Summer means two things for most churches: summer camps and Vacation Bible School. My church is no different. Just a few weeks ago our church played host to about eighty tiny, screaming youngsters. And it was awesome!
While cleaning up, I was speaking with our new children’s pastor about how next year we’d probably adopt a newer VBS model, ditching our traditional “five-weekday sprint” for an “eight-week Wednesday night marathon.” It was in the midst of this discussion that I said, “Setting VBS up like that will make it easier to write our own curriculum, so we won’t have to buy one.”
She replied, “Totally, and with Pinterest, we won’t even need a craft guide. I mean, look around! This was all done with Pinterest.”
That’s when it hit me: Pinterest killed the VBS packet.
Who Needs a Curriculum Kit?
For years, our church spent hundreds of dollars on a VBS curriculum kit. I mean, we had to buy a kit! At least, that’s what I was always told. Where else would we get a theme, theme song, theme-based decorations/crafts/snacks, and a week’s worth of mediocre Bible lessons?
Well, I don’t know about years ago, but now the answer to that question is two words: Inter. Net.
Gone are the days when you must buy a VBS curriculum. Now, it couldn’t be easier to develop your own, especially if you plan ahead. Not only will you save money—did a couple hundred senior pastors just share this post with their staff?—but you’ll have full creative control over the program. This past year, I tried to “rewrite” our curriculum, but the curriculum was so well-tied together and yet so poorly written, that changing it would render much of it unusable, wasting the money we spent on it. (As an aside, we really didn’t want to buy one. The plan was to write our own and restructure our VBS on a totally different model. However, staff changes and other unforeseen issues forced us into a bit of a holding pattern.)
DIY VBS
Pinterest alone can give you the decorations, crafts, and snacks once you pick your theme. As for a “theme song,” if your theme is Bible-based, then a really good, lively worship song can do. And Bible lessons? Please. I won’t name any names, but the VBS kits we’ve purchased over the past few years have offered little in the way of actual ministry material. If you ever doubted the wide-spread apostasy of this current generation “moralistic therapeutic deism,” then read a VBS teacher’s guide. You’ll pretty quickly figure out where it came from.
But seriously, why do the Bible lessons have to be thinly attached to an arbitrarily-chosen, eisegetical theme? There are tons of resources—to say nothing of the Bible—that could be used to help create your actual VBS lessons. Plus, if you’ve crafted them, they’re more likely to reflect the culture, climate, mission, and vision of your church. Nothing is worse than hosting a VBS that is nothing like your regularly scheduled children’s ministry. If your curriculum is fluffy and whimsical, but your church isn’t, then you could be pulling an unintentional “bait and switch” on any family that wants to try out your church after first being introduced through VBS.
I don’t have a problem with VBS curriculum kits…except that I hate them with the fire of a thousand suns. To me, they are an unhealthy adaptation of the modern church, a crutch for an unbroken leg. If I may paraphrase the Lord’s words to Adam and Eve in the Garden, “Who told you that you needed to buy this?” I think the answer is pretty clear: the companies who make them. Go ahead and roast me in the comments, but I have a hard time believing in the noble sentiments of some of the companies who produce this drivel off as “Bible” school material in order to turn a profit.
If this post comes down to anything, let it be this: stop buying this junk. The majority of churches in the West have all they need in order to make an awesome VBS come to life, and Pinterest and the rest of the Internet can only make it simpler from here on out. Get a team together, get organized, get creative, and get back to doing ministry the way God intended: using the people of the local church to make it happen.
Do you agree about VBS curriculum kits, or do they serve a purpose? Have you ever written your own curriculum? How did you do it?
[Image via ladybugbkt via Compfight cc & NASA Goddard Photo and Video via Compfight cc]
Tade says
Well you may have come across some very bad VBS curricula but we’ve used VBS kits from Group for years and its been great. We used ATHENS this year and it absolutely rocked! I found it biblical and the children learned a lot about God’s truth (we did surveys). Big well done to all the curriculum writers at Group 🙂
Phil Schneider says
That’s great, Tade! I’m so glad that you guys found something that worked. I will say that we DID NOT use Group, so I wasn’t ranting about them.
Hey, thanks for doing awesome stuff for kids!
Wes Molebash says
I kinda love this.
And by “kinda” I mean “a lot”.
Phil Schneider says
Well, that’s awesome cause I think your art is “kinda” cool!
And by “kinda” I mean “superfreakingcrazy.”
Eric J says
I totally agree with this, way too much of children’s ministry is curriculum and DVDs.
