Well, as we enter my second week of VBS reviews, today I'm happy to announce my fifth place VBS for 2012 . . . Bugzone from Regular Baptist Press! RBP did a great job with the content and substance of this VBS resource - if you are not familiar with their materials and have never taken a close look at them in the past, this year is a great year to make a change and consider if BugZone is a good "fit" for your children's ministry!Bugzone
Regular Baptist Press
- Changed: Joshua – Numbers 13;14; Deuteronomy 31; Joshua 1-3 – God’s presence and power give us courage and strength to obey Him!
- Changed: Gideon – Judges 6-7:23 – God can change us to be servants who are ready to do His will!
- Changed: Naomi & Ruth – book of Ruth – God’s love for us gives us joy no matter what happens to us!
- Changed: Zacchaeus – Luke 19:1-10 – Our obedience is evidence of God’s transforming power in us!
- Changed: Saul of Tarsus – Acts 9:1-25 – God’s message of salvation should be shared with everyone!
Setting – the BugZone in the great outdoors
Message – kids discover God’s power to transform their lives and learn they can respond with love, trust, courageous obedience and then thank Him, call on Him and tell others! Get your kids outside this summer and help them discover God’s power to transform their lives as they learn about some bugs which “change”!
Focus – Evangelism, Bible content and Application
Strengths –
- As I would expect, BugZone has a strong evangelistic emphasis, solid Bible content, excellent mission project and great information on how to reach VBS families after VBS is over!
- I’m very happy to see more creative engagement of the kids during the Bible lesson portion of each day’s lesson!
- I’m very happy to see teachers and children reading from the Bible during the Bible lessons!
- I especially love the “Decision Time” and “Apply it Now” portion of each lesson. Focus is given each day for Evangelism and Application for kids who are already Christians. I would like to see a more intentional and stronger focus on specific things for kids to go and “do” before they return the next day to live what they learned, but there is a definite focus on application this year; the activities connect well and do a good job of reinforcing the daily point!
- Strong, intentional focus on providing children the opportunity to make the decision to get saved in each day’s lesson.
- Once again, I am so happy to see a science station included with each day’s lesson – I love the activities kids do before their lessons begin to help them focus on the point of the lesson!
- I found the options for crafts to be varied, affordable and fun – I’d love to see the foam crafts provided with adhesive backs – this would make them much more kid/vbs friendly!
- This year there are big improvements in the area of music – I still would like to see a bit more “pep” and possibly more original music – but you have the option to use music with a piano track or instrumental track.
- Love the puppet – Bugzi – very fun including the caterpillar and the butterfly!
- Great craft book with an abundance of affordable ideas!
- Very complete director’s book – especially appreciate the info on engaging children with special needs and the thorough way it covers screening volunteers and safety!
Would like to see –
- ideas to help kids serve in their own communities
- As mentioned, I’d like to see a more intentional and stronger focus on specific things for kids to go and “do” before they return the next day to live what they learned.
- As mentioned, I’d like to see craft kits include foam pieces with adhesive backs
- And, as mentioned, I’d like to see a bit more “pep” in the music – maybe they could get someone like Rob Biagi to write the songs for them.
- Music CD’s at a reduced price so children could have their own copy
- Zipper tags or something kids could take home each day to remind them of the lesson their learned and what they are going to do to live it
- resources for churches which do not use the classroom model – Bible lessons in a book for a Bible lesson station and a station with object lessons/science projects/activities – this would provide more options and make the materials easier for churches to use
- More excitement in the opening and closing – this is a great place for object lessons/science projects and give you a big way to once again make your point before kids leave for the day.
As Regular Baptist Press says, “BugZone: Transformed by Our Big God challenges students to respond to God's wonderful love with love, trust, and courageous obedience. The BugZone theme verse expresses the desires of a person whose life has been transformed by God to thank Him, call upon Him, and tell others about Him.” While I’m not personally a huge fan of bugs, RBP did a great job with the setting and tying it in to every aspect of their VBS. The Bible content is solid and I’m very happy to see a more intentional focus on helping children who are already Christians learn how to know, trust and walk with Jesus in their everyday lives! Overall, Bugzone is a great option for a VBS with a strong evangelism focus and solid Bible content or for an outdoor event and mission trip resource! BugZone is absolutely most certainly worth taking a serious look at it to see if it is a good “fit” for your ministry!
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