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This topic is collecting suggestions and resources for teaching the story of the Cross to children using a "stations of the cross" approach.  Many of the following posts also include ADULTS and are adapted (or could be) for intergenerational Lenten program use.

"Stations" are a convenient way to organize a multi-scene story like the story of Jesus' Trial and Crucifixion. It's also an ancient way of commemorating these events. For children, they help differentiate the parts of the story and make them easier to remember. Ideally, stations are also "interactive," meaning, not just reading.

"Stations" can be:

  • a variety of tables or setups in one classroom or several classrooms, or in hallways and other locations around your church.
  • a variety of activities held at different locations, such as an art, video, or memory game station.
  • Prayer Labyrinths are a form of "stations" (places to stop and interact/pray).
  • And as one of the following posts will share, "stations" can also be "scenes" presented to an audience.
  • Stations are often "staffed" by a volunteer, which in some cases can be the person or children who set it up.
  • Stations can also be "self guided" or set up for use by those who couldn't make the "guided" schedule.


The Rotation.org Writing Team has written a "Stations of the Cross" lesson plan. If you're a Supporting Members, be sure to check it out.

The "Jesus Carrying His Cross" illustration above is from Rotation.or'g Annie Vallotton Bible Illustrations Collection.

Last edited by Wormy the Helpful Worm
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10 Room Stations

We adapted a Stations of the Cross program from my home church in Connecticut to make an 8 room Sunday morning program. We did 10 stations last year but it was too long for the time we had.

This year,our 8th-12th graders ran each station. We set aside 8 rooms with two or three high school aged leaders in each room who read a reading and either did a brief activity with the rotation aged kids or gave them a "gift".

  1. For Palm Sunday, they reinacted Jesus's arrival in Jerusalem (in 4 minutes flat).
  2. For Teaching/Betrayal, each child was given a nickel to remind them of the pieces of silver.
  3. For Washing of Feet, we had the senior highs wash and dry the children's hands.
  4. For the Last Supper, the children shared a loaf of King's Hawaiian Bread and grape juice.
  5. For the Trial, we had a homemade crown of thorns and a robe and a stick for the kids to touch or try on.
  6. For the Crucifixion, we gave the children small wooden crosses. The reading was done half in darkness by candlelight and we ripped a piece of cloth when the curtain of the temple was torn in two.
  7. For the Burial, we had the children grind spices. We have some myrrhh that the children could touch and see.
  8. We have added a resurrection room because we don't have Sunday School on Easter. This year, the children were given plastic crosses with bubble liquid in them.


The kids really enjoy our modified "Stations" and the adult shepherds find it a very good reminder of the holy week story. We will do it (or a variant) again next year. If you want a copy of the readings/instructions that we gave our Senior Highs, just email me at asbrfrost@attbi.com

Last edited by Luanne Payne

Offered by long time member "Hilary"

Way of the Cross Good Friday

We do a Way of the Cross on Good Friday every year for all ages. Those who can not walk around stay in the church and hear the same Scriptures and do the same prayers while everyone else moves around the building and outside. Families have taken turns leading a station and putting their own "mark" on it with their own prayers etc. It is a very sensory event: hands-on, smell, sight and touch are all required. Between stations, we sing as we carry a large cross, some chant from Taize or "Were You There". One year children collected a small picture of eg.the bread and wine, the rooster, crown of thorns which they could use to retell the story at home, sticking on a "map" of the journey Jesus took. Stations include: Jesus is Condemned, the denial by Peter, Jesus Carries his Cross, Simon of Cyrene, Jesus is Crucified, Jesus is buried, the promise of Easter. Some stations lend themselves to different voices reading the scriptures, some involved a meditation on our sin and pray for the needs at local, national and international levels. It is always very moving. We finish with drinks and hot cross buns together.
Some of the activities:

  • making small crosses from wood or twigs to carry and take home as a reminder
  • reading news headlines and pinning them on the cross
  • hammering large nails into the cross
  • putting spices on a picture of Jesus and placing it in the tomb
  • having a small fire outside for the courtyard scene


Perhaps this gives some of you some inspiration!
Blessings,
Hilary

Last edited by CreativeCarol

Student-led "Stations of the Cross" -- An All Church Evening Event

Our Sunday School creates the "stations of the cross" every couple of years during Lent and invites the congregation to walk them. The evenings include soup and bread which participants can enjoy before or after the stations. (If everyone eats at the same time it causes a crowd at the first station.) The event proved so popular we "added" an evening to give our folks a choice. 