Phil Schneider says
Exactly. I would love for churches to begin to spend money resourcing and training staff and laypeople to create for themselves.
Dan Poynter says
Our church does our own VBS–I write or co-write the skits tailored to each night’s theme which provide visual cues the teachers can use to help teach the gospel. Our pastor and children’s minister write their own lessons, ladies in the church sew costumes, the teens and adults build sets and work onstage and backstage in the skits and help in other areas. It’s a lot of work, but it makes our VBS unique and it trains the young people to serve and teaches them a variety of skill sets.
Phil Schneider says
Dan, that sounds awesome! Keep it up, bro!
Rebecca Haapanen says
I’ve been buying the curriculum and redoing everything. This year I am writing it all. Kind of scary but I’ve been writing my own Christmas programs for years….so here we go.
Thanks for your encouragement. I needed a pep talk.
Eric Dye says
Awesome! Way to go! 😀
Phil Schneider says
So cool! This is awesome! If you get discouraged, just remember: it can’t be any worse than what you’ve been PAYING for! 😀
Matthew says
There is good Biblical Content out there ( Lifeway is really great, so is Answers In Genesis) But some have good messages but not so great Bible lessons (Group). Lessons can’t just be engaging they have to get the learners to dig in too.
Phil Schneider says
I will accept Lifeway, but Answers in Genesis…that’s debatable.
I’m not sure what point you’re making here, Matt. “Good messages but not so great BIble lessons”? Are you saying that many curriculums are just moralistic bits of garbage? Then, I agree.
As far as having learners “dig in,” I’m confused. As a teacher, we use the term “engaging” to refer to lessons that grab the learners attention so that they will “dig in.” Not sure what you’re arguing with there.
I’m in a really combative mood today, Matt. Sorry. If I sound like a jerk, it’s because I am one.
Tiffany Herridge says
This has to be one of the best vbs articles I’ve ever read. I was looking up VBS ideas to *cough* steal ideas for my own and this blog popped up.
I will definitely be sharing this article with my pastors, whom by the way are unsure if its a good idea to make your own vbs, but with lots of Jesus, prayer and pinterest, I know we can do it.
So I think you sir and your humorous yet insightful and absolutely true blog.
Phil Schneider says
Thanks for all the kind words, Tiffany. Good luck in creating you’re own VBS, but don’t be surprised if ChurchMag has something to offer in that vein later this spring. 😉
Caleb Ogle says
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!
I know this post is way old by now, but it still holds true! Our very first VBS at my church 3 years ago, we HAD to write everything because we were not given a budget of any kind. We had everything donated and only spent about $300 total for the entire event. Some curricula cost $300 just by themselves!!
The next two years, we purchased kits and ended up changing about 75% of what was in them to start with. I only used one or two of the songs they provided, and didn’t use any of the Bible Lessons. Needless to say, we opted with writing our own again this year. I write the entire curriculum for our church, but I feel like it DOES reflect our congregation better when it is made “in-house” and not having to be adapted from someone else’s imagination and calling. I have had some fear about having to write another VBS….. I am a multimedia guru, so my biggest fear was not being able to make the kind of graphics that you can purchase. The solution? I spent 5 hours researching how to make and work with vectors. In the last 6 hours, I have finished almost all of the graphics we need for our VBS and they are just as good (if not better) than what you buy in a kit! THANKS FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT!
For anyone else reading this article after me: WRITE, WRITE, WRITE!! The benefits FAR outweigh the time it takes.
Phil Schneider says
Caleb, this is awesome! So glad that you found this post encouraging! Keep up the good work. Faithful investments to the kingdom always pay off.
Tom says
I have to agree somewhat though I think the kits have their place, if they are done well. We used kit this year, and my wife and I taught one of the lessons. In looking at the content, there was way more there than could ever have been done in the 20 min we had to teach each class. Not sure if that was on purpose, and they expect you to adjust, but like others, I ended up re-writing or re-organizing the lesson myself, and it was great (IMHO). It was, however, nice to have a starting point, which is where a kit could come in handy to those who need that jumping off point.
Thru my experience with this and other kits, I was actually considering starting my own… but after reading this article, might have to re-think things. 🙂
Phil Schneider says
There are some kits that are decent. I think you should start your own. That’s the issue: corporations make these kits but they are too far removed from ministry in the trenches, so if you make one, you’ll already be leaps and bounds ahead of those guys.
Thanks for the comment!
