It’s time to find the right VBS 2020 theme for your church. This post takes a closer look at the Vacation Bible School program from Cokesbury titled, “Knights of the North Castle.” We’re excited to dig into this curriculum, but we would love to hear your ideas too. Leave a comment below or take our survey about your favorite themes 2020 VBS.
Our First Impression: Cokebury is among the most trusted VBS publishers for good reason, this new program is will be wildly popular with kids and church leaders. The Castle / Knights themed VBS is going to be a great experience for so many congregations. We can’t wait to offer our in-depth review this January. I am always impressed with their curriculum. As one of the top publishers, they have the experience and staff to create high quality material that will serve well in thousands of congregations.
“Knights of the North Caste”
VBS for 2020 from Cokesbury
Visit the official Cokesbury VBS website to learn more about this VBS curriculum. You can also stay up to date with their Facebook page. Don’t miss their new Cokesbury Kids website.
As you can see from the preview video above, there is a lot to love about this material. It’s time to start savings those Christmas trees for decorations. We love the Armor of God and how that impacts how we can live. The music brings all those lessons together in a way kids will be singing all summer!
We love the Bible stories every time they always pick the best stories this is the message and the lessons that I want my kids to learn that’s the most important thing to me is what are they going to take away and I think Cokesbury always does a great job picking the ones that are relevant to kids now and that they can use inside the church and of course outside the church when they’re not with us.
VBS Leader from the Video Above
About Knights of the North Castle (from the Cokesbury website)
Cokesbury’s VBS 2020, Knights of North Castle: Quest for the King’s Armor, invites children to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of God’s power by exploring how we put on the armor of God. Kids will take on the role of brave Knights and begin their quest each session by opening the King’s Book. Each day, they’ll explore Old and New Testament stories and discover different pieces of protective armor—the Belt of Truth, the Breastplate of Justice, the Shoes of Peace, the Shield of Faith, and the Helmet of Salvation—at work in the lives of familiar Bible characters, and explore how that armor works in their own lives as they follow and serve God. Help kids take up the gauntlet this summer and accept the challenge to “armor up” and be strong by remaining with God and sharing God’s love in a world that needs it more than ever.
Knights of the North Caste (Daily VBS Overview)
“Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power.”
Ephesians 6:10
VBS Bible Story (Days 1 – 5)
- Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego Stand True – Daniel 3
- David Defeats Goliath -1 Samuel 17:1-50a
- Mary’s Journey to Bethlehem -Luke 2:1-20
- Jesus Walks on Water – Matthew 14:22-33
- Midnight Praise with Paul and Silas – Acts 16:16-40
Castle Callout (Days 1 – 5) VBS Themes
- Armor Up with Truth!
- Armor Up with Justice!
- Armor Up with Peace!
- Armor Up with Faith!
- Armor Up with Salvation!
Music (Days 1 – 5) for Knights of the North Castle
The music from Cokesbury gets better every year. The songs from Knights of the North Castle are upbeat and very engaging for the kids. They have a modern sound along that will connect with the children in your ministry. You’ll recognize some classics like and learn some new songs too. You can hear samples on the official website.
- Be Strong in the Lord / Hot Hot Burnin’ Up
- Giants in the Land / Hey, Hey Goliath!
- Our God / Emmanuel, God is With Us
- Jesus You Remain / Jesus Loves Me
- Knights of North Castle / Earthquake
Castle Themed Decorations
Be sure to see the Cokesbury VBS Facebook page to get more ideas. They have great collection of decoration ideas on the Knights of the North Castle board on Pinterest. This would be a selling point in many congregations. It’s a super easy visual and will capture the imagination of the kids. If you use Instagram, check out the Cokesbury VBS profile to get an inside look at this Vacation Bible School.
About Cokesbury
Cokesbury is the retail division of the United Methodist Publishing House. Based in Nashville, TN, Cokesbury serves as an agency of the United Methodist Church but serves also as an ecumenical resource provider to other denominations.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cokesbury
More about Cokesbury VBS
It has been the established publishing house of the United Methodist Church with roots going back to 1789. How long have they been publshing VBS material? We have been publishing VBS for many many years. We bring together a team of staff and Christian Educators (both those supporting Cokesbury VBS and those supporting competitors) and spend three to four days in a think tank atmosphere developing future themes.
https://ministry-to-children.com/inside-cokesbury-vbs/
What do you think of “Knights of the North Castle”?
We love Cokesbury, they have been a partner of this website for many years. Their curriculum is excellent on every level and provides all the planning support new churches would need to make the switch. They are historically a United Methodist publishing house, but have become popular across many denominations. Their unique science element gives kids a memorable object lesson for each day of the program. We expect a lot of churches will choose this theme for VBS 2020.
We always love to hear back from readers – especially if they have experience with a particular publisher. Our website does not sell anything (since we’re 100% free online) but we love to point out Christian organizations that are providing solid resources for children’s ministry. So share your thoughts below on Cokesbury’s 2020 VBS materials.
Another comment that we receive a lot is related to some of the younger kids some of the preschoolers that whether it’s specific to a VBS or whether they just come with their brothers and sisters and the churches accommodate them we’ve tried to incorporate some music that addresses that target audience as well there week. Everything from the science lessons to crafts, incredible music and powerful Bible stories this summer everyone boys girls young and old will all be called the Knights of North Castle in a quest for the Kings armor if you want to have the best VBS of the summer come to Knights in North Castle.
Quote from Promotional Video Above
I love your review page. I have been using it for years. A local store used to host a VBS showcase, but the store has closed. It was a great event because you could view every aspect of the kits and we could listen to all the songs in full. I would ask you if you know of any such showcases in the Northern Illinois area. I look forward to your comments on what you think is the best VBS this year.