Jesus’ power pulls us through life’s ups and downs
Note: Group Publishing did not provide our reviewers with access to the full curriculum, therefore, we were unable to fully review this product. The information below has been compiled from the Group Publishing website, our knowledge of the publisher, and experience with previous Group VBS curriculum.
Rocky Railway is a colorful program with excellent support that smooths the rough edges of VBS programs in churches of all sizes. Group offers a Spanish bilingual version of Rocky Railway.
Cost
$193.99 (Ultimate Starter Kit), $229.99 (Ultimate Starter Kit + Digital), $229.99 Ultimate Starter Kit Bilingual Edition at time of posting.
Check website for current pricing.
Age Levels
Preschool to Grade 5
Number of Sessions/Scheduling
Five sessions available
Day 1: Jesus’ power helps us do hard things: Philippians 4:13 & Acts 9:1-19
Day 2: Jesus’ power gives us hope: Psalm 31:24 & Acts 27
Day 3: Jesus’ power helps us be bold: Isaiah 40:29 & Acts 3:1-4:31
Day 4: Jesus’ power lets us live forever: Romans 8:11 & Matthew 26:17-28:10
Day 5: Jesus’ power helps us be good friends: John 15:12 & Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-35
What is included in the basic package?
Ultimate Starter Kit
Rocky Railway Ultimate Director Go-To Guide®
Leader Manuals
Imagination Station Sampler
Student Materials Sampler
Music – Leader Version of the Rocky Railway music, featuring the full music CD, instrumental-only tracks, and song lyrics slide show.
Clip-Art
Media – Decorating Places DVD, Ultimate Director Go-To Recruiting and Training DVD, KidVid Cinema DVD, and the Sing & Play music DVD.
Digital Kit
Everything in the Ultimate Starter Kit plus the “Digital Download Access Pack” – A USB drive loaded with a complete set of Digital Rocky Railway resources
Strengths
- Scaled for small, medium, large groups.
- Beautiful, well organized materials that are easy to use; clear guides for leaders.
- Sensitive to different learning styles.
- Music CD includes nice blend of original compositions and familiar worship songs
- DVD video quality and production value are very good.
- Drama skits are well-written, short, and connect with the biblical theme of the day.
- Snack suggestions are relevant to the theme of the day.
Weaknesses
- Expense of supplemental materials, including prepared crafts.
- Mission projects are often unrelated to the theme and have no direct connection to activities.
- Be aware of cultural insensitivity and adjust accordingly.
About the Publisher
Group’s primary VBS programs are designed as week-long rotation models with mixed-age groups of children led by an adult or teenager along with station leaders. Activities for each group are age appropriate and easy to use. Upbeat music selections fit well with Bible verses and support the daily themes. Group’s emphasis on atonement theology, apparent in all of their VBS programs, can be heavy-handed at times. As with any curricula, leaders need to be aware of shifts they find inappropriate and adjust instructions and scripts accordingly.