We Heard You!

My church in San Antonio has been very impressed by the Amazon Expedition VBS. Thank you for this undertaking! We are looking forward to VBS 2009. When will it be available?

—P. Y., US

We want to thank AIG for their great VBS material [Amazon Expedition]. Our church recently used the material and everyone from the workers to students loved it. The songs were great tools of teaching as well. I filled in one night taking an extra load of children home and all the way home they were singing “I've Got DNA.” The whole program was Biblical and explained Creation Science very plainly and easy to be understand. Many of the youth who were transported in were asking questions because it opposed the evolutionary teaching they received in school. It gave a lot for them to think about and changed a lot of opinions. [In the daily drama] The conversion of the Pilot was drastic and the compassion of Dr. Jones was very Christ-like in the skit. Looking forward to a new program for next year.

—Pastor B.V., US

The brand new Operation Space website is coming soon. Get ready for launch.

If you asked the children of your church and community how they felt about the Bible, what would their response be? Would they consider the Word of God relevant to their lives and interesting to learn from? Or would it seem irrelevant and trumped by “science”?

A recent survey by America’s Research Group reveals that an alarming number of young people are leaving the church after they graduate because their questions about the Bible had not been answered.1 Respondents indicated that Sunday School materials were shallow and irrelevant. Of those polled, 86% had begun to question the Bible by their high school years. Of those who said they did not believe all the accounts in the Bible are true, 82% cited doubts about the Bible’s authority or its trustworthiness.

We trust that the Lord will use AiG’s Vacation Bible School programs to reverse this sad trend by equipping young children with the answers they seek. Our goal is to provide programs “where kids connect the Bible to the real world.”

We praise the Lord for the way He has used our first-ever VBS program, Amazon Expedition, in the lives of thousands of children this summer. Last year, we worked diligently to provide a VBS program that would teach kids the truth about God’s Word in an apologetic way, and the response to Amazon Expedition has been overwhelming.

From a church in California:

Last year was our family’s first year at this church, and VBS was a dying institution which seemed designed only for our church. Very few adults seemed excited about it. This year, over 30 adults got involved (more than twice as many as last year) and did their best to make it a community outreach. We had the best VBS this church has had in 10 years, with children from all over the community. Thank you for providing our church with a new vision for VBS!

The VBS director of a church in New Jersey let us know:

Great way to help kids see the relevance of the Bible for them today. One little girl wanted to know more about Jesus because she had never been told that He died on the cross for us. We were able to minister to her whole family because they all came to the Jungle Jive closing program. We are anxious to see what comes from it.

And K.S. in Arkansas shared the following with us:

I was amazed about how much my adult leaders learned and asked questions—what a bonus! I was also pleased to hear the children report on their conversations with parents—that was eye-opening, especially for those from non-Christian backgrounds! My family have been [supporters] of AiG for years. I was confident that the program would be great based upon previous materials & we were right—it was great.

One fourth-grade boy in Kentucky learned that God can’t lie. Most importantly, we’ve received testimonies, such as the following, of how the Lord has brought many children to salvation.

I just wanted to let you know that my church used your VBS program this summer! It was the best ever! As the director, I received so many positive comments. We loved your program and am looking forward to next years “Space Mission.” We had 7 kids come to know Jesus as their personal Savior during the week of bible school . . . praise the Lord!

As J. P. from Pennsylvania expressed, people are hungry for a VBS that teaches more than just “fluff”—one that provides solid teaching grounded in the Word of God:

The lesson content was great! I chose to use the program solely based on the lesson content. I cannot thank you enough for choosing theological content to kids. The 7 C’s really made it manageable for the kids to understand and apply the Biblical accounts of history.

We appreciate those who offered both positive comments and constructive criticisms of various aspects of the program, and we want you to know that we’ve listened! We’ve implemented many of the suggestions we received (although our program development was already in full swing by the time the feedback started coming in, so we’ll do even more with our 2010 program!), and we’re confident that our 2009 VBS program will be better than ever.

So, get ready to launch into another unique VBS experience from AiG with Operation Space: A Close Encounter with God’s Word. The countdown has begun!

Operation Space features what people asked for: songs with easier-to-sing lyrics, both contemporary and traditional song versions, a song motions DVD, and a web-based forum to share ideas with other Operation Space users, which we will launch sometime in early 2009. We’re also working on upgrading AnswersVBS.com, which we’ll launch within the next few days.

But one thing remains the same: our dedication to providing content-rich lessons that teach your kids how the Bible connects to the real world. Our 2009 program reveals to kids how they can know the Bible is truly God’s Word and showcases how the heavens declare the glory of God.

At Operation Space, cadets go through B.A.S.I.C. Training each day, learning that the Bible is the Book of books (Day 1), and our Absolute Authority (Day 2); it provides the true Salvation Story (Day 3), and makes an Incredible Impact on the lives it touches (Day 4). On the final day, they’ll be issued a Cadet Challenge to learn, love, and live the Bible!

Just as your kids were equipped with Bible-based answers to questions about true history with Amazon Expedition, they’ll be equipped to answer questions about the Bible and astronomy with Operation Space:

• How do I know the Bible is God’s Word?
• Are there aliens in space?
• How did the universe begin?
• What’s so special about earth?
• Does science confirm the Bible is true?
• What does the Bible teach about astronomy?

Get ready to launch into a unique VBS experience with AiG’s 2009 program: Operation Space! We’ll begin shipping January 2009, but you can preorder the program beginning November 2008. Stay tuned to AnswersVBS.com for more information!