explain how he came to find the lost (us!)

Schedule- 5-6 day VBS

​1. Games- 10 min 
2. Music – 10-15 min
3. Lost and Found Story time-5-10
4. Arts and crafts-10 min 
5. Lost and found treasure hunt- 10 min
6. Lesson 10-15 min 
7. Memory Verse- 5 min
8. Snack- 5 min (as leaving)

Lessons

For this year's lessons we decided on using a narrator and acting out the stories. The narrator read the story exactly as it is in the Bible with pauses at spots for characters to ad-lib something to the story. For example the Lost Coin is a short story in the narrative but with the narrator pausing the lady can talk about her coins. Surprisingly this was one of the favorites with the kids as our lady had them help her count the coins and then look for her lost coin. Some times it's the simple things that do the best.
Day #1: 
​Topic: Jesus as  baby
Emphasis: Magi’s search for Jesus
Matt 2: 1-12
 
Characters for reading: Narrator, 2 Magi, Herod, Mary

Day #3:
​Topic: The Lost Coin
Luke 15: 8-10

Characters for reading: Narrator, Lady

Day #5:
​Topic: Jesus' Life and Death
Emphasis: Peter’s Denial and Reinstatement (God searches for people)
Matt: 26: 31-35, Matt: 26: 69-75, John 21:15-19

​Characters for reading: Narrator, Peter, Jesus, 3 accusers 

Memory Verse

Luke 19:10- "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."- NIV

Just when we thought that the memory verses were too hard or that kids didn't memorize things anymore this year was the first rush of kids learned the memory verse.  Of course prizes never hurt!

Lost and Found Treasure Hunt

PictureSearching for items
This year one of the rotations was this activity: Lost and Found Treasure hunt.

Materials:
Objects to hide related to the story of the night
List of objects to look for

How it works:
Kids are given time to go around the room and look for the hidden objects. Readers can do it by a list and little ones can either have a buddy or be given verbal instructions.


Day #2:
​Topic : The Lost Sheep
Luke 15:1-7

Characters for reading: Narrator, Shepherd, Sheep

Day #4: ​Topic: The Lost Son
Luke 15: 11- 32

Characters for reading: Narrator, Son, Dad, Brother, 
Wild Friends

Optional Lesson:
​Topic: Jesus’ Life
Emphasis: The Good Samaritan
Luke 10:25- 37

Characters for reading: Narrator, Samaritian, Priest, 
Levite, Jew, Robbers, InnKeeper

This optional lesson came about in part because of the timing of our trip which this year we did five nights of VBS, a Sabbath School, and a church service. So we used this for our Sabbath School time.  Free feel to use or not use depending on your needs. 

Tagline:  We say: THE LOST ARE.... Kids say: FOUND!
A note on costuming: As you can see, because we are a traveling VBS our costuming is simple and easy to pack up and reusable throughout the nights. Think hats and simple props. Our most elaborate and space taking props was those sheep, yep we made those ourselves! 

Registration

PictureRegistration time
(Hint: Always use name tags!)

To make it more fun this year we had a booklet of the theme that the kids got to take home at the end of the VBS.

Below is the link to the documents. Free feel to print and use. (Tip: Print all four pages)

lost_and_found_p.1.pdf
File Size: 94 kb
File Type: pdf
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lost_and_found_p._2.pdf
File Size: 113 kb
File Type: pdf
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lost_and_found_p._3.pdf
File Size: 116 kb
File Type: pdf
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lost_and_found_p._4.pdf
File Size: 133 kb
File Type: pdf
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Lost and Found Story Time

Additional activity was a time where our pastor told a quick story related to the theme of the day.

Crafts

Day 1: Handprint Camels
Supplies: Construction paper, crayons 

Day 2: Sheep rolls
Supplies: Sheep cut outs, toilet paper rolls, glue, crayons

Day 3: Coin mobile
Supplies: Cardboard circles of all kinds, glue, glitter, paper plates, string, popsicle sticks
​
Day 4: Father's Arms
Supplies: Cutout hands and person, glue, crayons, memory verse, googly eyes                                                                                                                                                                                    Day 5: Binoculars
Supplies: 2 toilet paper rolls, string, stickers, crayons, stapler, hole punch

Optional: Good Samaritan 
Supplies: Construction paper, people cutouts, googly eyes, felt bandaids, glue, crayons

Music

Theme song: Seek Ye First

Hint: Also a great one to make up signs to.

The kids liked learning it to sing up front and we had them sing with us on sabbath during church.


