Orange’s Make Waves VBS (2022) emphasizes our ability to make a positive impact on the world.

Cost

$199 (VBS kit), $239 (VBS kit & USB)

Age Levels

Preschool, Elementary, Pre-Teen

Sessions

Overall theme: What you do today can change the world around you

Day 1 –God made people with a purpose (Creation, Genesis 1 & 2)
Day 2 – Jesus invited people to follow him (Peter Walks on Water, Matthew 14:22-33)
Day 3 – You can trust Jesus with your life (Jesus Is Alive, John 18–21:14)
Day 4 – Love others the way Jesus loves you (Love One Another, John 13:34-35 and Philip and the Ethiopian Official, Acts 8:26-40)
Day 5 – God can help you change the world around you (Fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23)

What is included in the basic package?

The VBS kit includes (among others):

Videos, Music, and Slides for large groups of Preschool and Elementary Ages
Small Group and Station Rotation Plans for Preschool, K-1, 2-3 and Preteen Groupings
Decoration, budgeting, and planning support
At home connections
Hybrid and virtual options
Social Media Support

Strengths

Scaled for a wide range of participants: large and small group curriculums for preschool and elementary school.
Interactive games, crafts, and snack options.
Compact version is adaptable for smaller churches.
Strong connection to home, including conversations and activities to send home and a script and logo for a family experience at the end of the week.
VBS Playbook with 9 options for alternative VBS (hybrid, backyard, drive-through, virtual, and more) allows for any scheduling pivots that arise.

Weaknesses

Video characters and humor may only appeal to some age groups and personalities.
Masculine pronouns used for God in videos might require adjustment if your tradition uses more inclusive language.
The technology-heavy curriculum would require a setting with high quality speakers, screens and streaming. The supply lists are lengthy, but adaptable.
Mission work, including videos, scripts, and prayers, would require adjustment if Soles4Souls is not an organization that your church would choose to support.

Additional Information

The mission videos show children from countries such as Haiti, Ecuador, Honduras, and Tanzania who have received shoes from Souls4Shoes, which can both show the strong impact of this mission work, but may also reinforce cultural and racial stereotypes.

The Adam and Eve story in Day 1 video presents gendered stereotypes (Adam cannot remember names of animals; Eve corrects him and makes fun under her breath), yet has a clear and inclusive message: all people are created in God’s image for the purpose of taking care of the world.

There are many adaptable activities for children with different abilities and a whole module that discusses different abilities.

About the Publisher

Orange Publishing VBS programs include activities that are flexible, well-constructed, and clearly explained. The media materials are beautifully created and impressive. Materials include take home resources for parents, adaptations for differently-abled children, videos, and engaging music. These materials are intended for evangelical churches with sin and salvation-oriented theologies. Orange curriculum uses masculine pronouns for God and binary language for humanity. Creedal churches may find it more trouble than it’s worth to adapt the recommended daily messages (which permeate all the materials) into a coherent, age-appropriate theological approach more in line with formation built on the baptismal covenant.

Make Waves (Orange VBS 2022)