On June 9, LifeWay will announce their Vacation Bible School themes for 2009 VBS. Here is the sneak peak they’ve been emailing out. You can bookmark my VBS 2009 theme page to keep up to date as I track (and write reviews) of all the new 2009 themes for vacation bible school.
LifeWay Boomerang Express VBS 2009:
An Australian based curriculum theme featuring railroad elements. I’m really excited to learn more, and expect the Bible school music to be really great.
Need More Help? You can find even more practical ideas on my Vacation Bible School resource page, our VBS forum and my Vacation Bible School crafts page.
Don’t miss the excellent Lifeway VBS blog and their official Lifeway VBS Website. Share your feedback about Outrigger Island VBS on our forum.
LifeWay Club VBS: Truth Trek 2009
An treasure hunting theme in their simplified club format. This looks like another great option for smaller churches with limited resources.
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Gospel Light’s VBS 2009: “Son Rock Kids Camp”
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Not to downgrade LifeWay but what’s up with an Austrailian Railway theme? That’s definitely something unique and different. Personally I don’t care for it but I’m sure other VBS Directors will get into it.
The Club VBS looks good though. It’s from the Truth Trackers VBS that LifeWay did a while back. I participated in Truth Trackers and it was a great VBS.
Both themes have been done recently by someone. I’m wanting to see somthing new and fresh! I don’t like the Austrailian theme. Our church did that 3 years ago. The kids still have their hats we wore.
OPERATION SPACE: A Close Encounter with God’s Word is the 2009 VBS theme from Answers in Genesis. The kids are already excited about it. SWEET!
Josh,
I am a state trainer for Lifeway’s VBS curriculum and the whole idea behind the Boomerang Express is the key theme, “It all COMES BACK to Jesus!” (just like the boomerang) The curriculum is awesome and yes it is definitely unique and I know that God will use the talents of the writer’s and Jeff Slaughter in his music to change the lives of boys and girls around the globe.
My kids have all asked for a Detective Theme – like we did sereval years ago – I think in London – Will there be one soon?
@Kelly: If I remember right, the theme was “Great Kingdom Caper.” I would guess that it might show up as their club VBS over the next few years. It seems like LifeWay makes use of older themes for the basis of their simplified Club VBS programs.
This theme is simular to the Truth Trackers However, I’ve trying to come up with a unique and simple way to decorate our Sanctuary stage and I come up blank. I sure hope someone out there has a good creative imagination and pass it around.
Caroline,
Last year we had a “Wiki Hut” for the Outrigger Island theme in our sanctuary. We used PVC pipes and fittings. We saved the hut and will convert it into a ticket booth for the train station for Lifeway’s Boomerang Express VBS 2009. We also plan to have the front end of the train “entering” the station on the half wall next to the pulpit area. In other areas of the church we will decorate with koalas, kangaroos, ideas from the coast of Australia and the Red Rock from a converted Volcano! The ideas are endless…just use your imagination and a little help from the travel agency.
I think the Truth Trek Idea is great!
We’ve decided to compile this year’s children’s Christmas program from favorites of the past, using piano accompaniment for a change of pace. Kids wanted to include Wiki! Wiki! from this year’s VBS, but somehow I couldn’t get that ABC song to mesh with other musical choices. On the other hand, 2 B-A-C [you must] A-B-C fits very well. In my infinite wisdom, I kept the Truth Trackers CD but not the sheet music. Don’t suppose you have a copy of the VBS 2001 music book gathering dust in the piano bench?? I’d be glad to pay for a copy.
Thanks,
Connie
I am looking to introduce VBS to my Church community in the Church of Christ in Nigeria, Garki Abuja, with the Boomerang Express and it sounds great. I work in the Sunday School, the kids all loved it when I mentioned it to them. I will appreciate more decoration ideas for our snactuary.
Cheers!
