Travel back in time to relive the book of Acts side by side with the Apostle, Paul! With “Rome, Paul and the Underground Church, your kids will find themselves living as an ancient Roman witnessing some of the early church’s historic moments which laid a foundation for our faith today!
DAILY DRAMA: Rome’s daily skits are far more than gags and silly costumes. The Daily Dramas are a 5-part, immersive retelling of Paul’s story of life for the First-Century Christians that takes place all around your VBS kids. Kids enter the market place in their family groups and then the action starts. From one end of the room a Roman guard shouts orders. On the other side of the room, a clumsy Olympian struggles to make the cut. Fish and bread vendors holler for customers, and the underground church searches for a place to hide. [Spoiler Alert] Our favorite part is when Brutus the centurion learns about Jesus and gives his life to Him. This exciting format helps your kids internalize the memory and learn all that God did among the early church to launch His earthly Kingdom.
God’s Love is Always There!
BIBLE POINT: The Roman denarius was the currency of the Empire and keeping a tight hold on your purse was always a good idea. At your Rome VBS, kids will want to hold tight to the Bible Point represented by the special coins they gain each day. On Day 1, the coin bears the image of a heart to help kids remember that “God’s love is a gift.” Day 2 brings a coin with stalks of grain imprinted on it declaring “God’s love changes us.” A coin bearing the image of chains on Day 3 encourages that “God is always with us.” The cross is emblazoned on the coin for Day 4 to remind us that “God’s love saves us.” Finally, Day 5’s coin says that God’s love is worth sharing with a picture of the Christian fish symbol, the ichthus.
THE UNDERGROUND CHURCH: Group’s “Holy Land Adventure” series hits its stride with this creative and history focused curriculum, most effectively with its inspiring picture of the underground and persecuted church. Kids will sneak by the Roman guards, hide in caves, and pray for the Apostle Paul as he suffers in prison. The reality of the persecuted church isn’t often portrayed for kids, so this is a refreshing focus. Especially in this time of cultural uncertainty, it’s important for our kids to have a healthy understanding of the cost of being a follower of Christ.
They will know we are Christians by our love!
OBJECT LESSONS: We’ve seen a lot of fun object lessons that make a great point, but two of Rome’s lessons hit a homerun for us this year. First, is their “grow powder” illustration of how the Gospel spread throughout the Roman world and, despite persecution, the early church grew so rapidly. Second is the “disappearing puffs” lesson where rice-based puffs are dropped into water and disappear in a flash. This is used quite effectively to show how faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection results in freedom from sin forever!
PRO-TIP: Take time to practice these object lessons. Even though they are very simple, your ability to share the story and illusions well is based on your preparation and practice. Kids can see right through your tricks, so when presenting biblical truth, you want to share them with authenticity and preparation. Especially with points that deal with the Gospel, poorly presented object lessons could leave your audience flat and skeptical.
EXTRAS: We’re really impressed with Rome’s extra helps and items to make your VBS even better. Check out these stand out items that bring the beauty of Rome home:
- Banduras – Okay, most VBSs are using the cool head wrap things these days, but we love that the multiple colors match the colors of your kids’ small groups which are each named after a family from ancient Rome. How cool is it that kids can go home on the first day and say, “I’m in the Maximus family!”
- It’s All Latin to Me! – It might be a dead language, but Latin is the key to understanding Rome and all it’s treasures. The curriculum sprinkles (dumps) a healthy dose of language learning to help make your VBS even more authentic. Our favorite? The worship times are called Extollo! Perfect.
- Epistle Equipment – Paul’s letters to the churches helped to build church health and unity as it grew. The rip proof paper scrolls, bamboo pen, and Ichthus wax stamp bring the real-life story of Paul’s missionary journey to life. Even if you can’t afford to get all these pieces for each of your kids, it’s definitely worth it to get the set for each room or group leader to demonstrate each day.
Purchase your copy of Rome from Group HERE.
