Various publishers of Christian formation assets launch new Trip Bible College and camp program curricula yearly. For some communities, these full-fledged kits with a number of supplies like lesson plans, multimedia assets, ornament concepts, and craft guides serve program administrators’ wants, targets, and budgets properly. For different communities, nonetheless, the most recent curriculum choices could not present what formation leaders are looking for, particularly for many who wish to reshape a conventional VBS for his or her ministry context, who’re focused on intergenerational formation, or who want extra reasonably priced assets for a smaller price range.
Fortuitously, extra curriculum choices can be found that may assist meet a spread of wants, targets, and budgets for VBS, camp, and intergenerational packages throughout the summer season and all year long. We at Constructing Religion have explored a large swath of assets, and we’re excited to share our up to date checklist and opinions of our 11 favourite perennial VBS, camp, and intergenerational curricula for 2025. For those who’re looking for a curriculum in your neighborhood’s summer season formation, this text may help you get began.
Our Evaluation Course of
For our 2025 replace, we invited a workforce of ministry leaders to conduct the opinions with us. We included curricula which can be designed or well-suited for Trip Bible College, residential or day camps, and intergenerational occasions or packages. The workforce primarily examined publishers’ web site content material, pattern supplies which can be obtainable free of charge, and movies; in a couple of instances, workforce members had the chance to assessment the complete curriculum.
Within the analysis course of, the workforce thought-about six interrelated dimensions:
- Theological messages
- Interpretations and makes use of of scripture
- Approaches to studying and formation
- Language and practices concerning inclusivity and variety of human identities and experiences, particularly in relation to race, tradition, gender, sexual orientation, incapacity, and financial standing
- Consideration to social justice, service, and creation care
- Program construction and logistics
We developed opinions of all the curriculum choices that we suggest within the slidedecks linked under. Every assessment gives an outline of the curriculum and highlights what the curriculum does properly in addition to what might be improved. You too can observe this hyperlink to view the full slidedeck of all the perennial favorite reviews.
We provide our suggestions and significant suggestions in a spirit of compassion and dedication to enriching religion formation for all folks in liberating, life-giving methods. As all the time, we encourage you to replicate on the items, wants, values, and commitments of your ministry context with a view to discern which curriculum could also be greatest in your neighborhood.
Our Perennial Prime Picks (Up to date March 2025)
The curricula that we’ve got included in our perennial favorites checklist are (in alphabetical order by title):
1. Abundant Life Garden Project
- Writer: Episcopal Aid and Growth
- Use(s): VBS or kids’s formation sequence
- Full curriculum reviewed
2. All God’s Children: The Church Family Gathers for a Very Blessed Summer
- Writer: GenOn Ministries
- Use(s): VBS or intergenerational program
3. Arts Camp
- Writer: Morehouse (written by Christina Clark)
- Use(s): VBS or day camp
- Full curriculum reviewed
4. Good Stewards Together & Journey Together
- Writer: Sparkhouse
- Use(s): intergenerational program
5. Living God’s Dream: Dismantling Racism for Children
- Writer: Church Publishing
- Use(s): kids’s formation sequence or VBS
- Full curriculum reviewed
6. Operation Restoration: Mending God’s World
- Writer: Augsburg Fortress
- Use(s): VBS
7. Praying All the Time
- Writer: Chief Sources
- Use(s): VBS or kids’s formation sequence
- Full curriculum reviewed
8. ReNew: The Green VBS
- Writer: Sparkhouse
- Use(s): VBS
9. S.P.Y. Parables
- Writer: Chief Sources
- Use(s): VBS
10. Water All Around the World
- Writer: Residing Waters for the World
- Use(s): VBS or intergenerational program
- Full curriculum reviewed
11. Waves of Gratitude
- Writer: United Thank Providing
- Use(s): VBS
- Full curriculum reviewed
The assets on this checklist are all ones that we suggest. They often characteristic supplies to assist domesticate age-appropriate, theologically significant, enjoyable, inventive, and socially and ecologically conscious formation experiences for VBS, camp, or intergenerational packages. Whereas all of them could be improved in numerous methods, we expect that these curricula could be useful choices for formation packages in the summertime and past.
