I'm a new director and need some advice.

Are the leader packs absolutely necessary for the bible study? We only have a 25 minute bible study, so doing some of the stuff that the leader guide suggest just can't be done in that amount of time, I don't think. By the time the teachers tell the story, and teach these children how to use a bible, 25 minutes are up.

What are truth tags?

Leader packs are not a must have. Creativity is all you need. We sometimes purchase one leader pack for reference and get our ideas. Because of the way we do our Bible Story room - we study all 3 leader books (younger, middle & older) then put together a creative lesson. We include video (previously shot to illustrate points), lighting, drama, big oversize visuals, creative sets/stages, etc. As you begin to plan consider your teaching space, resources, the children in your ministry and the teachers you will use. You can come up with a creative customized lesson! VBS is so fun!

Sometimes you may be able to find a church that has materials left over from their VBS and they will save their leader packs to give away to other churches having VBS after them. Check around and see what you can find.