Apostolic Vacation Bible School
by Susan Thomas
A new and exciting vacation Bible school (VBS) program may be just the curriculum many churches have been waiting for. The Truth Odyssey VBS (a 2018 release based on a time-travel theme) and Faith Race VBS (the 2019 race-themed release) were written by several Apostolic children’s writers and songwriters and overseen by the children’s editor and editorial division of the UPCI.
These VBS kits consist of five power-packed sessions that will share solid Apostolic truths in a fun and engaging environment where children discover God’s big story for them. Truth Odyssey lessons cover Creation, the Fall, Jesus’ birth, Redemption, and Pentecost, and Faith Race covers the faith hall of fame from Hebrews 11.
“VBS is a fun shot-in-the-arm for a children’s ministry program,” said Lee Ann Alexander, associate editor of curriculum for Pentecostal Publishing House. “Amid a busy summer where families are traveling and it may be hard to keep regularly scheduled classes on track, VBS offers a fun way to bring the whole church together and make children’s ministry a huge initiative.”
Summer is a short but powerful opportunity to reach communities with the truth of God’s Word. Churches can reach new families and continue contact with them long after VBS is over.
So, what makes these VBS programs different from dozens of others on the market? Every portion of the session is directed toward the altar service where children are encouraged to pray, seek the Holy Ghost, and build a relationship with God. There is no need to tweak the material to fit Apostolic guidelines, such as adjusting text to speak Acts 2:38 salvation or replacing art or videos to fit Apostolic guidelines. Everything is ready to use as is, written and approved by Apostolic leaders.
The material works well in any church environment. It is scalable so leaders can easily pick and choose what parts of the VBS experience they want to do based on the size of the team with options for large and small group formats, crafts, games, snacks, object lessons, and power-packed music. The Director’s Guide provides all the details for organizing your VBS, including supply lists, forms, and numerous details. The Décor Guide gives full details on setting up the theme decorations, the registration area, and the various small group rooms. Games, Crafts, and Snack Guides provide details for each respective area. A Music Guide shares lyrics, chords, and hand motions for the songs included on the CD and USB.
The Truth Odyssey kit is available at www.pentecostalpublishing.com/vbs. The kit sells for $189 and includes seven guides, advertising posters, a complimentary T-shirt (and instructions on how to order T-shirts for your team), a music CD with eight songs by Apostolic artists, and a USB drive. The USB drive provides digital copies of the guides, artwork, audio and video versions of the songs, PowerPoints, forms, and miscellaneous pieces that will help provide a well-rounded VBS experience.
For more information, contact Chris Anderson, UPCI Children’s Editor, with questions at canderson@upci.org. Watch the video clips at www.pentecostalpublishing.com/vbs.
