Egypt Joseph's Journey from Prison to Palace - Group VBS 2010

Welcome to the Egypt Group VBS 2010 main information page. This is the new Holy Land Adventure series VBS program from Group for 2010. Of course the Bible Memory Maker are back with new bible verses to learn and share. Use the Egypt VBS Quick Order Form to easily place an order and view our VBS 2010 Special Offers as well. Read on below to learn more about Egypt VBS 2010. If you want to see Egypt in Action view our Flash Website for Egypt VBS 2010. We are you VBS Headquarters for Vacation Bible School 2010. Please feel free to call us with questions or to place an order.

Egypt VBS 2010 : Starter Kit

Egypt VBS 2010 Starter Kit $94.99 $84.99 with code EKIT10	Director Resources Ultimate Director Go-To Guide Group’s VBS Web Toy Box® Invitation postcard Publicity poster God Sighting Stone Building Blocks Family Devotional Booklet Spend a While on the Nile: Recruiting, Overview & Pass-Along Training DVD

Egypt VBS 2010 : Information and Resources

• Blessed Be Your Name
• All That I Am (Psalm 103:1)
• Great Is Thy Faithfulness
• If Anyone Lacks Wisdom (James 1:5)
• How Great Is Our God
• Mighty to Save
• Children of God
• Egypt Soundtrack

3 to 6 Months Before Egypt Vacation Bible School

Begin praying for your church's Egypt program.
Ask God to prepare the hearts of church members, workers, and children who will attend.

Choose a format for Egypt. This program is ultra-flexible!

• Will you meet in the morning, afternoon, or evening?
• Will you meet every day for a week or once a week for several weeks?
• Will your program be for children only, or will entire families be invited to attend?
• Will you meet at your church or another location?

Set dates.
As you're considering dates, you may want to find out about other summer programs offered by your church or your community so you can avoid conflicts.

Choose a Director.
The Director is responsible for planning, recruiting staff, and overseeing all details to ensure that Egypt works smoothly. Consider recruiting a team of leaders to head up areas such as publicity, registration, shops, Family Leaders, and drama. Delegation allows church members to use their gifts and passions in exciting ways!

Set a budget.
Look through the entire Egypt catalog to get an idea of what you'll need for your program. Write down the cost of each item you'll need, and then tally the total cost to set your budget. Your church may already include VBS in its budget. If so, find out what funds are available. If your church doesn't have a budget in place, don't worry! Money for a quality program needn't be a stumbling block. There are countless ways you can easily (and painlessly) raise the funds you need. Consider the following ideas.

• Collect an offering to cover expenses.
• Charge a per-family registration fee. Give discounts to families who volunteer for your staff.
• Invite congregation members to sponsor children by contributing a per-child amount. (See the Registration section in the Ultimate Director Go-To Guide for more specifics on this idea.)
• Use Giving Spree -- VBS Registry™ on Group's VBS P.R.O.™. This "gift registry" allows congregation members or even families to contribute to your program in a specific way.
• Hold a creative fundraiser. Send a "Pharaoh" (a hammy volunteer in costume) through the congregation, demanding payment for taxes. You'll have plenty of additional funds in no time!

Start collecting decorations.
Round up things like baskets, burlap sacks, colorful pieces of fabric, terra-cotta pottery, rugs, and blankets. Let members of your congregation know what you're looking for so they can keep their eyes and ears open for potential ancient-Egypt decorations.

Program and Format

Does everyone need to be in costume?
No one should be required to wear costumes, but costumes help create the environment and will set the tone for fun and authenticity. It could be as simple as a color-coded Family belt, a simple tunic, or even a bathrobe. Costuming is a fun part of Egypt because it's a simple way to encourage your staff to play their parts and exciting for participants to dress in Bible-times costumes.

(back to top)

Do I need to build sets to create the Marketplace?
Hammer and nails are not required! Creating an ancient Egyptian Marketplace doesn't have to be a lot of work. Canopies and blankets are the basic "sets" you'll use. Gather sheets, baskets, and pots to create shops and see your Marketplace come alive. Also, our field test showed us that Egypt works indoors or outdoors!

(back to top)

Will kids have as much fun at Egypt as they would at Group's Easy VBS®?
You bet! Egypt is filled with high-energy games, hands-on crafts, big-action Bible drama, and tasty snacks. But kids will also get the freedom of choice—choosing which shops they visit each day. They'll enjoy learning new skills like brickmaking and writing their name in hieroglyphics. Plus, they'll get insights into Joseph's life and learn how to apply those lessons to their own life.