For a full slidedeck of all of the perennial opinions, observe this hyperlink: Building Faith VBS, Summer Camp, and Intergenerational Perennial Favorite Reviews (2025)
You too can take a look at this chart to match key options of all our perennial favorites: Building Faith VBS, Camp, and Intergenerational Perennial Favorites Chart (2025)
Extra VBS, Camp, and Intergenerational Sources
If you’re focused on extra choices and concepts for VBS, camp, or intergenerational packages, listed below are some current articles on Constructing Religion to take a look at:
A Phrase of Due to Our Evaluation Crew
Many thanks go to our assessment workforce for 2025: Sarah Bentley Allred, Sally Benton, Molly Herman-Gallow, Juniper LaNunziata, and Marvin McLennon. We tremendously recognize on a regular basis, power, and experience they supplied in assessing these assets. The opinions are all the higher for every of their voices and insights on this collaborative work.
You may be taught extra about them within the bios under:
Sarah Bentley Allred (she/her/hers)
Sarah Bentley Allred is the Senior Formation Affiliate and Venture Director of Roots & Wings: Intergenerational Formation Collaborative for Lifelong Studying at Virginia Theological Seminary. Earlier than becoming a member of the Division of Lifelong Studying, Sarah served as Director of Youngsters and Youth Ministries for 4 years after which accomplished the M.Div. program at VTS with a deal with Christian formation. She is obsessed with kids’s spirituality, intergenerational worship, and small church formation. She loves native espresso retailers, board video games, the seashore, and exploring new locations together with her husband, Richard, and their toddler, Eleanor. Discover out extra at sarahbentleyallred.com.
Sally Benton (she/her/hers)
Sally Benton is the Director of Youngsters, Youth, and Household Ministries at St. John’s in McLean, Virginia and has been ministering to kids and youth for over 10 years. She and her husband are at present dwelling in Alexandria, VA with their two babies. They’ve had the enjoyment of ministering collectively not solely in parishes, however on faculty campuses, at summer season camp, and nearly in all places in between. Sally is obsessed with religion formation for all folks and serving to folks construct confidence in exploring their religion independently in addition to in neighborhood.
Molly Herman-Gallow (she/her/hers)
Molly Herman-Gallow lives in Durham, North Carolina, the place she is pursuing her Grasp of Divinity at Duke Divinity College. She previously labored at St. Martin within the Fields Episcopal Church in Brookhaven, GA as its Youngsters & Youth Minister. In that position, she cherished ministering to all of St. Martin’s kids and households, and he or she particularly loved features of curriculum creation and Christian training that her position required of her. Molly is a cradle Episcopalian and grew up within the Diocese of Atlanta. She graduated from Elon College in 2019 with a filmmaking diploma and a minor in spiritual research. Molly loves persevering with to inform the story of the Church and discovering her id additional as a Christian formation educator.
Juniper LaNunziata (they/them)
Juniper LaNunziata is a postulant for holy orders within the Diocese of East Carolina and at present serves as Campus Minister for The Effectively Campus Ministries of East Carolina College. They served as Director of Christian Formation at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church of Greenville, NC for 8 years. Juniper was born and raised in Pennsylvania however has been dwelling within the South for nearly 20 years. They like to bake bread, drink boba tea, and go geocaching. Take a look at their weblog for Christian formation and design at www.formedbyexperience.blog.
Marvin McLennon (he/him/his)
Marvin is the Director of Youngsters and Youth Ministries at Christ Episcopal Church in Little Rock, AR. An Arkansas native and cradle Episcopalian, Marvin grew up at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, the place he was actively concerned within the youth group, held diocesan youth management roles, and spent summers at Camp Mitchell as a camper and Counselor in Coaching. He went on to attend Hendrix Faculty, incomes a level in Communications. After graduating in 2013, Marvin joined the Episcopal Service Corps in Louisiana, the place he served as Assistant Youth Director at St. James Episcopal Church in Baton Rouge. Following his yr of service, he grew to become the Youth Director for St. James and the Diocesan Youth Director within the Diocese of Louisiana. In 2016, he returned to Arkansas to start his work at Christ Church whereas additionally turning into an energetic member of the Forma Council in 2019 and a part of the Forma Govt Council in 2021.
Featured picture is by Jake Givens on Unsplash