There are many different ideas about "how many stations" and "which stories to present" at each station. Because ours are student-led, we have tended to keep the number of stations down to around 6 or 7 (along with the soup and bread station). Each station takes about 5 minutes. Music plays when stations have about 1 minute to finish up and move to the next station.

Along with the usual scripture reading that the students deliver, and a moment of quiet prayer at each station, we strive for visuals/art of the story, something to do, and something people can "take with them" from each station that they can display at home as a Lenten reminder.

For example:

Last Supper = Get your foot washed (or hands if you prefer). Write the name of someone you need to serve kindness and forgiveness to -- writing on a small square of cloth you can take with you.

Gethsemane = Write a promise to God on a river rock and stack it on the pile where others have put theirs. Take a pebble with you.

Arrest and Trial = Add a knot to the group's rope (how we reject Jesus) and take a 4" piece of knotted rope as a remembrance.

Cross = Write a confession nail it on a wooden cross. Tie two nails into a cross using art wire (and special horseshoe nails) to take with you.

Resurrection = Create a card for yourself and family members that "opens" to a "thank you" prayer to God for Christ's resurrection. Eat a creme or jelly-filled donut hole (the unexpected surprising grace of God)

Additional ideas contributed by members of Rotation.org's Editing Team

Last edited by Neil MacQueen

8 Room Stations

Originally posted by Steph Frost:
We adapted a Stations of the Cross program from my home church in Connecticut to make an 8 room Sunday morning program. We did 10 stations last year but it was too long for the time we had.

This year, our 8th-12th graders ran each station. We set aside 8 rooms with two or three high school aged leaders in each room who read a reading and either did a brief activity with the rotation aged kids or gave them a "gift".

  • For Palm Sunday, they reinacted Jesus's arrival in Jerusalem (in 4 minutes flat).
  • For Teaching/Betrayal, each child was given a nickel to remind them of the pieces of silver.
  • For Washing of Feet, we had the senior highs wash and dry the children's hands.
  • For the Last Supper, the children shared a loaf of King's Hawaiian Bread and grape juice.
  • For the Trial, we had a homemade crown of thorns and a robe and a stick for the kids to touch or try on.
  • For the Crucifixion, we gave the children small wooden crosses. The reading was done half in darkness by candlelight and we ripped a piece of cloth when the curtain of the temple was torn in two.
  • For the Burial, we had the children grind spices. We have some myrrhh that the children could touch and see.
  • We have added a resurrection room because we don't have Sunday School on Easter. This year, the children were given plastic crosses with bubble liquid in them.

    The kids really enjoy our modified "Stations" and the adult shepherds find it a very good reminder of the holy week story. We will do it (or a variant) again next year.
Last edited by Luanne Payne

Stepping Stone Stations of the Cross, a "Palm Saturday" event



We have a Lent program that is geared towards the whole church and a "Palm Saturday" event that is more for the kids.

At the "Palm Saturday" event I have used the book, The Story of the Cross: The Stations of the Cross for Children by Mary Joslin. It is beautifully done with powerful prayers.

The kids made cement stepping stones inlaid with colored glass  tiles to depict a simple scene of the cross and empty tomb or how those stories make them feel.

The stepping stones were displayed in the church during Holy Week with the prayers from the book as a meditation. After Easter, they were set in a meditation garden for people to walk past and contemplate. It was powerful!

View this blogpage for instructions and photos of how to make cement mosaic stepping stones with kids using pie tins. https://meganzeni.com/garden-stepping-stones/

Supplies:

  • Book: The Story of the Cross, The Stations of the Cross for Children by Mary Joslin.
  • A couple bags of quik-dry cement
  • Water
  • Tub to mix the cement
  • 9" Pie tins from the dollar store to form the stepping stones
  • clear contact paper
  • cooking spray to make the tins easily release from the cement
  • Mosaic Pieces. Look in your local craft store or online for bags of "mosaic" pieces. Make sure they have been prepared so that there are no sharp edges.
  • rubber gloves


Read the book "story-time" way.

Photo-copied the pages so that each child could pick a station and have it in front of them.

How to Make Easy Mosaic Pie Tin Stepping Stones

There are several techniques for creating stepping stones with kids. Here's one that works. You can find others online.

