How to Write Your Own VBS Piecing Together Curriculum

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How to Write Your OwnVBS

• Piecing Together Curriculum
• Written by N.H. Beaman

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Elements

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

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Five Point Lesson Outline

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

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For Example

• Using Gods Plan of Salvation
• All Have Sinned
• The Cross
• Asking Forgiveness
• The Promise of Eternal Life
• Growing In Christ

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Another Example

• Using a Five Point Sermon Outline
• Come to Jesus
• Jesus Cares
• Thank and Praise Jesus
• Serve Jesus
• Trust Jesus

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Some Sample Stories

• Using Gods Plan of Salvation
• Adam and Eve- Genesis Chapter 2 and 3
• The Road to Emmaus, Luke 2413-35
• Jesus and the Samaritan Woman, John 44-42
• Jesus in the Vineyard, John 14 1-14
• Peters Letter- 1 Peter 113-25
• Using a Five Point Sermon Outline
• Bartimacus, Luke 1835-43
• The Last Breakfast- John 211-14
• The Ten Lepers, Luke 1711-19
• The Feeding of the 5,000, Mark 630-44
• The Storm- Mark 435-41

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Stories can be told by

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

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Memory Verses

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

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Some Examples

• For example one- Gods Plan of Salvation
• Romans 323
• 1 John 17 (shorten)
• Proverbs 2813 (paraphrase)
• John 146
• John 831
• Example two- Five Point Sermon Outline
• Psalm 11918
• 2 Corinthians 98 (shorten)
• Colossians 315 (paraphrase)
• 1 Corinthians 919 (shorten)
• Psalm 628 (shorten)

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Memory Verses can be taught through

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

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Music

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

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Themes

• Once you have chosen your music you may want to
  consider your theme, as music styles will some
  times dictate a mood.
• Some themes to think about- safari, Bible times,
  castles, islands or nautical, road trips or race,
  sports, spy, pirate, cartoon, space, future,
  country or pioneer, zoo, circus, ice, fire, camp,
  adventure, occupational, survivor, reality tv,
  movies, hobbies, board games, science, animal,
  prehistoric

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Games

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

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Crafts

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

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A few tips

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

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Life Application

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

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

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Objectives and Learning Activities

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

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

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8 steps to Practical Life Application

• Relate passage to the whole scripture
• Relate each lesson to the students life
• Use real illustrations from modern life
• Use positive role models from scripture
• Identify role models in modern life
• Solve problems
• Point out how facts relate to each other from the
  lesson
• Point out the Biblical principle or truth

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Snacks

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

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Missions and Service Projects

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

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Conclusion

• Do not be so consumed with the activities as to
  disregard the message.
• VBS is a evangelistic focused out reach for
  children
• Strive to share the gospel message in each
  element of your program
• Above all tell, show, and share the love of God
  this year at VBS to your community.