Building Faith’s 2025 reviews for Vacation Bible School and summer camp curriculum are here! Our review team has investigated some of the most popular new curriculum options available this year and compiled information and feedback on seven options to help you find a curriculum that best fits your ministry needs and contexts.
Our Review Process
This year we invited a team of four ministry leaders to conduct the reviews. The team primarily examined publishers’ website content, sample materials that are available for free, and videos; in a few cases, team members had the opportunity to review the full curriculum.
In the evaluation process, the team considered six interrelated dimensions:
- Theological messages
- Interpretations and uses of scripture
- Approaches to learning and formation
- Language and practices regarding inclusivity and diversity of human identities and experiences, especially in relation to race, culture, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and economic status
- Attention to social justice, service, and creation care
- Program structure and logistics
Each review provides an overview of the curriculum and highlights what the curriculum does well as well as what could be improved. Below you can access individual slidedecks for each review. You can also follow this link to view the full slidedeck with all the reviews.
We offer our recommendations and critical feedback in a spirit of compassion and dedication to enriching faith formation for all people in liberating, life-giving ways. As always, we encourage you to reflect on the gifts, needs, values, and commitments of your ministry context in order to discern which curriculum may be best for your community.
Top Picks for 2025
This year’s top picks for new curricula are:
- “Another Way” by Chalice Press (full curriculum reviewed)
- “Egypt: Joseph’s Journey from Prison to Palace” by Group
- “Learning Together: Celebrations” by Spirit & Truth Publishing (full curriculum reviewed)
- “Road Trip: On the Go with God” by Cokesbury
- “True North: Trusting Jesus in a Wild World” by Group
- “Waves of Wonder” by Shine (full curriculum reviewed)
- “Yee Haw: Celebrating God’s Greatest Gift” by Group
Overall, these resources generally provide the makings for age-appropriate, theologically grounded, and fun-filled formation opportunities for VBS and camp participants. While they also have room for improvement in various ways, we think that these curricula can be fruitful options for VBS, camp, or intergenerational formation programs.
For the full slidedeck of all reviews, follow this link: Building Faith VBS and Summer Camp Curriculum Reviews 2025
A Word of Thanks to Our Review Team
We want to express our deep gratitude to this year’s review team: Sally Benton, Molly Herman-Gallow, Juniper LaNunziata, and Marvin McLennon. Their experience and insights were invaluable to these reviews, and they worked hard to provide assessments that address the wide array of needs, hopes, and concerns that go into planning and executing a VBS or camp program.
You can learn more about them in the bios below:
Sally Benton (she/her/hers)
Sally Benton is the Director of Children, Youth, and Family Ministries at St. John’s in McLean, Virginia and has been ministering to children and youth for over 10 years. She and her husband are currently living in Alexandria, VA with their two small children. They have had the joy of ministering together not only in parishes, but on college campuses, at summer camp, and just about everywhere in between. Sally is passionate about faith formation for all people and helping people build confidence in exploring their faith independently as well as in community.
Molly Herman-Gallow (she/her/hers)
Molly Herman-Gallow lives in Durham, North Carolina, where she is pursuing her Master of Divinity at Duke Divinity School. She formerly worked at St. Martin in the Fields Episcopal Church in Brookhaven, GA as its Children & Youth Minister. In that role, she loved ministering to all of St. Martin’s children and families, and she especially enjoyed aspects of curriculum creation and Christian education that her role required of her. Molly is a cradle Episcopalian and grew up in the Diocese of Atlanta. She graduated from Elon University in 2019 with a filmmaking degree and a minor in religious studies. Molly loves continuing to tell the story of the Church and discovering her identity further as a Christian formation educator.
Juniper LaNunziata (they/them)
Juniper LaNunziata is a postulant for holy orders in the Diocese of East Carolina and currently serves as Campus Minister for The Well Campus Ministries of East Carolina University. 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 but has been living in the South for almost 20 years. They love to bake bread, drink boba tea, and go geocaching. Check out their blog for Christian formation and design at www.formedbyexperience.blog.
Marvin McLennon (he/him/his)
Marvin is the Director of Children 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, where he was actively involved in the youth group, held diocesan youth leadership roles, and spent summers at Camp Mitchell as a camper and Counselor in Training. He went on to attend Hendrix College, earning a degree in Communications. After graduating in 2013, Marvin joined the Episcopal Service Corps in Louisiana, where he served as Assistant Youth Director at St. James Episcopal Church in Baton Rouge. Following his year of service, he became the Youth Director for St. James and the Diocesan Youth Director in the Diocese of Louisiana. In 2016, he returned to Arkansas to begin his work at Christ Church while also becoming an active member of the Forma Council in 2019 and part of the Forma Executive Council in 2021.
Featured image is by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
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