Get ready to explore amazing animals, lush landscapes, stunning sea life, and wondrous wilderness this summer at Vacation Bible School. During Epic Australian Adventure: An Unforgettable Journey with Jesus, children will learn what Jesus said about Himself in John 14:6: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” Let’s journey through each of the resources that come in the Epic Australian Adventure Starter Kit.
Epic Australian Adventure Starter Kit
Every adventure requires a list of essentials, which is why the VBS 2025 Starter Kit is packed with must-need items for an epic VBS experience.
Starter Kit items:
- Director Guide with Digital Access to Starter Kit Materials
- Director USB
- NEW Individual Site Leader Guides:
- Opening & Closing*
- Early Childhood Storytelling*
- Elementary Storytelling*
- Crafts*
- Snacks*
- Games*
- Bible Exploration*
- Music Leader Guide
- NEW Crafts for Every Day*
- Early Childhood and Elementary Leaflets*
- Collectibles*
- Passalong Music Download Card*
- NEW Student Essentials*
- Koala Clip-Ons
- Sticker Sheets
- Temporary Tattoos
- Iron-Ons
- Bible Story Posters*
- NEW Decorating Posters*
- NEW Music with Song-Action Videos
- Five Theme Songs with Videos
- Five Bible Memory Verse Songs with Videos
- Mission Project Flyer
*One sample included in the kit. Also available to purchase separately.
New for VBS 2025
As noted in the list above, there are lots of new items for VBS participants that you can share throughout your five days of VBS. Let’s unpack them:
Crafts
- Isaiah 43:1 Photo Frame—remind children that they have been called by Jesus!
- Jesus Leads Sand Art—apply sand to sticky shapes and reveal a beautiful design!
- Jesus Loves Me Pendant—children can customize their own wooden cross and be reminded of Jesus’ love for them!
- Jesus Saves Suncatcher—when the sun shines through, children will be reminded of Jesus’ saving light!
- Good News Flyer—color the boomerang-style craft, and then go out and share the Good News of Jesus!
The Starter Kit comes with one sample of each of the crafts for you to check out; crafts are also available for additional purchase.
Student Essentials
- Koala Clip-Ons—attach these fun koalas to your lanyard, clipboard, or pencil.
- Sticker Sheets—children can decorate their bags, shirts, or a map of Australia available on the Director USB and in the Digital Starter Kit.
- Temporary Tattoos—pick your favorite animal and represent it during VBS.
- Iron-Ons*—create your own VBS shirts for staff and children.
*T-shirt not included
Director and Site Leader Guides
Whether you are the VBS Director or a Site Leader, there are a lot of details that need to be figured out. The Director Guide comes with everything you need to pull off your VBS, such as these:
- Planning Guide
- Schedule options
- Ideas for recruiting volunteers
- Budgeting plans
- Promotion ideas
- Safety guidelines
- Other planning basics
The individual Site Leader Guides provide leaders with basic information for their site with simple steps on how to connect each daily lesson and take-home point. Whether you are a new volunteer or a VBS veteran, you can find all the vital information you need in each of these leader guides:
- Opening & Closing*
- Early Childhood Storytelling*
- Elementary Storytelling*
- Crafts*
- Snacks*
- Games*
- Bible Exploration*
- Music Leader Guide
*One sample included in the kit. Also available to purchase separately.
Bible Lessons and Storytelling
During your five days of VBS, children will learn how Jesus calls, leads, teaches, saves, and sends us to share the Good News with others. Journey through God’s Word and these incredible stories:
- God Calls Moses (Exodus 3)
- God Leads His People to the Promised Land (Joshua 3–4)
- The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37)
- Peter and John Race to the Tomb (John 20:1–10, 19–20)
- Jesus Ascends to the Father (Luke 24:44–53; Acts 1:1–11)
Use the Bible Memory Verse Posters with each lesson for additional engagement with the story and to review that day’s Bible memory verse. You can also send kids home with Collectibles, which feature a lenticular image of the Bible story on one side and the take-home point on the other.
Early Childhood VBS Materials
Use the Early Childhood Storytelling Guide to teach these lessons in a way that younger children can understand. The Early Childhood Leaflets provide activities for each lesson and family devotions for children to take home. You can also access Early Childhood Music in the Digital Content Center, Director USB, and Passalong Music Download Card.
Elementary
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The Elementary Storytelling Guide helps you share exciting Bible accounts that are engaging, memorable, active, and fun! As kids interact with the Bible stories, they’ll discover how God’s Word speaks to their everyday lives. The Elementary Leaflets provide some additional activity pages they can take home to revisit that day’s lesson.
Include the Bible Story Posters in this station to bring the lessons to life!
Music and Song-Action Videos
Hop, dance, and raise your voices with these fun tunes! The Passalong Music Download Card provides access to all the theme music, including these:
- Theme Songs
- Audio Recordings and Song-Action Videos
- Bible Memory Verse Songs
- Audio Recordings and Song-Action Videos
- Early Childhood Music
- Audio Recordings
The Starter Kit also comes with a Music Leader Guide with scores for theme songs and hymn suggestions. This item is not available for additional purchase but can also be accessed in the Digital Content Center, which is included with the purchase of your Starter Kit.
Mission: Adventure Outreach Mission Project
Inside your Starter Kit is a Mission Project Flyer with everything you need to incorporate a mission project into your VBS week. .png?width=300&height=388&name=VBS%202025%20Mission%20Project%20(front).png)
With Mission: Adventure Outreach, your VBS participants can join Concordia Gospel Outreach on its mission to send Christian books to communities all over the world. This project aims to reach children and families who have yet to hear the Gospel or do not own books about Jesus.
During your VBS event, you can teach children that part of what Jesus instructs us to do is to go out and tell others about what He has done for us! Set a goal and then use the Mission Project Flyer to track your progress throughout your event. The other side of the flyer includes the details on how to send in your donation to Concordia Gospel Outreach.
Scripture: ESV®.
Find more information on Epic Australian Adventure at cph.org and check out our YouTube Channel for helpful videos.
