Vacation Bible School Themes 2011

Are you researching VBS themes for 2011? This page helps you compare the different curricula and choose the right one for your church’s Vacation Bible School.  Below you will find links to the official publishers websites and our reviews as they starter kits ship. We also have dozens of articles to help you plan your Vacation Bible School.

Update: We have launched our coverage of the 2012 VBS curriculum and themes. This is the perfect place to start your research in choosing next years program for Bible School.

In January, our readers voted on the ”Most Appealing 2011 VBS Theme.”

Group VBS 2011Group VBS 2011 | my video preview | our review | music samples | starter kit unboxing | Choose from two different options for your church’s Vacation Bible School program. Read our coverage of the Group 2011 VBS Theme announcement or visit their official website to learn more. We hope to review this theme on our website in late December.  For more information see Group’s Facebook Page and YouTube Channel

LifeWay VBS 2011 | preview the starter kit
You can also pick from 2 VBS theme options from LifeWay. Their main program for 2011 is called Big Apple Adventure and is a New York City themed Vacation Bible School. We plan to write an in-depth review in early December, but for now you can visit the official website to learn more.  Learn more about both programs from their community website or VBS blog. One church plant in NYC is even willing to parter with your kids for a missions offering, click here to learn more.

Kickin’ It Old School | preview the starter kit | my podcast with Go Fish | The Go Fish Guys have released their second Vacation Bible School theme. It’s a project where they update classic hymns for a new generation of kids and families to love. This is only their second VBS program, but they’re off to a great start. Download samples at their website and Facebook page.

Son Surf VBS logo clip artGospel Light VBS 2011
The curriculum that features “Jesus Every Day” has a new theme for next summer called Son Surf Beach Bash VBS. This is something of a safe concept, since most publishers have tried a beach theme for their Vacation Bible School materials. I’ve looked through the initial information and we will post a full review once we see the curriculum first hand. Check out their official website for more details and to hear the theme song.

Cokesbury VBS 2011 | preview the starter kit
I really like the creative direction for Cokesbury this year. Their new 2011 VBS theme is built around chefs and cooking. It’s called “Shake It Up Café: Where Kids Carry Out God’s Recipe.” The daily Bible recipes are based on biblical feasts and the principles they teach about following God’s plan. If you want something very original for a Bible school program, you should give this one a closer look. Check out the official website to learn more.

Regular Baptist Press | preview the starter kit | our review | Rev It Up! Full Throttle for God is a NASCAR themed VBS for 2011. This may have strong tie-in with boys who love stock car racing, or next Summer’s big movie “Cars 2.” Learn more at their official website.

mission to MARSMission to MARS | read our review
This is the 2011 VBS theme from WordAction Publishing.  This is one of the few space themed choices this year. MARS stands for “meet a risen Savior.” For ordering information visit the official website or Facebook page.

Beach Blast VBS | read our review | preview the starter kit | This is the simplified Vacation Bible School program from LifeWay that is designed for smaller churches.  It’s scaled back to include only 3 rotations and fit within a 2 hour time frame. The Bible lessons are broadly graded. To learn more and hear music samples, you can visit their official website.

10/40 Expedition: Quest for the Lost Window is a unique new VBS program that’s all about missions education. It’s produced by a mission organization called “Advancing Native Missions.” To learn more, read our review or visit their official website. This is their first year offering, but this one is worth looking over for any church that wants to education kids about missions among unreached areas of the world.

Other VBS Themes for 2011

Standard Publishing

Group Holy Land Adventure

Answers In Genesis VBS

Abingdon Press

reThink Group // Orange Curriculum

Great Commission Publications

Concordia House

Voice of the Martyrs

Next Generation for Christ

Urban Ministries Inc.

Augsburg Fortress

  • has updated the “reNew Green VBS” from their Spark House division, click here to read Glen’s review or visit the official website

Bogard Press

VBS Reachout Adventures

David C. Cook

  • no new VBS theme announced for 2011, older programs still available on their website

Apostle’s Publishing

  • no news about a 2011 VBS theme

Non-Dated Bible School Curriculum

There are also several smaller publishers who produce VBS materials that can be used any year. Here are a few that might interest you. This often double as Backyard Bible Club curriculum.

Catholic Vacation Bible School Curriculum

Most everything on our site is written from an Evangelical Protestant perspective, but here are a few links for our Catholic friends who put up with us. Check out these VBS programs written especially for Roman Catholic Churches.

