Please note a few things before we dig into the details of this curriculum:

• The full length (~ 9 minute) overview video can be found on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP-MnZ8RjaM

• Colorful PowerPoint slides to supplement the curriculum are sold separately.

• This is a very large, comprehensive curriculum at 170 pages! Please be prepared when downloading and printing.

Overview

This curriculum takes your students on a journey that will usher them into a replica of the Biblical tabernacle and into the very presence of God. When the veil was torn, the “DO NOT ENTER” sign was instantly flipped to ‘WELCOME! COME RIGHT ON IN!” The perfect Lamb of God paid our sin debt once and for all as we are beckoned in to a relationship with our Heavenly Father. It is a unique privilege to lead students from the bleakness of sin and the sacrificial system that granted temporary forgiveness … into the tabernacle where the symbolism of Jesus’ ministry and permanent sacrifice for us is clearly foreshadowed. Your students will discover “Signs of Jesus” [Jesus is the “Light of the World” as seen in the lampstand for instance] as they peer into a giant telescope and look “through” the tabernacle to see Jesus! With the squinting of the eye, studying a tent and its contents transforms into a life altering event as students are led through the five days from the Altar of Sacrifice to a literal crossing of the cross bridge into the Holy of Holies as the finale on Day 5!

Organizational Structure

Unlike most traditional multi-day curricula, the main teaching time in this curriculum is done as a multi-aged large group (typically first through sixth grades); it was written with this age range in mind so that you can capture (and keep!) the attention of kids young and old. This organizational structure has several advantages. First, the majority of the teaching is done by your most talented, engaging teacher(s) who are comfortable in front of large groups. Second, there is only one major decorating focus (the tabernacle) which allows you to invest in creating a memorable space with realistic-looking furniture while minimizing the pressure on individual classroom teachers to create their own elaborate space. Built into the curriculum are plenty of opportunities for movement and relationship building in a classroom setting (known as “tribal meetings”) as well as “Tribe Traveling Time” when students move between craft, games, and snack areas to learn about the tabernacle in more hands-on, multi-sensory arenas.

Curriculum Basics

This 170 page curriculum provides you with everything you will need for a memorable, life-changing VBS. The table of contents provides a complete list of all the resources available to you in this curriculum, but these are some of the important highlights:

• Director’s packet (10 pages) has a proposed schedule, training information, responsibilities and roles of team leads and advice how to how to choose those people most suited for the roles, team lead instruction sheets ready to pass on to your team leads: publicity, registration, photography, tech, decorating, drama, music, large group and small group lead staff, snack, craft and game. Also included is a four page table outlining all of the decorating essentials (color coded by the group that will use them), important notes on each including links to YouTube videos especially made for this curriculum. These videos generate numerous ideas (from quick and easy to complex and high quality) for each piece of tabernacle furniture.

• Drama (8 pages) skits are fun, lively ways to introduce or solidify material. There is on average one skit a day. Lines do not need to be memorized but the drama team lead will likely need to gather props and costumes and practice with his or her team members for a polished presentation.

• Music (4 pages): There are at least five instances when music is appropriate during the large group time: Entering the tabernacle together waving ribbon wands, the theme Song, daily closing songs that apply directly to the piece(s) of furniture highlighted each day, leaving the tabernacle as well as various other times when background music is appropriate. Ideas from mainstream songs and artists are listed for each from which you can choose or you can find some that suit your needs.

• Large Group Lesson Plans are taught by one or two of your most talented engaging teachers who can hold and keep the interest of children. Each daily lesson plan is approximately six pages long and is written in a conversational style so teachers can highlight and use them as notes. These teachers will work with the drama team, tech lead and music lead for a polished presentation.

• Small Group Lesson Plans are taught by your small group (family tribe) teachers. Each day’s lesson is approximately three pages long and provides plenty of options to adapt for time and age. It is here that student’s questions are answered, they have a front row seat to items that they can smell, see and feel – those activities that are not possible in the larger group. Here relationships are built and trust is fostered and conversations happen.

• Game, Snack and Craft sheets are colorful and easy for your team leads to follow; they provide finished product pictures with prep recommendations and student directions along with alternate ideas to adjust for time and/or age.

