VBS 2017 - Group Publishing - Passport Peru - I'm Giving Away One Peru VBS USB Flash Drive!

Today I'm happy to share a VBS I really enjoyed reviewing; Group's Cross Culture VBS . . . Passport to Peru! With this resource you get to take children and families from your church to another culture in a different location somewhere in our world - in this case, Peru - so they may "experience" life in this place and see God in the faces of Christian children from Peru!

Cross Culture VBS - Passport to Peru

Group Publishing

https://www.group.com/category/ministry-resources/childrens-ministry/vbs/passport-to-peru.do

1. God gives us comfort - God is our Good Shepherd - Psalm 23
2. God gives us patience - Simeon & Anna waited for the Messiah - Luke 2
3. God gives us peace - Jesus calmed the wind and the waves - Mark 4
4. God gives us love - Jesus died and came back to life - Luke 22-24
5. God gives us joy - Paul and Silas praised God while in prison - Acts 16

Setting – The country of Peru

Message – "Hike cloud-shrouded ruins of Machu Picchu. Savor exotic flavors of the Amazon. Hear what daily life is like from kids in Peru. Immerse kids in this vibrant culture where they discover God’s good gifts for us all." 

Focus – Evangelism, Application, Content

Strengths –

• I love the creative and engaging Bible lessons - excellent job of engaging children in activity and discussion throughout each lesson!
• I am really happy to see "Huddle & Prayer" time for the leaders before they begin the activities with their small groups. It is powerful for children and families to see their leaders pray for them before they begin!
• I LOVE how Passport to Peru provides time in the Opening Celebration for children to share their "God Sightings" from the day before - excellent!
• KID-VID Stories - are excellent and give children an opportunity to "meet" children from Peru!
• I found the options for crafts to be unique, interesting and fun!
• I love the Openings/Closings - full of energy, excitement and engagement of children! 
• I really liked the songs this year - came close, very close to choosing it as my Top Pick for music, but there are too many teens singing - not as much as last year, so I do see improvement. The songs with the children singing are by far better than the ones with the teens.

Would like to see –

• Ideas to help children serve in their own communities.
• I was hoping I'd see teachers and children reading from the Bible during the Bible lessons and would love to see this next year
• A more affordable “basic” kit option for churches on a very tight budget
• Again this year there are far, far, far too many gadgets and items in this VBS which were made in China. I have significant concerns about child/slave labor for anything made in China and would like to see Group source these items from other places.
• While on a whole there were children singing in the DVD, there are teens who tend to "over-exaggerate" their smiles and motions and end up looking out of place and "fake". I'd like to see Group just have children on the DVD and stop using older singers.

Group says, "God loves the entire world. God sent His Son as a gift of love for people - people who speak English, Mandarin, Spanish, Quechuan, Thai, Norwegian, Hindi and Farsi. God didn't want to be separated from people - people who wear jeans, saris, kimonos, ponchos and kilts. God wants a relationship with people - people who eat sushi, coconuts, tacos, lefse, curry and croissants. With Cross Culture VBS, you'll get to share the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of one unique culture with the children in your community, while helping them discover God's eternal love for the world. As a result, you'll create confident, faith-filled children who understand the power of Jesus' love in a diverse world." 

I found Passport Peru to have all the "comforts" of Group with its design and format, but a unique "flavor" with the way it takes children "cross culture" and gives them the opportunity to become familiar with life in Peru. If you are looking for a VBS with a solid and strong focus on God's Word and Missions, definitely take a good look at Passport Peru! If you are looking for a VBS which is just something different, definitely take a good look at Passport Peru!

I'm very happy to say, since the kit I received for review included the Digital resource, I'm going to give the Digital USB Flash Drive with all the curriculum on it for you to use in your ministry - USA only! If you live in the USA, are over the age of 18 and would like to be in the drawing for this Peru VBS USB Flash Drive, which will be on January 29, 2017, please comment below to let me know what you think is one of the most amazing discoveries about God's love - for me it has to be how big it is! He loves more more than anyone, His love never ends and I can trust Him and His love.

In addition, you will receive additional entries if you have followed on Google+, Google Friend Connect, followed by liking on facebook with the tab at this link (not just liking the post) and/or have followed About the Children's Department by email. For each of these which you have done you will receive one entry. In addition, if you "share" this post, you'll receive an additional 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 Peru VBS USB Flash Drive and it gives you several ways to enter this giveaway!