Need More Help?: Vacation Bible School tips | VBS 2010| VBS 2009 | VBS 2008 | news about 2011 VBS | ask questions in our VBS forums. You might also enjoy VBS reviews from Lynda Freeman. Here’s the link for future Vacation Bible School 2012 theme reviews

VBS Activities & Tips

Related posts:

  1. Vacation Bible School Decorations?
  2. Vacation Bible School Forums
  3. Group VBS 2011 Theme Announced: PandaMania
  4. Comparison Chart Of Vacation Bible School Programs
  5. Help For Cash Short Vacation Bible School

{ 64 comments… read them below or add one }

Tamara Byrd July 23, 2011 at 12:50 am

Christian Church Disciples of Christ and United Church of Christ have been working together for several years now on kids’ “youth group” and mission programs, including church school/VBS curricula. http://www.kids2kidsmissions.org/ These curricula are ecumenical and HIGHLY mission-oriented, and draw source material from previous and existing global missions. There is an India-based book with LOTS of information, and a Congo-based one which is more streamlined (though the “missing” material for registration, PR, etc. can be drawn from the India one). A Venezuela/Columbia one is in the works, and there are a couple of other ones available not under the “Journey” theme. We did “Journey to India” last year, and just finished “Journey to Congo” tonight. Kay Edwards, who worked on the DoC side adapting the curricula, trained me for Children Worship & Wonder, and I got to discuss J2I with her a couple of times (will be giving her feedback on J2C as well). It’s very nice in that you have curriculum to follow while still being able to assemble and adapt much of it on your own (no need to shell out for expensive VBS-in-a-box). Between the two, information is provided which can be used for all ages–even teen/adult classes. Kids are engaged in connecting with children of another culture and helping people–they are loving-God-and-others-focused, not loving-self-focused. Volunteer leaders get some responsibility to select from some activities and set up their own stations, which they often take and run with–you’ll be pleasantly surprised! Cottage Parents/Grandparents and the multi-age cottages they lead really connect and relate, and a real “team” or “family” spirit develops. We use the Newsboys’ “He Reigns” as a connecting theme song for all the “Journey” curricula, which ties the years together and really revs everyone up (in addition to the more country-specific songs for Worship rotation and closing), and this year we began to use VolunteerSpot to coordinate volunteers (off to a slow start as I had to manually enter almost everyone, but the reminder system, printable/exportable rosters and to-bring lists for donors, and volunteer hour tracking are PRICELESS–definitely going to continue using it and start using it for church school volunteer coordination as well). We ran J2C Monday-Friday, 6pm-8:30pm: 10 minutes welcome/opening song; 10 minutes Cottage Time; four rotations of 25 minutes each with 5 minutes SWaPS (Switch, Water and Potty, Settle) time between (Meal/Worship as a combined rotation plus Crafts, Story, and Games rotations); 5 minutes Cottage Time; 10 minutes farewell/closing song. Worked WAY better than all we tried to cram into 2 hours for J2I last year, and I’m going to predict that we came out under budget. :-D 2 years ago was the first year our church did VBS in almost a decade, and we did VBS-in-a-box (“Crocodile Dock”), substituting our own materials for the ready-made kits where we could, and we STILL way overblew our budget. The “Journey” series has seemed to tire the kids and volunteers less, engage them more, and cost far less than the commercial curricula.

Reply

Johnny Wright July 11, 2011 at 11:09 am

I am trying for find VBS information for all ages …. pre-school to senior citizen. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Reply

David Cagle July 7, 2011 at 11:26 pm

Now let me get this straight. This is the year 2011. It is the 400th anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible, the best-selling book of all history. This is a once in a lifetime experience that will never come again in the lifetimes of these children. AND NOBODY THOUGHT TO DO A VBS CELEBRATING THE BIBLE’S BIRTHDAY?!

Reply

Erendira July 7, 2011 at 3:25 pm

IM HAVING A REALLY HARD TIME FINDING LESSONS FOR AGES 11-14. IS THERE ANY LESSONS FOR THOSE AGES. MY CHURCH IS OFFERING VBS CLASSES FOR THOSE AGES BUT ITS REALLY HARD TO FIND ANY.. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!!!

Reply

Michelle Reeder June 8, 2011 at 2:38 pm

Has anyone heard of a VBS theme God is Great! My father has invited my son to VBS at his church and out of curiousity I was trying to google the theme and cannot find it.

THANKS!

Reply

SingerForChrist May 20, 2011 at 2:59 am

At our church we found the Cokesbury material to be wonderful! We switched to them two years ago with Camp E.D.G.E and the children absolutely loved it! Then Last year we did Galactic Blast which was just as amazing. We cannot wait for this year’s theme Shake it up! The main reason we did the shift two years ago was the music. Cokesbury hasn’t failed us yet with great music and fun dance moves that the kids enjoy. The kids still request the theme song from two years ago and last and still know the dance moves! We highly recommend this material. :) blessings

Reply

Debra May 15, 2011 at 8:31 pm

Enjoy your website. It is truly a blessing to many! It has helped me in planning activities for children.

Reply

Leave a Comment