(back to top)

Can I use the program just for kids?
Yes. Although the activities have been designed for and tested by families, you can create an Egypt program just for kids. Simply form combined-age elementary Egyptian Families that include one or two kids from each age level along with an adult or teenage Family Leader and Assistant Family Leader. Mixed-age Families will still maintain a close-knit feel.

(back to top)

Can my Egypt be shorter than five days?
Yes! If time constraints only allow you to do a four-day program, simply omit the Day 3 activities. Even if you condense your schedule, be sure to send home Notes from the Nile for each day, since the activities will help everyone connect Bible truths to everyday life.

(back to top)

How does Egypt work with smaller churches?
If you have fewer than 50 participants, you'll just have fewer Families. And since you'll have fewer people exploring the Marketplace shops, you'll require fewer shops. (Of course, you're welcome to have them all.) However, you will still set up Joseph's prison/palace and the Pyramid Playground.

(back to top)

We have a lot of kids attend who've never been to church before. Will this program be "over their heads"?
Egypt doesn't assume that kids or adults know anything about the Bible, so it's learner-friendly for everyone. You'll get kids of all backgrounds intrigued to learn more about the life of Joseph and about what it means to follow God through the ups and downs of real life.

(back to top)

Won't the Marketplace be chaotic?
Surprisingly, the Marketplace is kind of mellow and relaxed. Every day, each Family forms two groups before heading into the Marketplace. Half of the Family members go with the Family Leader, and the other half goes with the Assistant Family Leader. Family Leaders and shopkeepers help kids settle into their projects; or Families might gather together to enjoy a snack they've purchased at the Food Shop. Even though kids get to choose which shops they visit, by the end of the week everyone will have visited each shop. Plus, the use of the silver coins helps kids and adults "budget" time, visiting two shops plus purchasing a snack at the Food Shop every day.

(back to top)

What should I do with my preschoolers?
Preschoolers love the fun "make-believe" aspect of Egypt! If you're incorporating entire families, little ones fit right in, and you'll appreciate the extra supervision that parents lend. If you're doing the program exclusively for children, you can either incorporate preschoolers into smaller Egyptian Families (we recommend aiming for about five kids per Family if you've got preschoolers present) or create preschool Families of five children to one Family Leader. Check out the Ultimate Director Go-To Guide for even more easy ways to adapt Egypt for preschoolers.

(back to top)

Products

I'm not familiar with Holy Land Adventure programs. Which products will have the biggest impact on families that attend?
There are many unique products available for Egypt, but when it comes to creating memorable experiences and lasting memories, a few stand out.

Family Time is the most life-changing and thought-provoking time of the program, so make sure each Family is equipped with a Family Time Teaching Kit, filled with eye-popping, kid-friendly items your leaders will love using to teach.

Notes from the Nile Student Books and unique Marketplace projects bring Bible times alive and provide fun comparisons to life today. Make sure to purchase one for each participant. They make a huge impact on the quality and excitement of your program.

Another "must-have" item is the Bible Memory Makers®. Each person will receive a set throughout the week. These serve as lifelong treasures—items kids will hang onto long after VBS ends. Make sure to give each participant a set to remind them of their special time at Egypt.

(back to top)

Can craft projects be purchased individually, or are they only sold in packages?
Crafts, as well as a number of other resources, are sold only in packages. Because processing individual units is complex and time-consuming, packaging crafts in quantity brings down the cost for you. We have reduced most package counts to 10 units to reduce the number of "extra" units you may encounter.

(back to top)

Can I return open packages of product for partial credit?
Because we receive product prepackaged from our vendors, we are unable to process returns of open or partially used packages. If you do find yourself with a few extras, use them as special gift surprises for Sunday school, for siblings of students, or for those who couldn't attend VBS.

(back to top)

Why can't I make copies of the music?
We are continually encouraged by churches to provide the best in recognizable, high-quality worship music for our VBS. Many of these songs are owned by the original artists or other publishers, and we are required to pay them a royalty each time we distribute their songs. Group does not have the authority to grant anyone permission to copy these works. But the result is music that kids will be eager to listen to for years to come!

(back to top)

What Bible translation does Egypt use?
We've chosen to use the New Living Translation (NLT) because it's kid-friendly and easy to understand. Check out Group's Hands-On Bible®<link to the Hands-On Bible in iSTORE>, specially created to involve kids in Bible learning with specific activities, fun facts, and Scripture connections.

Plus, now you can keep adults focused on God Sightings all year long with Group's new God Sightings™: The One-Year Bible!

(back to top)

Group's Egypt VBS 2010 - Joseph's Journey from Prison to Palace

The New Holy Land Adventure Vacation Bible School