Internet
Explorer users will notice that the reviews are organized in a collapsible
outline. Simply click on a question and the answer will appear below it.
Resource: Jesus
to the Rescue
Produced
by:
Standard Publishing
Denomination:
Non-denominational
-
Is this a "permanent" resource (i.e. you buy it once and you can reuse it over many years) or a "dated" resource (i.e. it is produced for just one summer, with a new one coming out each year)?
Although the material itself has no dates on it, Standard Publishing puts out a new resource every year, meaning that supplies cannot be re-ordered after the season in which the resource is purchased. - What
are the main goals or aims of this VBS resource?
The stated goals of Jesus to the Rescue are to “explore rescue stories, learn how Jesus comes to the rescue of those in need today,” and, “discover how to become a rescuer for Jesus.” Judging from the material itself, it seems the overriding goal is to convert the students themselves to Christ. The teachers’ guides give ample advice on doing so. - What
is the content (i.e. particular Bible stories, a theological theme,
questions, etc.)?
Jesus to the Rescue is centered on “real life rescue stories” in the Bible. These include Old Testament stories such as those of Noah and Esther, as well as the story of the resurrection. - For
what ages is it intended, and how are they grouped?
The resource covers Preschool through 12th grade. The Preschool material is intended for 2, 3, and 4 year-old, with the following levels being intended for children who have completed: Kindergarten, 1st or 2nd grades, 3rd and 4th grades, 5th and 6th grades, and 7th through 12th grades. - What
is the structure of a week, a day, and/or class session in this VBS
program? What kinds of activities do learners engage in?
The curriculum is intentionally flexible so that it can be applied to a variety of daily schedules. Clear timetables are given for Classroom Based, Modified Classroom Based, Site-Based, and Rotation types of VBS. One suggestion is that the day begin with “We’re Going In” (learning centers), followed by “Clean up”, “It’s time to Worship,” “Real-Life Rescue”, “Wiggling Time,” “Student Book Time,” “EMT Break,” “Ever Ready Crafts,” and “Clean up,”—in that order, to be closed with “Over and Out.” There are both 5-day and 10-day plans. - What
kind of teachers would you need if you were using this VBS program?
The kit is elaborate, calling for full days with a wide variety of activities. The teachers’ guides describe the activities in detail, but ease the demand on the teacher only slightly. The program probably calls for trained volunteers and/or experienced teachers. In fact, the Director’s Kit suggests holding a training event one month before VBS starts. - What
space, resources, additional staffing, and other resources would you need to
use this VBS appropriately?
To make full use of this program, enormous resources have to be available, including dramatic sets, costumes, accessories, cassettes, craft kits, etc. To use some of these properly, a good sound system and overhead projector are a minimum. A large staff is also a must. Everything needed, except human resources, can be purchased from the company, but none of it has been assembled into a comprehensive package. - What
view of children, their development, their faith, and their ways of learning
are implicit in this VBS material?
The authors of this resource have taken care to put together an age appropriate curriculum for each level. Notes to the teacher give information about the developmental stages of children. Ample opportunity is given to keep children constantly involved in learning. - As
this VBS resource treats it, what IS the Bible, how is it interpreted, and
how is it used in the VBS?
This resource treats the Bible as one “rescue story” after another. This view supports the aim of the course to make children rescuers for Jesus. There also seems to be an understanding that Jesus Christ is the one who saves, even in Old Testament stories such as that of Noah and the Flood. - What
theological concepts or themes are central in this VBS?
Theologically, the material assumes that children of all levels can appreciate the death of Christ and the resurrection. As mentioned already, it also assumes that children of all ages need to make a decision to follow Christ. The ultimate purpose of the course seems to be to save children. Salvation is the central theme of Jesus to the Rescue. - How
does the promotional material (advertising or marketing pieces) relate to
the substantive content of the VBS (in other words, does it have slick
packaging, and does the packaging really have anything to do with the
content of the VBS program)?
The promotional material is a fair representation of the course. The publicity focuses on images of ambulance crews, fire fighters, the police force, etc. It is difficult to discern from the promotional video the real substance of Jesus to the Rescue. As it turns out, the resource itself is also heavy and image and weak on theological content. - What is
the cost of this resource? If a small church with 25 people attending
VBS wanted to use this material, how much would they have to spend? If
a large church with 100 people attending VBS wanted to use this material,
how much would they spend?
Since each element of this VBS resource is sold separately, it is theoretically appropriate for any size church. The material seems to work best, though, when the elaborate sets, costumes, and other equipment and accessories are used. Such a purchase would place a much greater burden on small churches than on large ones. Whether the program has 25 students or 100, a minimum investment of about $120.00 would be required. Add to this sum at least 2.45 for each student book, $4.99 for each teacher text, and about $5.00 for each student’s craft materials. Certificates, stickers, and a variety of other extras all pose an additional expense. - Over
all, what do you see as the strengths and weaknesses of this VBS resource?
One of the strengths of this material is its wide age range, although one might question the grouping of 7th-12th graders together. The most striking feature is its slick marketing. The material is attractive and elaborate, the theme taken straight from popular television shows. The key weakness is that too much energy seems to have been placed on the package and not enough on the content. The theology does not go very deep and is riddled with clichés. (One of the songs, to the tune of “Are you sleeping, are you sleeping, bother John…” contains the lyrics, “Where is Jesus? Where is Jesus? On the cross. On the cross. Dying for us. Dying for us. On the cross. On the cross.” We could also question how age appropriate some of the messages are, as well as whether students attending Bible School would really be counted among those unfamiliar with the story of Jesus.