Review: Rev It Up! VBS

by Tony Kummer | Regular Baptist Press VBS,VBS 2011 Themes | Print Print | Email

In every area but music, Regular Baptist Press continues to impress me with their Vacation Bible School. In this post, I’ll offer my brief review of their 2011 Rev It Up! VBS starter kit.

For more information, visit their official website, Facebook page, or VBS community site. You can also watch my video unboxing the starter kit or read another review from Lynda Freeman.

Excellent Bible Content: Once again, the clear focus of this curriculum is teaching kids about Jesus. RBP has a no-compromise attitude when it comes to scripture. Each day of teaching works together for a comprehensive Gospel presentation. Unlike some publishers, they do not omit teaching on sin, repentance, or a child’s need to accept Christ.

Appealing Materials:As you can tell from my unboxing video, this is a full featured Vacation Bible School program. The printed materials and graphics are not lacking. The student workbooks include full color Bible illustrations. The poster pack includes 6 large visual displays featuring events from the Bible stories.

Creative Theme: I was impressed with the NASCAR theme elements and integration. There did seem a small disconnect between Bible-times illustrations and race cars, but that is inevitable. This theme should have an added cultural bump from the new Disney film Cars 2 coming out in June 2011.

Music Continues to Disappoint: The deal breaker for me is the music. There are two separate versions, one with just piano and the other with instruments. Both versions were disliked strongly by the children in our church. The theme song is titled “Rev It Up!” attempts to play off an early 60s style of music, but gets little mileage. One boy in our group said, “This sounds like old diner music, full throttle for God should be rock & roll or something.” On other songs the lyrics were difficult to understand and the vocal range seemed very high. While I appreciate some of the Christ-centered worship songs, if kids don’t like to sing them it makes little difference.

Bottom Line: I really want to like this material, but could never use it at my church with the music included. This VBS program will definitely appeal to churches who typically use Regular Baptist Press. They retain the King James translation and focus on accurate Bible teaching. If you can get over the music (or use something else) then this curriculum could be a strong choice.

Look Inside the Starter Kit

Related posts:

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  2. Video Review: Galactic Blast VBS Kit from Cokesbury
  3. Big Jungle Adventure VBS Starter Kit (unboxing video)
  4. Mission to MARS (Meet a Risen Savior) VBS Curriculum Review
  5. Review: VBS Curriculum from the Seventh Day Adventist Church

Tony Kummer January 29, 2011 at 12:53 am

Thanks for all the great feedback. The winning comment we selected was #47 using random.org

Look for more VBS starter kit giveaways soon.

carolyn cox-martin January 28, 2011 at 7:03 pm

Hi Tony, this VBS item has content that will capture our smaller students as well as the older kids and teens. Just the name itslef will motivate some of the students to want to come to Vacation Bible School. Great review by the way, carolyn

Heather Doner January 28, 2011 at 12:26 pm

I have used RBP material for VBS for many years but have always needed to substitute the music component. Does not appeal! Sometimes the puppets scripts have not been that great.

Gwen A. Johnson January 27, 2011 at 10:12 pm

I am the Curriculum Director of the Children’s Ministry at my church, Inner Healing Ministries, in Cleveland, Ohio. Our ministry is 3 years old now on this coming February, 2011. Last year, we used “SeaQuest – Diving for God’s Treasure”. It was our first VBS, which was given to me by the Lord. It was a success! Everyone was amazed at the decorations; but, most of all, how the lessons pointed us to our Savior, Jesus Christ. The lesson books were so colorful and inviting. The response for helpers and teachers was off the charts! I love the style of The Regular Baptist Press in how you present the theme that would be interesting and inviting for the children as well as the adults! I was asked last year are there some activities for the adult classes. Hopefully, there will be next year.

I would love to be the winner of “Rev it Up.”

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