How the Program Works

Overview Chart

Bible-times Sites

Mission Project

Life Application Activities

Crafts

View Program in Action

Music / Video Clips

Whale-Watching Party Kit

How the Program Works

The Jonah Experience!
Kids will experience a fun-filled adventure all day long, beginning at the Opening Assemblies and continuing as they travel back into Bible times. Each day, kids will dive into exciting Bible stories and participate in activities that make the lessons come alive.

First: The Opening Assembly
In the Opening Assemblies, which have a Bible-time marketplace atmosphere, kids will be greeted by a fisherman and a worm named Khalil. Then, Bob and Larry take the stage in an all-new video experience called Sharing God's Values Through the Story of Jonah. During each segment, kids will laugh and learn with their favorite VeggieTales characters, while they hear real-life testimonies of how God calls us to walk with him today.

After the Opening Assembly, children journey to five different Bible-time sites.
To determine who goes where, you simply divide the number of children attending your program into five groups. Each of these groups rotate to a different site on each day of the program so that participants always have something new and exciting to look forward to when they return. (Nametags can be purchased to identify each of these five groups. The kit includes a sample nametag sheet.)

If each main group contains more than ten children, it is recommended to divide the group into smaller groups (6-8 children). These small groups will each have one small group leader called a First Mate who stays with his/her small group for the entire program. Small groups work together to discuss, process, and participate in various activities at each site. Your schedule may look something like this:

Day Belly of Fish Palace of Ninevah Harbor Light Crossroads Captain's Quarters 1 SS Tarshish SS Mediter. SS Ninevah SS Joppa SS Nazareth 2 SS Mediter. SS Ninevah SS Joppa SS Nazareth SS Tarshish 3 SS Ninevah SS Joppa SS Nazareth SS Tarshish SS Mediter. 4 SS Joppa SS Nazareth SS Tarshish SS Mediter. SS Ninevah 5 SS Nazareth SS Tarshish SS Mediter. SS Ninevah SS Joppa

After the Opening Assembly, groups will be dismissed to one of the five sites. Each site is set up to follow the format listed below, which contains four main parts:

• The Voyage Begins (Introduction)
  During this time, kids will meet their Bible-time leaders, tour the site, and be introduced to the day's lesson of how to walk with God.
• Setting Sail for the Voyage (Bible Presentation)
  Kids are introduced to the Bible lesson, will hear the Bible presentation, and will participate in a Bible verse activity to help them discover how to walk with God. This time is filled with fun, interactive ways to learn the lessons; and kids will have a great time reviewing the story of Jonah by singing and performing fun hand motions to "Jonah's Journey."
• Voyage Exploration (Exploring the Lesson Focus)
  Kids will dive into activities that encourage them to explore the day's Bible lesson. Each site offers a new and creative way for kids to focus on how to walk with God. Leaders will get to choose from a large variety of activities, games, crafts, snacks, and songs.
• Personalizing the Voyage (Life Application)
  Kids participate in three life application activities that help them answer the question, "What does all this have to do with me?" This helps them apply what they have learned right away. Kids will love the daily Travel Trunk activities, which really help participants personalize each session. At the end of the adventure, kids get to take home in their very own Travel Trunk. To learn more about the life application features of the program, click here.