Please note: This free VBS has been tried and tested in both a camp VBS and Sunday school setting. Feel free to use all or parts of the free VBS for your church, camp or school. We hope that this free VBS is a blessing to you and those you minister to. Please take a look around our website and if you would like to suggest a theme for another free VBS please get in contact with us. We would also love to see any photos or videos of how you have used this free VBS in your ministry.
Mission:Possible
THEME EXPLANATION: The Mission:Possible free VBS or lesson series is all about the mission of God. Mission:Possible is all about encouraging children to see that they can be part of God’s mission to love people and tell them all about His love. Using stories from the past and the present Mission:Possible helps your children to see the importance of making God’s mission known. The travel themed decorations help to emphasize the fact that we must tell the world all about Jesus – and that we can even travel to do that!
THEME SONG IDEAS:
There are two great theme tunes that we have found for this theme:
1. ‘Nothing is Impossible‘ by Shout Kids Praise
2. ‘Impossible Possible’ by Yancy
3. ‘Tell the World’ by Hillsong Kids
THEME DECORATION IDEAS:
1. Globes. Globes come in lots of forms and sizes; large, mini, inflatable, paper. Children can even use the globes to pass around their groups when they are praying.
2. Maps. Use maps for hanging, cutting out shapes and words, using for bunting or wrapping things with. You could even buy some items (notebooks, books) that already have maps on them and use them as prizes of giveaways at the end of the week.
3. Flags. You could buy or create your own large flags to display or use world flag bunting to put around your room.
4. Suitcases. Suitcases can be used as visuals for children to remember that reaching the world often means traveling. Suitcases can be placed around the room, or you can even use them as a place for children to put their prayers or letters in.
5. Luggage tags. Giant luggage tags would work really well as decorations or simply incorporating them into your crafts.
6. Airplanes, Cars and different types of transport. Paper airplanes will look great dangling from the ceiling or you could create your own giant car if you have a stage or platform big enough!
7. Travel tickets. Travel tickets could be placed around a smaller room as a little reminder of the Mission:Possible theme.
8. Cultural Expressions. You could choose to have different areas or rooms take on a different cultural theme. For example, one area could have Chinese decorations, another could incorporate an Australian decor. Another could be themed around Africa. If you are providing food or want to give your children a taste for different cultures during the course of the VBS you could use the food to work alongside the theme i.e. provide Chinese food for the children to try on the day they pray for China etc
9. Compasses. Compasses can be used as a reminder that the Holy Spirit helps to lead and guide us as we share the love of Christ. They also go pretty well with out travelling theme!
10. Airmail envelopes. Use airmail envelopes as little reminders that many people could only communicate using letters before we had the internet. It is a reminder of the distance we must go to tell the world about Jesus.
For more snack and decoration ideas check out our Mission:Possible Pinterest Board here.
THEME CRAFT IDEAS:
1. Decorate or create a flag. Have children creating the Christian flag, a flag for their country or their own identity flag as a way of introducing the theme as they come in.
2. Mache mini suitcases. Mini suitcases are a reminder that when God sends us somewhere there are things we may need to take with us when we go, yet there are some things that we have to leave behind. Decorating these mache mini suitcases gives you a chance to discuss these things with the children.
3. Map prayer wall. Why not encourage the children to work together to create a map prayer wall during the time of your VBS or lesson series.
MISSION PRAYER IDEAS:
1. Prayer/Travel Journals. Have children write their own prayers in journals that they have made or decorated. You could also create your own pages that the children can then write on and put in their journals.
2. Prayer Airplanes. Children write prayers on paper airplanes that they have created and then throw them together as they pray.
3. Map Prayer Wall. Put a large map on the wall and have children put little tags or stickers on the places they want to pray for. You could provide the Operation World book as a helpful tool to provide information on each country.
4. Prayer Bracelets. You can encourage the children to pray as they make a bracelet using beads and elastic.
5. Prayer Luggage Tags. Provide luggage tags and fun colored markers for children to write or draw a prayer.
6. Prayer Globe. Do you have a cool globe that you could provide for children to pray with? What about a large inflatable globe to pray with? Or several small globes to pass around in their teams as they pray?
7. Open Doors UK have some amazing resources for children to pray for the persecuted church. You can check out and order the pack here.