Zipporah
Lead, Risk, Tell, Obey and Serve under the Studio Go Theme. I’m considering using it for an upbeat tempo to our 2009 VS. Instead of Wheel of Fortune it speaks to Wheel of Wisdom. With each year’s theme I add some of my own ideas. I will actually rent or make a wheel and will substitute wisdom keys under the various templates. I anticipate this being one of the greatest of my four years. I was looking for something different and I believe I’ve found it. Our focus is to reach out to the community and extend an invitation to come to Jesus.
As long as I remember, we have used Lifeway. Although, we really like the Lifeway themes each year and the Bible content is great, I believe this finally finishes us off. The music gets heavier and heavier each year. Our kids are just that, kids. The words to the songs are wonderful but the music style itself is more of what you would think of for Youth. It’s hard to focus on the words when the music is so overpowering. I noticed some of the other publishers have fast, upbeat songs but seem more appropriate for our children. If their Bible content matches up, they’ve got our business!
Lifeway’s Music written by Jeff Slaughter is geared to appeal to a 5th grade boy, which is his target audience when writing the VBS Music for all of Lifeway’s VBS Themes. He feels if you can appeal to this age group, then he will capture all the other age groups. If you dumb down the music too much, the older children will tune out and you will lose them. Jeff’s music also contain the full message of the Day’s VBS lesson in the daily song through the Music Rotation. You may not feel that the songs fit the children at your church. Ask the parents, the children will be singing the songs long after VBS ends. Remember, there may be one child that the music may be the only thing from VBS that they will remember and will make a difference in their life for Jesus.
We just completed Boomerang Express and I loved the music! For the first time, it wasn’t the sugar sweet music from most VBS’s. Jeff Slaughter had the right idea about gearing his music to old kids! It worked! Our praise band wants to use “This is Why” in their music! Two children (out of 35) accepted Jesus into their hearts!
A few months ago I was looking for a VBS kit and found one on a rainforest but now you don’t offer it or I’m looking in the wrong place. It was not jungle jaunt. I am sure it was for 2009. Can you help me? I was trying to get it before the price went up from $99.
We used Amazon Expedition from Answers in Genesis last year and it was truly a great ministry to children and adults alike. I’m looking for something just as good or better for this year. I worry that the new Answers in Genesis VBS will be very similar to Amazon Expedition in content. I like the space idea though. I am also looking at Rome. Does anyone know anything about that one?
As soon as we finish VBS we start looking at the themes as the trailers start coming out for the following year. Call me crazy, but I enjoy VBS although it IS a lot of work.
I have wanted to do an Austrailan theme forever and am so excited about this years theme! YEAH.
To the note above about the music … I agree that sometimes the music is “heavy” for the students, but it is not too much. My niece, 3 years old, joined us for VBS last year. She enjoyed VBS so much. She has sung the songs and done the choreography as well as a 3 year old can for months after. If you ask her about the “O-I” song, she’ll start going or the slow song or “word” song – she can sing it. She may not have the words exact, but she learned them. She has a cd and asks for it to be played in the car and at the house. It can be difficult to learn the songs in a week, but one church I know, passes out CDs to families as they go into the community and invite non-churched families. They also make the CDs available to the students at the church prior to the week of VBS. While this takes away from the element of surprise, this helps the students better participate in the Worship Rally and in the Music Rotation.
We have not always used LifeWay (no offense to LifeWay). It just depends on the theme and biblical content from year to year. But props to Jeff Slaughter and the rest of the LifeWay team for all the work they put into the curriculum. They do a great job in targeting the older students.
I looked at all different types of VBS Kits and I wasn’t really into the Boomerang Express theme either. So I’ve decided to go with Polar extreme, it will be summer and a lot of the games include water related or ice cube themed games, (ways to cool off). Also check with your local Christian Bookstore, most are having a Presentation Day for the themes. I’ll be doing one myself. Good luck deciding.
