I’ve heard of the Go Fish guys a few times, but didn’t know much about them. This year they sent me a copy of their VBS to review. What I found impressed me in many ways. “Backstage With the Bible” is a rock concert theme that will connect very well with kids in our American Idol culture.
Here are my review notes from this Vacation Bible School program. I would love to hear your comments about the theme, especially if you have used their music in your church. Just leave a comment below. For more information, be sure to check out their official website and YouTube channel.
High Energy Music
The first thing that impressed me about this VBS was the quality of the music. This program is built around several popular songs that the Go Fish Guys have been performing for years. This gives them a real advantage over other publishers who are forced to composed original VBS songs to fit a predefined theme. The music in this VBS is the same music that families flock to see at their Go Fish Guys concerts.
Excellent Supporting Media
The DVD that comes with this curriculum will bring the concert experience to your VBS. Each song video includes concert footage, fun animations, and real kids leading the choreographed dance movements.
Clear Gospel Focus
Sometimes the Gospel message gets lost in all the creative theme elements in a traditional Vacation Bible School. That is definitely not the case with this VBS. The teaching focus clearly moves the children through the basics of a Gospel outline. Here is a look at the daily themes:
- Day #1 Superstar: God made you in HIS image (Psalm 139:14)
- Day #2 Ten Commandments: Are you good enough? (Romans 3:23)
- Day #3 The Cross: Find out what Jesus did for you (John 3:16)
- Day #4 Saved: Saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8)
- Day #5 Go Fish: Share the Good News! (Matthew 4:19)
Bible Saturated Teaching
Another strong point for this VBS is the amount of biblical content contained in each lesson. They have included far more Bible teaching in their lessons than in the typical Vacation Bible School. “Putting the Bible back into Vacation Bible School” is more than a marketing phrase. If you want meaty Bible content, this one won’t disappoint.
Simplicity
This VBS curriculum has all the normal activities including music, bible lessons, snacks, crafts, and games. One major difference is the intentional focus on simplicity. They don’t load you down with dozens of options, instead it’s all focused on having fun & sharing the Gospel. The directions in their manuals are very clear and to-the-point.
Concerns
With any new or self-published VBS some aspects will not measure up to the big budget publishers. One thing that seemed lacking with this theme was the preschool curriculum. I would like to see more preschool specific learning activities included. This is a small concern if you have experienced preschool leaders, but an 11 page preschool manual may be too simple for some churches.
Other churches may be uncomfortable with this theme for cultural reasons. The style of music and emphasis on dancing may put off some culturally conservative congregations. Without qualification, this VBS is using rock & roll to connect children with the Gospel. If that fits your ministry approach you will love it. But churches that are shy about accommodating pop culture will like this curriculum.
My Video Review of this VBS Theme
In just under three minutes, I unpack the starter kit they sent to me. You can watch it below or check out my Go Fish Guys VBS review on YouTube.
Back Stage with the Bible Video
Need More Ideas? Then browse our 2010 VBS reviews or find planning tips for Vacation Bible School.
Need More VBS Help? Then read my tips for planning Vacation Bible School. You can also browse all our VBS 2010 theme reviews.
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{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
dear bro.tony kummer,
i just wanted to extend my gratitude 4ur kind heart to make me include as one of your subscriber.the tools and lessons you sent me wer really a great help im already using it weakly on my sunday school class.i can now also deligate teaching tasks to the youth.your material is really a great help.God will abundantly bless you for your unwavering service to Him.im praying for you.God Bless you….
We are doing “Backstage” in August 8-12th. Am very excited about this new VBS! I love the music! Would love to see pics of how everyone decorated. Please e-mail me some pics I’m on Facebook Thanks so much God Bless!!! Grace
I just ordered Backstage with the Bible for our VBS. I am really excited as are all of our children. Just a note: we have in years past decorated a different room for each of the stories on the Sat. before and torn each down at the end of the night. So by the end of the week everything was put back together without alot of work.
I’m really interested in doing this VBS for this year, although I’m a year late! Does anyone have any pictures of your vbs, to get ideas on decorating and crafts? I agree with Pat about having to change the bible story room for each day. We usually just decorate once!
Is anyone else doing the newer one? I think this one sounds more interesting than the newer one. (my opinion – my husband loves the newer one!) Any ideas, info would be appreciated.
In my podcast with Jamie (the Go Fish guy) he says to do Backstage first.
I am reading some of the comments above and am concerned about the lack of preschool curriculum. Are there any suggestions or comments on that. I realize that most of these posts are coming up on a year old but hope I can get some answers.