Tom says
I should have clarified that I was thinking of selling them as well, and I believe there is a place for well done kits. Many that I have seen come with so much extra stuff. We had way more than we used, and many times, since each teaching group was given control over their lesson time, much of the extra stuff was forgotten. I think a bare bones “starting point” kit would be very useful to those who either don’t have the time to organize their own, don’t want to, or simply need a starting point. I know in our church there are few who could coordinate such a task due to the above mentioned reasons.
Phil Schneider says
I’ve been thinking the same thing. A barebones kit could offer a framework without the bloat for a reasonable price.
Karin says
Last year, when I took over VBS, I made it clear to the church council that if we bought a kit, I wouldn’t do it. I’ve taught VBS with the idiot-kits for years. Far too much material, far too watered down ministry, and everything is basically written for 2nd grade. It’s too high-level for younger kids, and too babyish for the older kids.
With a self-done curriculum, teachers have ownership of their content. Our Arts&Crafts person has totally bloomed! We didn’t know she had these skills! AND, with a self-written curriculum, a church can tailor it year by year. We don’t have a music person this year, so we changed it to a theater program. We added a family dinner time which leads to family worship before VBS. Worked great, and made evening VBS far more manageable for working families (and trust me, it doesn’t cost nearly as much as you’d think, and all the retired moms love being in the kitchen—50% of our volunteers want to be in the kitchen).
Next year, I’m hoping to re-think the Sunday-Thursday model we’ve used for forever. VBS makes for a killer week.
Phil Schneider says
Karin, this sounds awesome! So glad that you’ve found some success for your church and volunteers in doing what works best in your context! So awesome!
T.T. says
I wish I had read this a year ago.
I took over for the previous children’s director suddenly last November, which suddenly made VBS my baby. I knew I didn’t like Group. Their lessons were watered down, meaningless, and exactly as you said, the cost! Ridicules! I was planning on buying (because it was basically a creed to do so) and modifying like crazy, until I got the inspiration for our own VBS. I’ll admit, it was driven by the idea, not my intention to do a better VBS program. I think I managed to though.
I wish I had had this article to accompany me through the period of writing and doing the VBS. While my children’s committee supported me, several church members criticized my decision to write a curriculum and expected it to fail. In that regard, VBS was a draining and negative experience for me. I had so many similar thoughts as this blog, and I kept thinking it can’t be that crazy to write our own. I saved about $1500 from previous years, the kids got the opportunity to make unique and personal crafts, I limited the amount of material to prevent overwhelming them, a lot of good things!
I’m writing again for this year. If I get doubts again, I’ll probably pull this out.
Phil Schneider says
TT, I’m so sorry to hear that you had a tough year with VBS. I hope this year goes better for you. I’m proud of you for daring to do something different. Don’t give up. You’re investing in the Kingdom. That’s what matters most.
Faith Formation says
I am in my first year working on the VBS program. I am a very frugal person to begin with and I grew up with a mother who was a hoarder and a shopper. I got to a point with all of her stuff that I actually would go “shopping” going through the things she already had. SOOOO….I landed a job of a lifetime and the person I replaced was and still is a shopper and a hoarder. I arrived in time to work with the VBS program and after the fact learned the amount of money she spent for the program and excessive supplies. The church I work for has no money and I promised the council that I would not dig the debt hole any deeper. This year, I would like to use what I already have. The only problem I am having is that this person I replaced is telling me that if I use an older program, I need to get permission for copyrights, etc., which would make it cost more in the long run. So, this is my question, if I am able to use an older VBS program, where would I have to get copyright permissions if I am not making copies or unnecessary ones of anything and what about the music? I would not be reselling anything either. I am merely using what I already have without breaking the bank.
Phil Schneider says
I have never heard of such a practice. What does the copyright message inside the booklet say? I can’t imagine its a “one-time” use deal. There may be a warning about making copies out of the leaders’ or kids’ books, but that’s because they want to sell more copies, and I generally ignore those.
Faith Formation says
I never was told about any of it until I came here. I am sure there are such rules, but the only person who keeps hounding me about it is the person that I replaced. She also is a bit of a control freak and still tries to get what she wants. All I really know is that there are A LOT of extra crafts and what not sitting in closets taking up space. There are also big tote boxes full of things that are basically collecting.
According to what I have found in some of the books, as long as the church was the original purchaser and I am not going to use it for more than what it was intended for, permission is granted. The catch comes with the music. I have binders full of copies of music. I also have CD’s that contain the music that would be played during VBS. I do not intend to make copies of either or sell them, etc. The only intention is to play the music, have the kids learn it, and then present it to friends and family at a one night program about what they learned at VBS. I would simply like to know if I can use what I have and not pay for only using the program for its intended purpose.