Mission:Possible Lessons:
LESSON 1: GOD SENDS ADAM AND EVE
BIG IDEA: GOD MADE A WAY TO BRING US BACK TO HIMSELF
STORY: ADAM AND EVE AND THE GARDEN OF EDEN
PASSAGE: GENESIS 2-3
Get right to the heart of the matter with this lesson on sin and it’s consequences. We start the series focussed on why God had a mission to reach out. This is where it all began…
LESSON 2: GOD SENDS ABRAHAM
BIG IDEA: SACRIFICE IS NEEDED
STORY: ABRAHAM AND ISAAC
PASSAGE: GENESIS 22:1-19
Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son is the theme of this lesson. Children will learn that to be a part of God’s mission we are going to need to be willing to sacrifice a few things…
LESSON 3: GOD SENDS MOSES
BIG IDEA: WE HAVE BEEN SET FREE
STORY: THE ISRAELITES LEAVE EGYPT
PASSAGE: EXODUS 14
Christ has set us free, Moses set his people free and we are called to help set other’s free, that’s the subject matter discussed in this lesson. Children will be inspired to see people set free as they share about Jesus…
LESSON 4: GOD SENDS JOSHUA
BIG IDEA: FAITH V SIGHT
STORY: EXPLORING CANAAN
PASSAGE: NUMBERS 13-14
What does it look like to see through eyes of faith? That’s the challenge set out in this lesson. In any mission situation, whoever we are hoping to reach, we need to see with the eyes of Christ. We need faith to believe that they will accept Christ and that our words are seeds that will one day come to fruition…
LESSON 5: GOD SENDS GIDEON
BIG IDEA: FEAR V FAITH
STORY: GIDEON AND THE MIDIANITES
PASSAGE: JUDGES 6-7
Gideon’s fear at being chosen as leader is the subject matter of this lesson as it is contrasted with the attributes of faith. We all feel fear when we are sharing Christ with others, it’s a natural feeling. Yet we don’t need to be controlled by our fear. We can experience faith in Christ and His love that overcomes all our fears…
LESSON 6: GOD SENDS SAMUEL
BIG IDEA: GOD IS A GOOD KING
STORY: SAUL IS MADE KING
PASSAGE: 1 SAMUEL 8-10
Ever wondered what the kingdom of God really means? In this lesson children will learn about the King of Kings and how they can be a part of His kingdom! This lesson aims to help children understand their position in the kingdom – that they are a servant of the King…
LESSON 7: GOD SENDS JONAH
BIG IDEA: SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE
STORY: JONAH AND THE WHALE
PASSAGE: JONAH 1-4
Speaking the truth can sometimes come across as being hard and cruel, yet when we speak love we can simply sound soft. That’s why the theme of this lesson is speaking the truth in love! We all need to learn to do this well if we are going to reach out in power guided by the Holy Spirit to those around us…
LESSON 8: GOD SENDS JESUS
BIG IDEA: JESUS BRINGS A NEW KIND OF JUSTICE
STORY: THE WOMAN CAUGHT IN SIN
PASSAGE: JOHN 8:1-11
What would the world be like without justice? This lesson focusses on the new kind of justice that came through Christ. It helps children to see the importance of justice in today’s world and how our view of justice can affect our mission…
LESSON 9: GOD SENDS JESUS TO SHOW US HOW TO LIVE
BIG IDEA: JESUS SHOWS US HOW TO LIVE
STORY: THE WOMAN AT THE WELL
PASSAGE: JOHN 4:1-26
By learning of Jesus’ interactions with the Samaritan woman we learn what it means to love those that are poor, lonely and unloved. Children will learn the necessity of reaching out to those considered the lowest and unloved in our societies…
LESSON 10: GOD SENDS THE DISCIPLES
BIG IDEA: GOD WANTS US TO GO EVEN WHEN ITS TOUGH
STORY: THE GREAT COMMISSION
PASSAGE: MATTHEW 28:16-20
God wants us to go. That’s the thought behind this lesson on the Great Commission. It’s nice to think about mission, but it’s another thing completely to get up and do something about it! Children will be encouraged to start serving God right now as they step out in faith to reach their world…
LESSON 11: GOD SENDS THE HOLY SPIRIT
BIG IDEA: GOD HAS GIVEN US THE HOLY SPIRIT
STORY: PENTECOST
PASSAGE: ACTS 2:1-15
The power, gifts and guidance of the Holy Spirit are all part of this lesson to encourage your children to see why they need the Holy Spirit in their lives. Without the Holy Spirit our mission is powerless, we need to rely on His leading if we are going to make any kind of impact…
LESSON 12: GOD SENDS YOU AND ME; THE CHURCH
BIG IDEA: THE CHURCH NEEDS TO STICK TOGETHER
STORY: PETER ESCAPES PRISON
PASSAGE: ACTS 12: 1-17
This free VBS ends with a celebration of the fact that we too have been sent into the world to reach other’s for Christ. It isn’t just a job for adults or for those that do it as a job, every member of the Church has been chosen to be a part of God’s mission to reach a lost world. The question is, what are we going to do about it? Send your children out challenged to start living this series out…
EXTRA IDEAS:
1. MISSIONARY VISIT: You could have a missionary come into your free VBS and share testimonies about how God has used them to tell others about Jesus. If there are any young people or children that have taken part in a mission trip lately then that is even better – this will remind children that you are never too young to go where God asks you to go or do what he asks you to do.
2. COLLECTION FOR MISSIONS PROJECT: You could have a day (or perhaps use everyday) as an opportunity for children to give to a missions project. This will help the children see that you are never too young to give to the work of God in the world.
3. LOCAL MISSIONS PROJECT: Why not invite the children to take part in a local missions project as part of the VBS or during one of the following weeks. Involving the children and encouraging them to serve will perhaps give them a love for missions too!
4. MISSION POSSIBLE CARDS: These cards present great ideas for children to be kingdom workers and may provide you with some fantastic aids for your time teaching Mission Possible! View them here.
Click here for the ‘Mission Possible’ free VBS Powerpoint image
Click here for the high quality ‘Mission Possible’ postcard or invites
Click here for the ‘Mission Impossible’ logo for dark t-shirts
Click here for the ‘Mission Possible’ logo for light colored tshirts
