by Aaron Wilson
Next summer, kids will grab their hard hats and head to the construction site with “Concrete & Cranes,” the 2020 Vacation Bible School theme from Lifeway Christian Resources.
In “Concrete & Cranes,” kids will discover how towering skyscrapers are carefully constructed on a rock solid foundation. And by studying five stories from the life of Jesus, kids will learn how they too can build their lives on a sure foundation—Christ and His gospel.
“As a self-proclaimed ‘power tool princess,’ I’m excited to have a theme of bulldozers and backhoes, rivets and rebar,” said Melita Thomas, VBS specialist for Lifeway. “This isn’t your typical ‘birthday party construction theme.’ It’s skyscrapers and cranes popping up all over an almost futuristic-looking urban landscape that’s colorful and whimsical.”
While preparing for the 2020 VBS theme, Thomas said she’s watched a city skyline undergo transformation outside of Lifeway’s downtown office windows.
“God led us to this theme long before Nashville exploded into ‘construction central,’ she said. “But it’s been great for our research. One of the most striking things we’ve noticed is how deep workers have to dig before anything can be built up.
“There are spiritual parallels there,” she continued. “Kids must establish strong spiritual foundations in order to keep from tumbling when the storms of life come.”
In “Concrete and Cranes,” kids will learn how to build their lives on the foundations of God’s love, forgiveness, declaration of worth, and His promises. They’ll then tie these lessons together by exploring the parable of the wise and foolish builders to learn how a foundation in Christ changes one’s life trajectory.
But kids won’t walk out of VBS as independent contractors, thinking they have to make a go at the Christian life alone. Rather, they’ll learn God is intimately involved in the process of sanctification—a truth that comes from the 2020 VBS theme verse of Philippians 1:6.
“Our theme verse tells kids that when God starts a good work, He’s sees it through to completion,” said Thomas. “That’s incredibly freeing because it means we don’t have to work everything out ourselves or be perfect. God is the master builder and will never leave us to fend for ourselves.”
VBS remains one of the most popular church programs in the U.S., Lifeway Research shows. Six in 10 Americans say they went to VBS growing up, and 95% of parents whose child attended VBS say it provided a positive experience.
VBS also continues to be a leading outreach event for churches. “Last summer, more than 59,000 people made professions of faith as a direct result of VBS,” Thomas said.
“Concrete and Cranes” was revealed through a Facebook Live event on Wednesday (June 5) which is watchable below. During the reveal, Lifeway also announced locations for 2020 VBS preview events:
- Ridgecrest, North Carolina, January 10-11
- Houston, Texas, January 17-18
- Fort Worth, Texas, January 24-25
- Hendersonville, Tennessee, January 30 – February 1
For more information, visit Lifeway.com/vbs2020
Aaron Wilson
Aaron is the internal communications manager at Lifeway and an associate editor of Lifeway Research. He and his family are members of Redeemer Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee, where they serve together in the children’s ministry.