Phil Schneider says
This sounds SUPER unhealthy, and I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that. I can almost guarantee that the music and curriculum, if purchased together, are fine to reuse. Even if there is some SLIGHT technicality, every other church in the USA would have been in violation at some point, wether with VBS or Christmas program stuff. Just do it.
Now, as far as this control freak, are they on the sideline, out of ministry? Did they get fired? If so, talk to your lead pastor, your board, and get some council on how to deal with them, or if you just can’t handle it at this stage, as them to step in for you.
If they’re still on the ministry team but in a different area, talk to your lead about clarifying (for the both of you) what your responsibilities are. However, if you can do this in love with boldness, since they’ve already crossed some lines, stand up to them and, respectfully, tell them to stay in their lane. This is where you’re serving, by the grace and calling of God, and they need to let you learn and do for yourself. Of course, if this person IS your lead or a supervising pastor, you’re going to want to take a step back and find the most cautious and respectful way to broach this.
Does all this make sense?
Faith Formation says
I totally understand what you are saying. Most people I work with here know she is a control freak. I was given that information shortly after I arrived, but I could also tell on my own almost instantly. I have also found information that people don’t realize that I know about how the pastor of this church also thinks of her as the best thing other than Jesus Himself. She is still here in the ministry which makes my job that much harder. I have told her off a few times, yet she treats me like dirt. She also has tried to tell me that I am wrong about people’s behaviors. I am actually smarter about behaviors than she knows. It is all very complicated actually. The whole community is tough, though. I often feel like I am in a time warp.
Phil Schneider says
How long have you been here at this church? Because this situation sounds pretty bleack.
Heather says
I’m a brand new, volunteer VBS director. I have a love/hate relationship with VBS curriculum (Group specifically). We’ve had to edit out so much stuff to fit out VBS model and some incredibly culturally insensitive material. That said….we have a seemingly successful 400+ kid VBS with 100+ volunteers each day. I’ve been in prayer about our VBS and have a few ideas. I’m getting some inspiration from the good Lord above. But completely changing something that is “successful” just for the sake of change will not go well in our church. With COVID and everything going on we’ve had to adapt this year. I’m guessing we’ll have to adapt next year. So I feel like this is God opening a door for positive change.
Do you have any experience with having each age level doing the same story year after year but have different stories and lessons at each level? Judging by our registration, most of our kids either come from our church or have their own church home. So our demographic really needs meatier material.
Along with that, do you have any experience with a mobile, outreach summer VBS that travels to different areas?
Phil Schneider says
Hey, Heather. Sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner.
I don’t have any experience with a mobile set-up. Sorry.
I feel like most “professional” curricula uses the same stories every year. What I think might be better for you is to develop themes that you cover each year, but explore in increasing depth, grade by grade, year by year. You could then change out the stories so that it all still seems fresh.
Does that make sense?
Tom says
Hi Heather,
I am curious as to what you consider “culturally insensitive material” in the VBS curriculums. not trying to start a debate (and won’t), but just interested. I have never used Group’s stuff in the past.
Phil Schneider says
Well, I don’t want to speak for Heather, but I’ve seen multiple curriculum sets with skits that play upon cultural stereotypes for laughs. Some are just ignorant, but I’ve seen several that border on minstrelsy.
Tom says
Wow. Interesting. Especially for a church skit. All the more reason, I guess, to do your own thing.
And funny fact: it has been almost 4 years exactly since my last comment here lol (June 28, 2016). How time flies!
Heather says
I’m a brand new, volunteer VBS director. I have a love/hate relationship with VBS curriculum (Group specifically). We’ve had to edit out so much stuff to fit our VBS model and some incredibly culturally insensitive material. That said….we have a seemingly successful 400+ kid VBS with 100+ volunteers each day. I’ve been in prayer about our VBS and have a few ideas. I’m getting some inspiration from the good Lord above. But completely changing something that is “successful” just for the sake of change will not go well in our church. With COVID and everything going on, we’ve had to adapt this year. I’m guessing we’ll have to adapt next year. So I feel like this is God opening a door for positive change.
Do you have any experience with having each age level doing the same story year after year but have different stories and lessons at each level? The children would “graduate” through the program in a sense. Judging by our registration, most of our kids either come from our church or have their own church home. So our demographic really needs meatier material.
Along with that, do you have any experience with a mobile, outreach VBS that travels to different areas?