And if you want to know more about the songs used by On Fire for Him (OFFH): click here

Games

We played  games at the other VBS' before just to kill some time. This year we had specific theme games. We found that letting the kids play at the beginning what they chose while we wait for others to come helped get other kids interested in coming. It gets the wiggles out. Then we'd introduce the theme game. This worked well at Bethel because they had outdoor space. It was a little harder to do at Ketchikan, so we modified the games to play indoors. ​
Day 1: Maze
 How to: Create a maze with ropes or chairs and lead kids through blind folded.




Picture
Guiding through the maze
Day 2:  Ocean Stormy
 How to: Kids lines up on a line and a person in the middle calls a color and those with that color run to the other side. Game continues as such.
Day 3: Coin search
 How to: Coins are hiding in an area and kids are given a time limit to find as many as they can. 

Day 4: Hide and Go Seek
 How to: Have the kids hide and then go seek them.

Day 5: Balloon game
 How to: Like volleyball but with a balloon
​
Optional:  Bandage the wounded
 How to: Have plenty of gauze and a volunteer (usually a VBS team member). Then time kids or teams of kids to see who can wrap the wound the fast. A leg or an arm is the best and easiest thing for kids to wrap up.



Goodies and Snacks

PictureTeam taking a break from filling goodie bags
 Goodie bags: This year we carried on the brown paper bag tradition. We found that we could use up goodies from previous years  or "leftovers" with the new stuff as we go. Anything on the small side goes (with exception of bags for the little ones). Coloring pages, bouncy balls, and glow sticks were some  of the goods this time.

Prize box: Also we had a prize box for those who answer questions at the end of the lesson and also those who memorized the memory verse. These goodies were things that didn't go into the regular bags: think bubbles, bigger balls, small games, etc.

Snacks: Cookies! Cookies! Cookies! We know healthy might be better, but these always go over well and we do mix it up with some fruit. 


Decoration

This year's decoration inspiration was lost and found beach, but as you will notice we didn't carry that all the way through. We ended up making our main room about Jesus and pointed the kids to that Jesus is looking for the lost people. In the hallway, we did our beach with found items that the kids could see while they passed by. In the craft room, we had colored pictures of the different stories. As usual with luggage space being an issue, we used streamers and deco balloons to round it all out.  The exception was Ketchikan where they were nice enough to decorate a beach scene for us so we didn't have to bring materials. 

Ta-Dah! A Lost and Found VBS

 We hope this has inspired you to try your own Lost and Found DIY Vacation Bible School. As always feel free to copy what you see here and make it your own.
lost_and_found_vbs_format.pdf
File Size: 115 kb
File Type: pdf
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Faithful God Theme

5/1/2015

 
Our second year of making aDIY VBS, we decided to be more creative and utilized an idea that we had done at church years before with our youth group. Faithful God was born out of this. Below is the information on how we did it.
Picture
2015 VBS Team on Sabbath at Bethel, AK

Lesson Inspiration

Old Testament Men and Women of Faith

More on where their stories are found is below...
Women:
Eve
Rebekah
Naomi
Rahab
Esther
Men:
Noah
Joseph
David
Daniel
Shadrach,Meshach,and Abednego

Schedule- 5 day VBS

  1. Music – 15 min
  2. Memory Verse- 5 min
  3. Arts and crafts-20 min
  4. Lesson part 1- 10-15 min
  5. Activity- 10 min
  6. Lesson part 2-10-15 min
  7. Snack- 5 min (as leaving)

Lessons

Day #1- Even when we make mistakes, God is faithful
Eve- Read Genesis 3 for ideas
​Noah- Read Genesis 6- 8 for ideas

Day #2- When our families aren't perfect, God is faithful
Rebekah- Read Genesis 24 for ideas
Joseph- Read Genesis 37, 39-42 for ideas

Day #3- When we seek God, God is faithful
Naomi- Read the book of Ruth for ideas
David- Read 1 Samuel 17 for ideas 

Day #4-No matter where we are, God is faithful
Rahab- Read Joshua 2 for ideas
Daniel- Read Daniel 6 for ideas

Day #5- When we are in trouble, God is faithful
Esther- Read the book of Esther for ideas
Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego- Read Daniel 3 for ideas

This year we started to add a daily tagline to learn within the theme. Each  tagline added to the theme for the week.

We also had the kids repeat back to us the tagline: "God is faithful". So by the end of the week we'd say "GOD IS....." and the kids would yell back, "FAITHFUL."

Church time: We added an additional lesson for sabbath school time this year. We did the story of the leper found in Luke 17:11-19. We improvised the script and then performed a song to music to emphasis the story. 

