VBS 2016 - Barnyard Roundup from Concordia Publishing & Give-Away!

Today we're looking at Barnyard Roundup from Concordia Publishing House which came in third place in this year's review! Concordia calls on children to discover how, "Jesus is at work through us!"

Barnyard Roundup

Concordia Publishing House

http://vbs.cph.org/default.asp

1. Jesus cares, now and forever! - Jesus is the Good Shepherd - John 10
2. Jesus provides, now and forever! - Jesus fed 5,000 people - Mark 6 & John 6
3. Jesus leads, now and forever! - Jesus told about a sower - Matthew 13
4. Jesus forgives, now and forever! - Jesus told about a lost son - Luke 15
5. Jesus is our Savior, now and forever! - Jesus appared to Mary in the garden - John 20

Setting – On the farm

Message – "At Barnyard Roundup, teach children Jesus, our Savior, gathers us together as a good shepherd gathers his flock!"

Strengths –

• Barnyard Roundup has a strong evangelistic emphasis
• Excellent, creative and engaging lessons which do a tremendous job of engaging children in the Bible adventures.
• I especially love the second part of each Bible lesson where children talk in teams about the lesson, what it means and how they live it - excellent!
• I LOVE the "Bible Challenge" station – LOVE how children focus on God's saving Word, learning it, understanding it and living it in their everyday lives!
• Strong focus on the Bible and getting the kids into it!
• Director’s book is easy to understand and covers almost everything you need to know as you plan, prepare and present your VBS
• Love the "Daily Encouragement" ideas which connect with each day's point . . . you can use these with your volunteers during VBS!
• Excellent and complete safety info - all publishers should include the info Concordia does!
• I LOVE the focus on helping children think of how they can serve God in many ways!
• One of the best - most complete - director's books!
• LOVE the focus on caring for and encouraging volunteers - excellent!
• I am glad the student CD also includes a DVD of the songs - I'd still like to see more children of different races on the DVD and NO teens.

Would like to see –

• More enthusiasm in the open/closing – object lessons, games, science projects, stunts – something to capture the children’s attention and get them thinking!
• More craft ideas - especially inexpensive ideas which do not require craft kits.
• While there are some activities to help children take what they learned out of the church and live it in their everyday lives, every day, I'd like to see a stronger focus on specific things children will do each day to live what they learned.
• Information on how to involve special needs children in the VBS - I'd like to see ideas spread throughout the curriculum.

Concordia says, "In Barnyard Roundup, children explore Psalm 23 and five Bible events which show Jesus, our savior, is always with us, cares for us, provides for all our needs, leads us, forgives and protects us, now and forever!" 

If you are looking for a VBS with a strong evangelistic focus and a focus on challenging children who are believers; all with a theme which is thoroughly woven through each part of the day, take a good look at Camp Discovery! Concordia did an excellent job with Barnyard Roundup!

I'm very happy to say Concordia is making one of their starter kits available 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 the starter Kit - which will be on February 3, 2016, please comment below to share how God has led you or provided for you lately. For me, I am amazed at how God has led me to serve with the Legacy Coalition!

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 the starter kit 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!