Rotation.org Writing Team

Meeting Jesus on the Road to Emmaus
"Emmaus Stations" Workshop

Lesson Description and Options

The "Emmaus Stations" are a series of learning experiences set up in advance for students to rotate through, either individually or in small groups of 2 or 3. They are meant to be staffed by volunteers.

To Rotation Modelers: this lesson fills the role of a "Bible Skills and Games" or "Science" workshop.

Each Station is fully described in the printable Stations Handout. 

The Stations can be utilized by a different group each week or all grades on one Sunday, depending on your needs. The Stations can also be used by the congregation and staffed by the kids! Several Stations could be re-purposed as children's sermons.

The content of each Station leans towards reflection and life application, making this lesson plan best used after at least one week of study of the story of the meeting with Jesus on the road to Emmaus.

Scripture for the Lesson

Luke 24:13-35 (NRSV)
Parts of the story are read at each Station.

Memory Verse/Key Verse:  Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?”  (Luke 24: 31-32 NRSV)

Lesson Objectives

See the Bible Background at rotation.org for this set's complete list of objectives.

Preparation and Materials

• Read the Bible Background and scripture.
• Print the Stations Handout. It includes items needed for each station.
• Set up the stations in advance.

Emmaus Stations Lesson Plan

The story is told through the following stations with "Station 0" being optional.  Set-up and instructions for Stations 1 through 5 are found in the Emmaus Stations Handout attached to this lesson. Station "0" is a quick introduction to the story. It is described below and not included in the handout.

Station 0:  Optional Brief Video retelling of the story for all students. Use the brief  scripture video found in the Video Workshop. Alternately, read the story together as a class. Insights and questions about the story are found in each station.

Station 1:  Two Impossible Experiments

Station 2:  "Seeing Jesus" Puzzle

Station 3:  Bread Box Station ~ Reaching for What Jesus Offers

Station 4:  Color Spinning Wheel Demonstration

Station 5:  Domino Station ~ What disciples do next

See the Emmaus Stations Handout for details.
Each Station has scripture, questions, and appropriate reflection built-in to it. You may choose to do a closing gathering to summarize what was learned at each station.

Adaptations

If Short on Time or for Younger Students:   You could eliminate the station(s) of your choosing, or conduct one or two of the stations with all students gathered around to save time. You could use one or more of them in another venue, such as a children's sermon or as a demonstration in children's worship.

For younger children, read the instructions to them.

Stations Tips

• If you are splitting into groups, visually separate the stations from each other so that students at one station will be not be distracted by what's happening at other stations.
• The stations make a little more sense if you move from 1 to 5 in sequence, however, we wrote them with the expectation that your class will be split into small groups of 2 or maybe 3 students per station --which means they will get used out of sequence. Thus, it's a good idea to include Station "0" and to use this workshop after having already introduced the story in a prior lesson.

Written by the Rotation.org Writing Team
Based on lesson ideas from Team Members Carol Hulbert, Neil MacQueen, and Amy Crane
Copyright 2018, Rotation.org Inc.