  1. Lightly spray the inside "side" of each tin.
  2. Cut the contact paper the shape of the round tin bottom, peel off the paper and lay the contact paper inside the tin sticky side UP so the mosaic pieces will stick to it.  Using the contact paper this way keeps the mosaic pieces in place as you pour the cement. It also helps students keep their design together. Note: Some crafters recommend making the design on the paper and then placing it into the pan.
    Tip: Leave about 1/8" between pieces for the cement to fill in between the pieces.
  3. Once they have completed laying in their design, pour the cement into the tins, filling to the brim.
  4. Set aside and let dry for 24 hours.
  5. After they have dried, turn them over and peel off the sticky contact paper and remove the pie tin. Voila!

    Then we photocopied the prayer from the book and cut the pages with the crafting scissors that cut a decorative edge. Glue these pages on colored paper. We have a bookcase in our parish hall that the kids present all their Sunday school stuff in. We usually do a lenten meditation for the church each year. They were displayed there until Maundy Thursday when we put them in the church in the windows.

    Alternatively, you can buy concrete stepping stones and create a mosaic "layer" that you glue on top of the concrete circle using tile mastic. The mastic is white so it gives a cleaner look. Look at this blog for more details: https://theartofeducation.edu/...ake-stepping-stones/

Attachments

Images (3)
  • The Story of the Cross, a book
  • Mosaic Stepping Stones
  • Palm Saturday Stepping Stones
Last edited by Neil MacQueen

Shadow Theater Stations of the Cross

Standing behind a simple backlit white sheet, our students "posed" the "stations" story of the Cross while narrators spoke and music played (at times, sometimes in-between the station scenes).

This can be a Sunday School class, or a Lenten presentation for the whole congregation, or a "Tenebrae" -like service.   You can also invite others to walk behind the screen "passing by Jesus" and his cross (those waiting in line will see the effect). Record it.

See Rotation.org's many "Shadow Theater" resources and "how to" page at https://www.rotation.org/topic...ama-how-to-resources

Last edited by Wormy the Helpful Worm

Art Stations 

Originally posted by longtime member, Sheila B.


Art Study of Stations of the Cross
A Lenten Art Study (Intergenerational) on the Stations of the Cross

by member SheilaB
(subsequently published in Sheila's Diocesan newsletter!)

Background:
The Stations of the Cross depict 14 events in the last day of Jesus' life. Some churches also use a 15th station of the Arisen Christ. Churches often do a Stations of the Cross service on Good Friday but some religious orders use the Stations for regular meditation. I was looking for a way to bring the adults and children together and I created an art study on the Stations of the Cross that we used as a Lenten Intergenerational Study. This could be done at any time and having more time to spend on each piece could be beneficial. We started the evening with a simple soup, salad and bread supper and during dinner did a brief study on the stations we were focusing on that evening. After supper, people chose the station they wanted to work on and we had parish artists to act as their guides. Our "resident artists" were between 10 and 80 years old. Each team was given a medium to work with and they had to create an artistic reflection on their station. Some are depictions, others representational. Your art will not look like our art, nor should it. Your artists may choose different mediums and your artists may see something different in each station. I will describe each of our stations, tell you the medium used and why if I know. Next year we will do a study where we will write meditations for each piece of art. We used ours for an intergenerational Stations of the Cross Service where we used more understandable and shorter readings on each station than are used in the Book of Occasional Services.

The first thing I did was take stock of all the artists in our parish and this includes children. Don't overlook any kind of art. Some forms that we did not use were painting, calligraphy, photography and stained glass just to name a few. Then I listed as many kinds of mediums as I could think would be possible in 1 1/2 hours. If I used a professional artist I let them chose the medium and it was usually the one they worked with most. If it were someone that was just artistically talented, I showed them my list and asked in which they would like to work. I tried not to duplicate a medium to give the most variety of art.

We then met as a team and brainstormed on how to incorporate 3yr olds to 80 year olds and still have art. Not every piece was child friendly but we made sure that at least one each night was and we also made garden stepping stones with concrete and mosaic stone, marbles and rock and my youngest children designed almost all of these. The artist supplied the material and had at least an idea or two to suggest in case his team came up with nothing on their own. Each piece was a group effort.