I LOVE THE THEME BOOMERANG EXPRESS I JUST NEED IDEAS FOR 3/4 YEAR OLDS CRAFTS TO TEACH THEM IT ALL COMES BACK TO JESUS
I need decorating ideas for truth trek with photos if anyone has them.
hi! just wanted to say that the vbs themes and song are ALWAYS kinda lame i wish that there was something new but not crazy boomerang express is under that crazy catagory i wish that there was something old enouph for the older ones but still young and hip for the little ones thanks and i hope to hear back from you
Every now and then I find a few songs to use all year long, but I try to get the music from several different VBS themes. Of course, I am no music expert – I just pick the songs with teaching value and see what the kids think.
We’ using the Theme; Boomerang Express for our VBS; and i work in the kitchen area; i serve food and refreshments before we go to classes; i decorate the eating area; i’m looking for ideas to decorate; i thought about train station; but we serve food; not give tickets; I’ve done good til this year; i have posters of animals; and drew a poster of train about four feet long. im excited about the theme; could you give me some ideas. Thanks.
You could always do a Railroad station diner theme. All passengers get hungry when they travel. So why not hop off the train and into the Station Diner?
Hi. I would like to let you know that our church did Outrigger Island last year and it was wonderful. Everyone enjoyed it from the Pre-Schoolers to the Seniors. There was so much musch to do and learn that we wcould not learn it all. This year I had wanted to do ” Retun to Outrigger Island” but you do not have that theme this year. We are very disapointed that we could not continue this journey. Not to found of the Austrailian Theme this year, but I will pray about it.
Everything we bought for 2009 VBS Boomerang Express is great, with one exception. The quality of the outdoor sign isn’t comparable to previous years. It is a much lighter weight! My sign tore at a corner grommet while putting it on display, so we weren’t able to leave it outside…kinda defeated the purpose of buying it.
Hey Becky – this is Becky from LifeWay. We are aware of the problem with the VBS banner this year – we have changed suppliers for next year. You can return the banner for a refund if it is of no use to you! Hope your VBS goes great!
Hello everyone!
I just wanted to share this blessing I have had thanks to taking part in my churches VBS over the years. Praise God for my salvation! Praise God for putting me in a christian raised family and church! And praise God for the wonderful work Lifeway’s VBS has done over the years!
I have attened every VBS we have ever had since I was old enough to enroll (back in the day it was PreK) and once I was too old to attend any of the classes I began taking part in helping with various stages of VBS.
I am blessed to have lead our church’s VBS ‘Music Class’ over the past five years and even more blessed to have been able to spread Gods Word and love via the VBS music! You know it’s bad when you can still do the moves to past VBS songs! (Or is that a bad thing?
)
I know this is long and I’m sorry for taking up so much space but I just wanted to share that with anyone reading this! If your on facebook please feel free to look me up! I did make a ‘Fans Of Jeff Slaughter’ facebook group feel free to join….teehee!
Keep up the great work Lifeway (and Jeff!) and to any and every church doing this years VBS you are in my prayers!
God Bless!
-Rebekah W
Too old? We have an adult class, complete with snacks and a craft. They LOVE it. Think about instituting it!
We are using Boomerang Express ( selected by church officials). Me and one other teacher have had some problems with it.
When you are teaching preschoolers who may not even know who God is, why would you start teaching with the stories about Peter and Jesus ? We have found that we had to go back and write our own introduction to lay the groundwork building up to who God is and who Jesus is. We discussed this on the first night.
We have also found that the songs on the CD are way too hard for 2-5 year olds to learn with the limited time we have. We are sticking to the old traditional preschool church songs and not using the CD. It’s good for older kids. My older daughte loves it.
The theme (outback) IS cute, but has very, very little to do with ANY of the lessons. Most of the lessons are about Peter and Jesus. I have also had to translate every verse using the KJV of the Bible because that’s all our church uses.
The traveling packs are a cute idea (adorable!), but I much preferred the little brochures that the kids got to use in the other VBS programs in the past. It gave them something to look at and draw on/put stickers on during lesson time.
One of the Bible verses is taken completely out of context– the one about Jesus said if you do what I say, you are my friend. I had to go back and read the verses before and after it in order to explain it to the kids in the appropriate way.
