VBS 2014 - Arrow Island by Regular Baptist Press & Puppet Give-Away!

Today we are looking at Arrow Island 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 Arrow Island is a good "fit" for your children's ministry!

Arrow Island
Regular Baptist Press

http://www.rbpvbs.org/

1. Love God most of all - Adam and Eve - Genesis 3 - God wants people to obey Him out of love
2. Choose good friends - Jonathan and David - I Samuel 16:14-18:16; 20; 23:15-18 - God wants us to choose good friends who will help us live for Him.
3. Be kind and forgiving - David spares Saul - I Samuel 24:26 - God wants us to be kind and forgiving even when people are not kind to us
4. Stand for God - Elijah on Carmel - I Kings 18 - God wants us to be true to Him regardless of what other people do
5. Take action - Nehemiah - Nehemiah 1 - 4, 6:15; 8:1-10 - God wants us to serve Him with our whole heart

Setting – Tropical rain forest island with beautiful flowers, birds and interesting animals . . . but there is danger, too, with a swinging rope bridge, volcano and river rapids.

Message – "Children make choices every day. With Arrow Island: Choosing God's Way children will learn to make good choices and discover the importance of choosing obedience, godly friends, kindness, courage and active faith."

Focus – Evangelism, Bible content and Application
Strengths –

• As I would expect, Arrow Island has a strong evangelistic emphasis, solid Bible content, excellent mission project and great information on how to reach VBS families after VBS is over!
• Last year I said, "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." This year I am very happy to see, "Island Challenge" - I LOVE the ideas for children to go and do to live what they are learning! Excellent!
• I'm happy to see creative engagement of the kids during the Bible lesson portion of each day’s lesson again this year!
• I’m very happy to see teachers and children reading from the Bible during the Bible lessons for the Middler and Junior ages!
• 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.
• I LOVE the science stations included with each day’s lesson!
• I found the options for crafts to be varied, affordable and fun 
• 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 again.
• Love the puppet – Feathers the bird! Colorful and fun - children will love Feathers, too!
• 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!
• LOVE the Family Fun flyer filled with ideas for ways families can continue the fun and learning at home on their own "island" adventure!

Would like to see –

• Ideas to help kids serve in their own communities
• Zipper tags or something kids could take home each day to remind them of the lesson they 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 gives you a big way to once again make your point before kids leave for the day.

With Arrow Island, as Regular Baptist Press says, “Today's world is full of choices! Too often Biblical principles are separated from the choices we make. This VBS will equip your students to choose God’s way in every detail of their lives—all while exploring an island full of exciting tropical habitats!” The Bible content is solid and I’m very happy to once again see an intentional focus on helping children who are already Christians learn how to live what they learn in their everyday lives! Overall, Arrow Island is a great option for a VBS with a strong evangelism focus and solid Bible content or for a mission trip resource! Arrow Island is absolutely worth taking a serious look at it to see if it is a good “fit” for your ministry!

I am happy to say, Regular Baptist Press is making available their large, beautiful and fun puppet, Feathers, for me to give away (USA only)! If you are over the age of 18 and would like to be included in the drawing for Feathers - which will be on January 25, 2014, please comment below to let me know how choosing to follow God has changed your life; for me, this choice has brought me so much joy! Serving and following God is not a burden; rather, it is the source for joy!

In addition if you have followed on Google Friend Connect, followed by liking on facebook with the tab in the "Find us on Facebook" box ON THE BLOG or at this link (not just liking the post) and/or have followed About the Children's Department by email you will receive one entry for each of these which you have done. Plus, if you "share" this post, you'll receive another entry (please let me know if you share). This will help me be able to draw names from among people who would like to win Feathers and it gives you several ways to enter the give-away! Thank you for reading About the Children's Department and for sharing it with the people you know!