USA (MNN) — Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) is taking Vacation Bible School to the skies! Well, figuratively. MAF has created a brand new VBS program called SOAR!. Kids get a daily flight plan, learn about unique places around the world, and learn about God’s mission for their lives.
MAF’s Director of Learning and Development Mike Snodgrass says, “We feel like we have a really good story to tell about how MAF partners with other mission agencies to share the love of Jesus in really isolated areas around the world.
“We also know and feel that the SOAR! program that we’ve created is unique because of our focus on missions throughout the whole week, not just a part of the VBS. Currently, there’s really no VBS that’s focused entirely on missions and especially not mission aviation.”
MAF serves people in isolated and hard-to-reach areas with the love of Jesus through aviation. They often work with other ministries and non-profits to provide things like emergency aid and medical or teaching services.
(Image courtesy of Mission Aviation Fellowship)
Since they are in the heart of the missions world and work in so many different areas, it was natural for MAF to spearhead a VBS focused on the Great Commission.
With SOAR!, Snodgrass says, “Number one, it’s all about the kids because we know that that’s the focus of any VBS. We want kids to discover who Jesus is and ultimately accept Him as their Lord and Savior.
“We also want to let kids learn about the Great Commission. A lot of kids just don’t know about missions work in general.
“Then the third thing is we’re praying that the Lord will start to plant seeds in the lives of kids and in their hearts to become our future missionary pilots, mechanics, and teachers because there’s always that need that we have at MAF.”
An experienced volunteer from North Carolina helped MAF create the VBS curriculum for SOAR! And MAF’s marketing team brought many of the ideas to life with original music, videos, and materials.
MAF also worked with four churches to refine the program. “They actually piloted the VBS for us and they gave us a lot of valuable feedback that made us make some significant changes in our curriculum…. Through that, we feel like we’ve made even a much better product.”
(Photo courtesy of Mission Aviation Fellowship)
SOAR! is now available for churches and ministries that want to provide a fun and missions-focused VBS experience. Learn more at maf.org/soar.
“That gives them all the information they need. We have a promo video out there that gives them kind of a minute and a half of what the program is all about. They can also order our starter kit from that website. We have sample songs, we have what we call is the flight plan — kind of the overall view of what the program looks like Monday through Friday — and then we also have the daily Scripture verse and what that characteristic of Jesus is each day that we’re teaching the kids,” Snodgrass says.
“Then we also have a hat for Pilot Pete,…the key character in the daily skits where kids discover who Jesus is and about missions. Then the last piece is we also give them a windsock because the windsock is a primary decoration in the main stage set for VBS.”
There is also an inquiry form at the bottom of the website where you can ask questions about the program.
Ultimately, Snodgrass says, “We’re really excited to partner with churches! We feel that kids need to learn a lot more about missions…so that hopefully we can have future missionaries out there.”
Header photo courtesy of Mission Aviation Fellowship.