Typical Day:

(~3 hours)

Small Group (Tribal) Meeting: These small groups are sorted by age in whatever form works best for your church. The director will assign teachers/facilitators who are comfortable with that age group. As students arrive, they are brought into activities in the classroom, stations that students engage in based on their interests. For instance on the first day, before they have even walked into the tabernacle they have the choice of building a structure using Legos, blocks or Lincoln logs OR they can manipulate a “Jacob’s ladder toy” with the names of the Jacob’s twelve sons on them, pronouncing each name as they twist and twirl. For the artists in the group they are encouraged to draw a campsite on the long piece of bulletin board paper on the wall. (They will quickly learn that the Israelites were on a LONG camping trip!) Right before students are ushered into the tabernacle, the teacher introduces three “secret” motions that have something to do with the lesson they will experience in the tabernacle. Their job is to pay careful attention and then right before dismissal, the meanings will be revealed to them.

After about 10-15 minutes, students line up and process into the tabernacle together, singing as they go!

Tabernacle Time (Large Group, Part A) ~45 minutes

Students enter the tabernacle waving ribbon wands while singing “Enter His Gates) followed by engaging skits, theme song/motions, a large telescope on which “Signs of Jesus” are placed by students as they learn about each piece of furniture and how it relates to Jesus, “Carmella Ask” segment (stuffed camel that is thrown to students to answer relevant questions) student volunteers dress up twice daily as a high priest, colorful PowerPoint slides (sold separately), interactive demonstrations that get students up and moving, colorful engaging props and much more!

Tribe Traveling Time – Once students are dismissed from the large group (Part A), they rotate between craft, small group tribal meeting, snack and games.

• ·Games, Snack and Craft (15-20 minutes each) follow that day’s large group teaching time. For instance on Day 2 when students learn about the high priest and the pillar of cloud and fire their craft is a two-sided tongue depressor pillar of cloud (poly-fil stuffing) and fire (red/yellow construction paper). In game time they participate in a “High Priest Dress Up Relay” while in snack time they make and then enjoy eating a high priest breastplate using small jelly beans and graham crackers.

• Tribe Meeting (20 minutes) is where students dive deeper into what was learned in the first part of the larger tabernacle experience but in a much smaller, more intimate setting. On Day 3, for example, small group teachers turn off the lights and turn on a flashlight or lamp in the center of a darkened room encouraging students to notice that darkness always moves away from the light even if it is very small. Darkness can never overcome light. Since Jesus is the Light of the World, sin and darkness are never more powerful than Jesus. Students are then given pictures of various kinds of lights in order to discuss how each one either keeps us safe, gives direction or helps us not be fearful … Jesus does those same things for us!

Tabernacle Time (Large Group, Part B)

~ 45 minutes

Similar in content to the large group Part A meeting, students will once again move, sing, participate, answer questions surrounding one particular piece of furniture in the tabernacle and then add another “sign of Jesus” on the telescope. However, before dismissing students back into their classroom, they are led in a closing song as they gather around the piece(s) of furniture from that day and sing modern worship songs that pay tribute to who Jesus IS.

Tribe Meeting/Dismissal “Closing”

10-15 minutes

Family groups are led out of the tabernacle and back into their classrooms for dismissal but not before they review the secret motions given to them at the beginning of the day to see if students could decipher their meanings during the large group time.

Example: Day 1:

o Fingers touch as if making a tent: TABERNACLE

o Move “tent” to the top of your head: HIGH PRIEST TURBAN

o Move “turban” down to your face and then tighten the circle as if holding a telescope up to your eye: LOOKING THROUGH THE TABERNACLE TO SEE JESUS

There is also time to review the memory verse and ask true/false review questions which can always tumble into future days’ lessons if time runs short.

Ease of Use

For visual ease, each day (no matter if it is large group, small group, game, snack or craft) is coded with a border color. This will allow you to sort packets for your helpers as well as having a quick visual cue as to the day:

Day 1 – Red

Day 2 – Green

Day 3 – Purple

Day 4 – Blue

Day 5 – Yellow

Director/supplemental – Orange

This in depth curriculum has been in development for several years by an experienced elementary Christian School and Sunday School teacher who has taught children for 20+ years. This curriculum was trial tested with students in grades 1-6 both in a Christian School (“Spiritual Emphasis Week”) as well as a VBS church setting. It has been tweaked to the point that it is ready for use far and we wide! You have access to supporting videos on how to make each piece of furniture in the tabernacle, ideas on creating a tabernacle space, making a large telescope, giant high priest breastplate and much more on our YouTube channel: Experience the Bible Creatively. We encourage you to spend some time there!

We hope that this long introduction has been helpful in determining whether our “Come! Let’s Tabernacle Together” curriculum would work in your individual church or school. If you have any questions or comments we would love to hear from you! Contact Becky at experiencethebiblecreatively@gmail.com