The lessons were done in two parts as shown in the schedule. We'd have the women go first each night and then the men would share. We shared the lesson in a first person monologue complete with costumes. Some examples below. The file below contains all the scripts for the women. Feel free to download and use.

women_of_the_bible.ot.program.pdf
File Size: 274 kb
File Type: pdf
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Memory Verse

Psalms 25:10 - "All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful toward those who keep the demands of his covenant." - NIV
 
or

Psalms 33:4 - "For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does."- NIV

Registration

Picture
Registration table
Registration: Name tags as usual. We add stamps for the tags for fun. We also make sure to leave all contact information with the hosting church to do follow up.  

Crafts

Day 1: Rainbow craft 
(from Noah's story)
Supplies needed: Construction paper(all colors), cottonballs, glue, stapler for putting together

Day 2: Rebekah's bucket for drawing from the well (from Rebekah's story)
Supplies needed: Paper cups, crayons, string, hole puncher, popsicle sticks, scissors

Day 3: Grain craft
(from Naomi's story)- link here
Supplies: Construction paper, glue, ribbon, scissors

​
Day 4: Lion cup
(from Daniel's story)- link here
Supplies needed: Paper cups, crayons, construction paper, googly eyes, glue, scissors

Day 5: Fiery furnace bag craft
​(from Shadrah, Meschach,and Abegnego)
Supplies needed: Paper bags, construction paper(yellow, red, orange for fire), crayons, glue, print out of Shadrah, Meschach, and Abegnego


Picture
Day 1: Rainbow craft
Picture
Day 2: Rebekah's bucket to draw water from the well
Picture
Day 5: Fiery Furnace bags

Music

Picture
Song practice
Theme song: God is so good

We had two madolins and a guitar player this year. It was tough to come up with a theme song, but this worked well. We taught the kids basic ASL to this song.

For more information our drama group On Fire for Him, click here:
Musical extras:
We are fortunate to have had many years of drama performing to music with our youth group. While not a requirement for you to do this VBS, we encourage you to use creativity and what you have on hand. So, the way we used our talents was to perform a specific song each night about the lesson. Below are some photos. 
On Fire for Him

Goodies and Snacks

Again, we chose to do a goodie bag this year. We used a wide array of items anything from the theme of the evening to generic toys like bouncy balls or crayons. We separate our bags into boys and girls bags for ease of passing them out at the end of the night.  It's also a great way to use up old kids lesson like the guide or primary treasure (which we happened to have had).

Snacks: This year we decided to go with baked goods at the suggestion of one of our team members after feedback from the children that they didn't like the crackers from the previous year. So, cookies and cupcakes it was! Feel free to try your own healthier version. 
Picture
In the kitchen

Activity Time

This year's activity time was led out by our pastor who play fun, creative games with the kids between lessons to get the kids thinking and give them a break before the next lesson.

Decoration

So right about now would be a good time to remind everyone that this is a traveling VBS team. That means not only are we limited by space but also when we fly we are restricted by baggage and weight. This is why you see lightweight items in the themes such as this year, balloons, streamers, and paper decorations. Those of you who have a stationary VBS, can afford the space to make bigger large cutouts and decorations, etc.  

Anyways, the inspiration for this year's theme was Old Testament characters so we created what we called an Old Testament marketplace. The main room was decorated with our theme saying: God is Faithful and each night we'd add a paper copy of the tagline for the night. This was a small way that we could add to decoration each night to make it different without having to add a lot more decoration like we did in a previous theme. Also we decorated the entrance with the mini-theme papers. Down the hallway we had water and boats going into the craft room. And into the craft room we happened to have had Daniel themed decorations that we hung in there. As usual, this is only limited by your imagination in how you decorate for this theme. 

Ta-Dah! A DIY Faithful God VBS

 We hope this has inspired you to try your own version of a DIY VBS Faithful God. We had alot of fun this year with the new stuff we tried. We all personally learned more about God's faithfulness to us which was timeless and invaluable. As always feel free to copy what you see here and enjoy!
faithful_god_vbs_format.pdf
File Size: 191 kb
File Type: pdf
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<<Previous

    DIY
    ​Vacation Bible School

    In 2014 the Wrangell VBS team was formed. What began as a mission trip to a remote location on a recommendation of  a friend, has become a yearly event. We have done a VBS in the following locations in Alaska: Bethel, Craig, Ketchikan, and Wrangell.

    This blog is intended to share some of the things that we have learned in creating our own VBS themes over the years. #1 it doesn't require a fancy package. #2 it is not a hard as you think #3 it can be a lot of fun.

    So we hope you enjoy our themes. You might even be inspired to DIY your own VBS. Feel free to use the materials/themes here to create you own VBS program.

    Brooke, Wrangell VBS Team Leader. 

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