As well, any of you who have used this curriculum do you have any decorating ideas!!! PLEASE…we have always the sanctuary decorated and then each class room has a theme. Like the snack room may be a diner one year or a snack bar at a movie theater one year and a tiki hut the year the theme was beach related. The missions room has been a beach boardwalk, or I think a glacier one year. I see here that the sanctuary is to be like back stage at a concert – yet the ‘bible study room’ is to be decorated in a different theme each night. This sounds a bit hard to get done. We had used curriculum that had the rotations for each age group yet each age group had their own ‘bible study’ almost like a home room that the lead teacher was there at the beginning like a first period when the praise and worship opening was ‘homeroom’ and then after the bible study – period one they would change classes and then at the end come back to bible study to wrap up the lesson of the day. If I understand the little bit of this curriculum, the rotation sites include just one bible study that a teach would teach to teach age level as they rotate into that room and that is the one room that changes every day with the theme of the lesson. Can anyone speak to this? This is going to require much work and help if there is to be a ‘backdrop’ change every day – but hopefully it is only in one room! Apologies for having this as a post and a reply in a few spots – but since everything is old not sure how many people view this currently and how best to get replies.
I like this v.b.s theme because it gives more teachings about the bible. Most v.b.s are about the food and crafts and less on what counts the most TEACHING ABOUT JESUS.. I hope this will help someone else.
Sherry Vanzant
We just got their DVD “Let’s Sing” and I have to say, I’m very impressed. Solid and fun. I especially like that it’s three guys doing the singing. Good role modeling for our boys. They have a great books of the Bible song we’re using in our “How to Use my Bible” Series.
We are using the Go Fish VBS curriculum this year and I am looking for game ideas, especially for the last two nights. The whole curriculum is great, but I wish there were some game suggestions. Thanks for any help.
Here are some easy game ideas from our website. Most will work great for VBS.
I agree with the reviewer that there is simply not enough preschool content! I was just given the material for our VBS later this month and panicked!! I have spent hours online looking for preschool activities and craft and song options to go along with the Bible stories.
Has anyone who has used the material any ideas for me?
How/where do I as a Canadian purchase this curriculum? It sounds and looks wonderful!
We are excited to Backstage with the Bible this summer for VBS. I would love game suggestions from anyone who has done this VBS.
We are so excited to be planning a Go Fish VBS this year. The music is awesome and I know the kids (and adults) will love it. I love the simple and so important message in the daily lesson that will help us all get back to the Bible basics. My question is for those of you who have already done this is..do you have some good ideas for crafts that were a hit with your VBS? Any advice is appreciated! Thanks and God Bless You!
Best VBS we have ever had!!!! Our kids loved the music and parents report that they still listen to it. They loved to sing and dance. The older kids really loved it. The lessons are simple and gospel centered. We loved this program and can’t wait for the next Go Fish Curriculum!
Decoration—-put black paper on walls and put cd’s on them with cut out pictures from the downloads, paint boxes to look like speakers—get blowup guitars and blow up microphones to hang up or use as props. Hang metallic stars from ceiling of rooms. Lots of fun!
We used the Go Fish VBS last year and it was a HUGE hit! We LOVE their music and have done their songs at all of our previous VBS’. They are very down to earth and really relate to the the older kids that attend. Sometimes the “corny” characters of other VBS’ turn the 4th-6th graders off. We had yo go back to another publisher for this year but can’t wait until their next VBS in 2011! If you’re tired of doing the same-old-thing this is the VBS for you!
We have just decided to try the Go Fish VBS this year. Any suggestions? We are really pumped about the music and brining the bible back to Vacation Bible School and to the hands of our youth. I am hoping we can hear of a concert nearby.
Sue, this is the best VBS! If you need any suggestions, let me know. We had a great time with this.
Question – is there a daily student curriculum? This sounds great but am wondering how the lessons go other than music.
thanks for any help!!
Hi, Darla –
I just saw your post from last year that you used the BAckstage with the Bible for VBS. We are planning on using it this year.
Can you give me any suggestions? or do you have pics of the crafts and decorations you used? thank you so much and many blessings to your ministry!
We are planning a Go Fish VBS this year and are very excited to have them coming for a concert on the last night of our VBS! I am interested to hear some of what others are planning for decorations, crafts and games. Also, I’ve looked for other forums where people might be sharing their ideas and successes – has anyone seen anything like that?
Since you have used this last year for VBS – can you speak to two of the comments I see here as well as help me with some decorating ideas.
First – lack of preschool material
Second – they are asking for craft ideas and
Third – some questions on the games for the last two nights
My personal concern as it is my area is the decorations. I posted a question below – but with other questions and I see lack of responses, I am not sure which was the best way to get some of my questions answered!
I would use the game ideas off our website and you might find some of our crafts helpful too. Beyond that, check out the new community website from the Go Fish guys. People are sharing a lot of great ideas for VBS there too.
About the decorations. We tried to do some rock concert type stuff, but mainly kept it simple.
Thanks for your family’s object lesson about the coke bottle! I think that while the curriculum side of the lesson is certainly valid, the other lesson is that children’s leaders who are not FULL of Jesus, who are working from a half-empty, ragged spot in their own lives, don’t have enough personal “content” to make a difference. Been there, done that. Because “more is caught than is taught” it’s vital that WE be fully connected, fully “contented” (in both senses of the word) with JESUS so that kids (even the ones who don’t listen to the Bible story!) see HIM!
There is a daily Bible lesson that lines up to basically a really solid Gospel presentation. There are not printed student workbooks.