Last year we did Genesis and the Creation. I think that is what VBS should be all about. Get those CORE beliefs about who God is and how Earth was created, who Jesus is, etc. Many kids…that is all the education they will get about God at all. We have lots who come that don’t come to church regularly.
Also, don’t use the Boomerang Express if you don’t have the facilites to do “centers”. We don’t. It’s harder to do without using centers.
Not trying to be negative, just giving an honest opinion from a preschool teachers pov.
PreKteacher, to counter your statement on the music, I certainly understand that it is difficult for younger children to learn the tough LifeWay music every year. Jeff Slaughter has an answer to that as well, by writing songs relevant to the theme for PreSchoolers. These come in 5-pack CD’s, and this year’s had a song for the five different tracks. You can order them with the other VBS curriculum.
hi i was in vbs this year and i personally think that the idea of vbs is great because not only do parents and guardians get away from the kids and the kids get a away from the parents they also learn about god and have fun for a whole week then on friday they do a huge performance to show the parents what they have learned. our church raised money and went over the goal and the rules were that if we hit the goal they would shave this dudes hair off only leaving a mohawk and if we went over the goal they would shave his hair only leaving a mohawk and then dying it blue or pink or any color we would agree on. i think vbs is great and they should continue vbs for many kids so that when the students that went this year will grow up and have there kids go. GO VBS!AND REMEMBER IT ALL COMES BACK TO JESUS.
I’m having a problem with the Tucker Bags for Boomerang Express. I can’t seem to keep the velcro dots attached to the bag. They keep coming off. I’ve tried hot glue, tacky glue and even tried sewing, but that was labor intensive for all our bags. Any suggestions would be great.
I was in charge of choosing the VBS theme this year and chose the Boomerang Express because I loved the music and the ABC method of salvation. We ordered 9 products and only got 4 of them, one of which was wrong. The Customer Svc department which you had to wait on hold for 1/2 hour to get a hold of was not very compassionate, basically said we have been sold out for months. When we ordered we were told everything was in stock. My Pastor is very upset and we are now scrambling to come up with our own ideas. Sorry to be so negative but our VBS is next week and the leaders are not very happy with me…:(
Similar thing happened to us. We ordered our material in April, our VBS was the first week of June. After many, many calls to LifeWay in regards to this matter, we found out that they had severely under printed,and had to reprint-thus the reason for the delay. We got our literature 1 week prior to our VBS. Our teachers were going nuts-rightly deserved. When we got our literature, some of it was missing, and we noticed that someone had written a note in red ink at the bottom of the receipt that was included with our order. It said “Sorry-the following items are out of stock” and then listed all of our babies books, our youth learner guides, and the Leading a Child to Christ brochures. We contacted LifeWay, and they said they were totally out, their only suggestion was to check stores in our area and see if we could scratch it up. We did-and luckily were able to get the items that had been left out of our order. Now-the end of last week, someone from our Associational office dropped a bag by, saying this had been dropped off for our church. Guess what it contained? The literature that had been left out of our original order-a whole month after our VBS was over. The add to it all, there were two separate receipts included, showing where they had charged this to our church account. Life we even have a use for this now. After calling them, they were not helpful in the least-and told us that we could return it to any LifeWay store , but they wouldn’t issue a refund, as their policy is that they do not issue refunds for any VBS materials. We told them, that we would instruct the treasurer to not pay this bill-only then were we able to get them to agree to credit our account. Our VBS went over great and the theme was amazing! Too bad LifeWay was very difficult to deal with.
I agree with you Amber. The program which starts tomorrow is going to be awesome. With the help of many people we are going to have an outstanding VBS. The kids are going to love it. Lifeway needs some Customer Service skills. I AM a CSR in my real life and if I had ever lied to a customer or had treated anyone as rudely as they were, my head would have been on the chopping block. Reality check Lifeway. You have to support your program in ALL areas especially when there are problems….and there are always problems…