A VBS for Eucharistic Revival
Come to the Table
When you eat with Jesus, anything can happen!
An interactive VBS where children learn that everyone is welcome at God’s table! The five Bible stories in this curriculum explore stories about Jesus from the Gospels of Luke and John. These stories show Jesus eating with unexpected people, providing food for a crowd, demonstrating humility, and extending welcome and forgiveness. Through worship and drama, Bible study, art and science projects, and active games, children are welcomed to taste and share at God’s table, where there is always enough!
Come to the Table invites children to see that God loves and welcomes all people and challenges them to share that same love and hospitality in their everyday lives.
Children in grades K–5 will see Bible stories come to life in the dramas during worship time, and will reflect on them during three response times: Bible Response, Active Response (Physical Games), and Creative Response (Art/Crafts).
Preschoolers ages 4–5 may participate in worship with the older children or have their own worship time. They too will share in the Bible story and engage in crafts, games, and other activities.
Daily Schedule
This theme provides content for five flexible sessions, from as short as one hour to over three hours each day. Scroll right to see all five days.
| DAY 1 | DAY 2 | DAY 3 | DAY 4 | DAY 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Be Our Guest |
Jesus and the Giant Picnic |
Guess Who's Coming for Dinner |
A Supper to Remember |
Breakfast on the Beach |
|
| Purpose Statement | Food for thought: Everyone is welcome at God’s table. | Food for thought: There is more than enough at God’s table. | Food for thought: Jesus’ welcome changes everything. | Food for thought: Jesus shows us what love looks like. | Food for thought: We can love like Jesus. |
| Scripture | Luke 14:15–24 | John 6:1–14 | Luke 19:1–10 | Luke 22:13–20; John 13:1–20 | John 21:1–17 |
| Story Summary | Jesus is invited to a meal at the home of an important Pharisee. Jesus tells a parable about a great feast. The host of the dinner sends out his servant to tell the invited guests that everything is ready. The invited guests make excuses about why they can’t come. So the host invites people from the streets and countryside instead—people who can’t walk or see, people who are hungry, and people who are often forgotten or excluded. More and more people come until the entire house is full. | A large crowd follows Jesus up on a mountain. “Where shall we buy bread for every- one?” Jesus asks his disciples. A young boy shares five loaves of bread and two fish with Jesus. He blesses the food and has the disciples distribute it among the people. All eat and are satisfied. Twelve baskets of leftover food are collected so that none will go to waste. | Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, climbs a sycamore tree to see above the crowd as Jesus passes through Jericho. Jesus sees Zacchaeus and asks him to climb down and then invites himself to Zacchaeus’ home. The crowd grumbles against Jesus’ choice to be a guest of a tax col- lector. Zacchaeus tells Jesus he will give half his possessions to the poor and return four times the amount he earns from cheating others. Jesus considers Zacchaeus right with God. | Jesus shares Passover with his disciples. At the meal, Jesus shares bread and wine with his disciples. He asks the disciples to remember him with those symbols. Then Jesus takes a basin and towel and washes the disciples’ feet. Peter does not want Jesus to wash his feet, but Jesus says he is doing it to set an example. By washing one another’s feet, they are serving God. | Jesus’ disciples are fishing and do not catch anything all night long. Toward morning, a voice from shore tells them to cast their net on the other side of the boat. Their net fills with fish! Realizing that it is Jesus on the shore, Peter jumps out of the boat and hurries to meet him. Jesus prepares a breakfast of bread and fish. After they have eaten, Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him. When Peter answers, “You know that I love you,” Jesus tells him, “Feed my sheep.” |
Features
- Available in download-only or physical + download kits.
- Reproducible (with exception of student booklets and family music CDs/MP3s).
- Physical leader guides are in a binder with tabs to make them easy to rearrange or duplicate.
- Bulk-priced music can easily be sent home with every family.
- Focuses on Eucharist, the source and summit of our faith.
- A great way to promote the National Eucharistic Revival, for which we are a formal collaborator.
- Featuring top musical artists from Oregon Catholic Press.
- Hummable, top-notch, kid-friendly music that connects closely with the theme.
- Easy to lead, with Powerpoints, sing-along music videos, and hand motions.
- Songs by Jesse Manibusan, Steve Angrisano, Foundnation, Bryan Sirchio, and Sarah Hart.
- All the core features you expect in a VBS, without overwhelming complexity.
- Earth-friendly, without plastic trinkets that will litter our common home.
- Early childhood leader guide makes it easy to include preschoolers.
- Easy to adapt to your timeframe and preferences.
- Focused on the Eucharist and Jesus' table fellowship: perfect for this time of Eucharistic Revival.
- A fun and effective way to help children appreciate the Mass.
- Includes Scripture, prayer, drama, music, games, crafts, and activities, all nicely integrated.
- Thoughtful take-home pages (in English and Spanish) to bring parents into the process and coach them on how to talk to their children.
- Extra resources included to help you market and manage your VBS.
- Optional gestures/motions are provided for prayers, memory verses, and songs.
Preview Components
Coming Fall 2023
Music Video Previews
Coming Fall 2023
This program is a collaboration between The Pastoral Center and MennoMedia. Adapted and reprinted with permission from Come to the Table. © 2021 Shine Curriculum, Harrisonburg, VA 22803. All rights reserved.