A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Starveyors VBS 2017
Last week was one of the biggest events of Lifeway’s VBS year – the photo and video shoot for the VBS 2017 catalog and promotional videos. This is the moment each year when all of the components of the Bible content, music, crafts, snacks, t-shirts, and decorations come together. It is also the first time many of us get to see the sets. I thought you might enjoy a sneak peek.
Filming the interior of the Starveyors Club House. Think rustic: scraped lumber, crates, telescopes, globes, maps, fun gadgets such as mobiles, and maybe a mischievous raccoon or two.
Two of our great actors wearing Starveyors t-shirts in front of the club house exterior. Except for the foam trees this might be your own backyard.
In case you think a Starveyor Club House can only be found in the suburbs or country, this set is a big city roof-top version of the club house. Anywhere there are stars there are kids ready to explore the wonders of God’s universe. Every backyard, rooftop, and club house is unique and Lifeway’s VBS team can wait to see your interpretation of the theme.
Kids decked out in Starveyor t-shirts are learning motions for the Worship Rally promo video. Lighting turns the night sky backdrop into a star in its own right.
Photos by Chuck Peters
Are there any churches in Louisiana that might have been a pilot church for this theme in 2016? A church in our area seems to have an inside track and does the next year’s theme a year in advance. Just wondering if this is a coincidence or do they have an inside track?
Just curious since this is not a Lifeway curriculum using church for Sunday School.
Glenda, we do not use pilot churches to test LifeWay’s curriculum so I think it just may be a coincidence. Our 2017 resources are at the printers right now so it would be impossible for a church to have a complete set of curriculum for the next year.
I truly love all the different program of VBS that you guys do each year. This last one Submerge just hit me more then any other I been in charge of. We have 2 little girls ages 2 that caught on to the songs and move along with others that just broke my heart to just full of tears happy tears.
Thanks for making it so enjoyable not just for these two but for all of us.
Children’s Director
Northside Baptist Church
Milan, TN.
Maria Holmes
We just finished 2 weeks of Submerged VBS and loved it! There are so many positive things I could list but I would like to make a suggestion for future… even though I hate to be one of those people who only say something negative 🙂
I have noticed that over the last couple of years, and especially this year, the motions to the songs are very generic. I very much miss some true sign language motions that used to be used. It seems like that is a trend now ( to do away with signing) and it is a disappointment. Using sign language motions for major words like God, faith, trust etc always gave the music more meaning… for example “You Know Me” had so many waving motions that did not stand out, not many really learned them… just thought I’d throw that out there. And thank you to everyone who puts such great work into this!
I totally agree! I miss the sign language motions. Bring them back, please. They are much more meaningful.
I agree with the previous comment. I miss the sign language that children remember from one year to the next. It seems you have gone toward “cheer leader” motions that are just randomly thrown in. If someone advised you that this was a good move, you took a real learning experience out and replaced it with something that distracts instead of really registering with the students. Please consider this as you move forward. Thank you
We make up our own motions because these past few years the motions from lifeway have taken away from the meanings of the songs so much. The songs are so fantastic! We do more sign language and we simplify it so there isn’t a complicated motion for every single word.
Piney Grove Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Submerged was a great theme for VBS! We even had adults in the audience doing the motions to “bubble up song!” I think our church purchased every dark blue, teal, green and yellow plastic retanglar table cloth in the entire State of Alabama! From the front to the back we used colors of blue to reflect the ocean. One lady made individual fish (color swabs from several hardware stores) and she stopped counting at 1800. We decorated our free standing 9′ Cross with gray plastic table wrap (2 full rolls) and turned the Cross into a very large anchor. On our Friday Family Night event, the Anchor was slowly unwrapped by “Suba Susie” to to show that “the Anchor is Jesus.” Largest average (89) for our VBS in years, with supper each night, and even adult classes.
Mary, thanks for the great report! It sounds like the church really submerged into Submerged! Congratulations on the average attendance. That is awesome!
We love LifeWay Curriculum! We are a mid sized VBS at 350+ kids.
We, too, miss the sign language because it causes you to focus on the words of songs. The songs are super with very good lyrics! And we really want kids to understand what they are singing.
Well done, LifeWay! Thank you so much for all your hard work!! To God be the glory!
FIRSTkids Director, FBC Charlottesville, VA
Although I do a lot of sign language with our regular church children I find the motions to be much easier for small churches that only do 2.5 hour camps. They only get 25 minutes in music class a day making it harder to learn. I actually noticed the some of the songs getting harder the last 2 years rather than easier mainly because of the tempo, (which I love too)..I would love to see some signs but easier ones that are more important and realistic for all size camps.
Hey Jerry,
Are Scooter and Louis going to be used again in the Worship Rally videos? Just curious…. see you in January!
We will just have to wait and see! You never know who might show up in a VBS video. Looking forward to January. It will be here before we know it!
I can’t wait! I was a little disappointed that there was not a “full length” movie produced this year. Last year at Valentines Day, we had a VBS Double Feature with Rocket Pack Jack and The Lost Adventure. We had I <3 VBS signs and a Valentine making station with "save the date for VBS" stickers to put on the Valentines.
I planned to show The Lost Adventure and the Lois and Skeeter one in February 2017…. I will have to get creative with those Worship Rally videos to put them together as one show….
I wish there was a long uninterrupted version on the Worship Rally DVD. Just sayin'…
Proofread!
Starveyors.
My mistake.
My husband and I were fortunate enough to meet the gentlemen that write the songs for VBS, we got to listen to them talk about their process and ask them questions, etc. Knowing what goes in to writing these wonderful songs, it is disappointing to see the VBS motions. The songs themselves are fun, catchy, scriptural!! But the motions are too complicated, they don’t flow with the song, and they pull away from the message.
We have chosen to make up our own motions and we use LifeWay’s motions as a guide if we need an idea here and there.
After reading the previous comments regarding the motions, I would encourage others (if you choose and have time) to do the same.
We use some sign language, (aslpro.com) and some easy motions that we hope enhance the song and not take away from its message.
Let me encourage you to get the cd first and listen to it BEFORE you see the choreography. Listen to it a few times and then view the DVD. Trust me.
This is the only criticism I have of their VBS materials.