We are doing this for 5 weeks and with the exception of the first week, we are studying 3 stations each week. Our first week we studied 2 and had 37 people show up on Valentines day for the study. That is almost double the number that have ever come to a Lenten Study before. I expect the number to grow as word gets out.

We have also added an earlier daylight Stations Walk that will be outside (weather permitting, inside the parish hall if it rains) around our church and each station will be spaced enough away from the others that everyone can gather and meditate on the station being taught. It will be a beautiful art show and by people making the stations, they take a vested interest in the walk.

I have to say, it is the best thing I have done since I started Rotation and it gives the adults a little taste of Rotation type activities.


Station 1: Jesus is Condemned
Medium: Origami

Folding patterns were found in books and on the internet to create as many people as we could. The 14-year-old artist had folded origami for years and with the help of several of our church women, they managed to fold enough to create this scene which we put together on a foam board with anchor sticks to hold up the figures.

Also, put "The Simple Sorcerer" by Perry Bailey in a search engine as well as "The Belle Damsel" by Perry Bailey and you should come up with public domain patterns for these as well.


Station 2: Jesus takes up his cross
Medium: Wood

The artists decided to make a cross of crosses. These were mostly all of the young boys of our parish, they drew it out and the resident artist, a woodworker, helped them cut it out with jig saws. Then it was sanded and stained and attached together to form the cross. This was designed to be an outside piece as we originally had planned to have the stations around the outside but rain changed those plans.


Station 3: Jesus falls the first time
Medium: cloth doll and other items

Using a cloth bendable doll, some felt and other items the artists created Jesus falling with his cross. These were hot glued to the board for permanence.


Station 4: Jesus meets his mother
Medium: clay

The artists created people from the story out of fireable clay. The clay however has not been fired but it is an option that can happen in the future. Presently they are glued on their base.


Station 5: The cross is laid on Simon of Cyrene
Medium: Nylon

The artists created a banner by cutting the nylon with wood burning tools so it would not shred and adhering the pieces to a white nylon banner with hot dots from the tools. The artist later took it home and stitched it together for more permanence. This project took 2 nights to make. She used rolled steel laid out flat under the nylon to burn on and melt the nylon.


Station 6: A woman wipes the face of Jesus
Medium: Cloth and water color paint

The artists had to pair off. One person laid a piece of cotton cloth over their face and the artist spritzed the cloth with water and then using water color paint, painted over the actual features on the face to create eyebrows, eyes, nose and mouth. It is said that the image of Jesus' face was on the cloth after he wiped it.


Station 7: Jesus falls a second time
Medium: Foam and pins and cloves

This is more of a reflection art. The cross is tipped in a fall and there are items falling off. Sequins and pins and cloves were used to create designs in the foam.


Station 8: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
Medium: Paper relief masks

These are the faces of the artist and 4 young boys. This is created with paper sacks and white glue and water. The paper is torn and actually glued over the face to take on the shape of the face. Each person makes his own but the boys did have some help with the layers to make them smoother. First a strip is fastened around the chin and top of the head and pieces are attached here and then layers are added on top and smoothed with more glue water. The cloth coverings were added to create the illusion of women. They are cloth dipped in liquid starch.


Station 9: Jesus falls a third time
Medium: Wire and wood

This is a wire sculpture. Lengths of wire are twisted to form people and they are nailed to the board and formed into a scene.


Station 10: Jesus is stripped of his clothes
Medium: Cloth, starch and wood

This was actually done mostly by a 4 year old and a 6 year old pair of sisters. A cross was nailed together to form a hanger of sorts. Then two square pieces of cloth were folded and cut in the middle to hang over the cross. The artists then cut and ripped the cloths and then soaked them in liquid starch and arranged them to dry. When dry they are stiff.


Station 11: Jesus is nailed to the cross
Medium: Wood and square nails

A cross outline was made in the wood by hammering in nails. The figure of Jesus was drawn and a nail crown of thorns was added with other details.


Station 12: Jesus dies on the cross
Medium: Found items

The cross was previously made for station tableau pictures taken 3 years ago. The artists created a life-size Jesus out of found items (formerly called junk, but real artists call them found items, so we call him found Jesus). When my son, the resident artist for this medium, told me his idea, I was skeptical. A professional artist, told me not to squelch his creativity. I asked him why and he said because Jesus was treated like throwaway junk during this time and he wanted to make him out of Junk. We called him Junk Jesus at home but Found Jesus is so much better. Think about it, Jesus was just expendable trash. By making him out of our throw away items it shows that Jesus is found in everything we do.


Station 13: Jesus is laid in the arms of his mother
Medium: Paper Mache

The base was created with foil and balloons and then covered with paper mache. Lesson learned, if you are using paper mache put plastic under the table and at a large diameter as well because little kids shake it everywhere. This was a favorite of our young set. After it dried it was painted and hair was added.


Station 14: Jesus is laid in the tomb
Medium: Ukrainian Easter Eggs

This is art done with wax and dye and eggs. We blew out the eggs and then draw with a special wax tool melted in a flame lines and symbols that you want to stay white then you dye it the lightest color (yellow) then you add more wax to areas you want to stay yellow and dye a darker color. Repeat this process until you have all of the colors you want. Then I find it easiest to heat in a 200 or so degree oven and wipe off the wax until it is all gone. Some people lightly melt it near the candle and wipe but I always burn my egg. When done, varnish them and then we glued them together to form a tomb, as our priest called it an "eggloo" we then added a small shroud wrapped around a body shape. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of the original artwork and in the move to the permanent display my son accidentally dropped the sculpture and it broke. We are in the process of making a new one.


We hope to use these for several years. It may be necessary to recommission separate pieces much like the egg tomb as accidents and time happen. In the first 3 weeks of this 5 weeks study, we had over 40 people each night the last 2 weeks as time got busier we had about 20 people each night. Our artists ranged from age 4 to age 80+.

For each of the 14 stations, we are also making a stepping stone with a mosaic scene, this is proving very popular with my younger artists. The stepping stones are now proudly placed in a meditative walk in our side garden.

Also available are quilt squares and fabric markers so they can draw the station and these will be made into a hanging for each station.

Sheila

Last edited by Luanne Payne

Here is an article from Building Faith outlining a Seven Last Words of Christ focused journey through stations: Seven Last Words: An Immersive and Interactive Experience for Children And Youth.

experiencing the stations 1

The organizing principle Trinity Episcopal Church used for the stations is Illustrated Ministry's Seven Last Words Coloring Posters. The participants colored them as meditative exercises during Lent. If you did not want to purchase the posters, you could find other illustrations to use, including the Annie Vallotton Bible images found at rotation.org.

Scripture was selected for each station and a recording was made of a student reading that passage. An activity or physical item at each station relates to the Scripture.

The takeaways shared in the article:

  1. "When creating experiences, the more connected and in concert each component piece is, the better."
  2. "Open-ended engagement that allows for wondering and wandering is best."
  3. "Space that is prayerfully curated encourages people to pray and engage with God."

The script for the experience at Trinity Church in Menlo Park, written by Aaron Klinefelter & Patrick Kangrga, is attached to help you plan activities for your event.

Attachments

Last edited by CreativeCarol

Create a "Walk-up Cross" in a prominent location

On Good Friday in some churches, it's traditional for members to nail a message of repentance and forgiveness to a wooden cross.

The same idea can be transformed into an "outdoor reflection" spot that invites the community to participate. Different Sunday School classes could help create or staff the cross during Holy Week.  Here are some photos and suggestions along those lines.

Cross-station-messages-closeup

You might place a Bible verse and question at the foot of the cross for contemplation, as well as some inviting chairs and benches at a VISIBLE sign that people are invited to come sit.

You could invite a class or family or two to organize and build it, and others to tend to it.

You could create it as a "vigil" where the community could see someone sitting at the cross every evening of Holy Week, and have a sign with a pithy welcome saying.

On Easter Sunday, ADD FLOWERS to the cross and leave on display throughout the week.

Invite people to leave messages by having a basket with small sheets of plastic cloth available (such as cut from an inexpensive plastic table cloth), and a sharpie marker attached by string to the basket.

cross-station-messages

Attachments

Images (2)
  • Cross-station-messages-closeup
  • cross-station-messages

The folks at BuildingFaith have a self-guided "Way of the Cross in Nature" trail that you can set up in your own backyard or the church's backyard. It uses natural elements such as a tree as a station.  The free PDF guide for children is nicely formatted like a devotional and includes scripture and a question. There's also a version for adults.

Good resources to use or to cherrypick from to make your own!

Attachments

Images (1)
  • Stations of the Cross in nature

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