The level 2 and 3 rooms at Wesley Methodist Church were transformed into different stations by Children’s Ministry on 24 March 2024 for our children and youths to experience the Stations of the Cross. About 250 children aged between 7 and 10 got a glimpse of Jesus’s journey from the time he entered Jerusalem till His crucifixion a few days later. Designed for young children to see the different scenes of the Journey to the Cross through props, visual displays, dioramas, music and videos, the Stations of the Cross were meant to deliver the life-changing message of the Cross in a way that children can imagine.
“We focused our activities on the love and forgiveness of Jesus,” said Sarah Khoo, Pastoral Team Member for Children’s Ministry. “We wanted to communicate the meaning of Easter to the children: God’s love and forgiveness for us and Christ’s resurrected victory over death is also our victory.”
To help the children understand the journey, six stations were created starting from the captivity, condemnation and betrayal of Christ and ending with the scene of the empty tomb. Spread over six stations, the specially adapted Stations of the Cross aimed to help the younger children have an overview of the Good Friday and Easter story.
At Station 1, the children had a glimpse of how Jesus was captured and betrayed by Judas Iscariot, at the scene where Jesus was condemned to death. Here, the kids also got to see the Jewish leaders bringing Christ before Pontius Pilate to demand Jesus’ death.
At Station 2, the children were shown how Jesus took up His Cross and how the soldiers made fun of him and mocked him with a crown of thorns. They also saw a diorama of Jesus carrying the cross to Golgotha. At this point, the children were asked to reflect on which members of the crowd they could relate to.
At Station 3, the suffering of Jesus on the Cross was depicted, in the presence of his mother, and the children were asked to imagine how Mary felt. The children were each given a sheet of paper on which they listed people in their lives whom God has given them to care for. Jesus knew his work on earth would be over soon, so he entrusted his mother to John, the disciple.
Stations 4 and 5 depicted the death and burial of Jesus, respectively.
The last station was a re-enactment of Jesus calling out to Mary when she was there and saw the empty tomb.
“We are grateful to be able to bring the special Good Friday message to the children at Children’s Ministry. Stations of the Cross is a simple and meaningful way to tell the story of what Jesus went through, to our children. We could not have done this without our very dedicated volunteers, who spearheaded this project and put in hours of preparation to make it happen.” said Lim Bi Xiu, another Pastoral Team Member with Children’s Ministry.
“We want our children to know Easter is not just a holiday or about Easter eggs and bunnies. Easter tells of the most important event in the world, the redemption of humankind,” said Sarah.
– Jointly written by Sarah Khoo and Wesley Communications Ministry
Photos courtesy of Children’s Ministry
Reflections on Stations of the Cross by Children’s Ministry
Keiran Ng, 10:
My favourite station was the empty tomb because seeing Jesus resurrected shows that He truly is 100 percent God and 100 percent man. The Stations of the Cross were enjoyable; I understood what they told us, and that Jesus loves everyone no matter who they are. That is why he died for all of us. I thought the scene of the fake donkey acted by teacher Cecil when Jesus entered Jerusalem with palm leaves laid down by the side, was nice
Matilda Tang, 10:
I am thankful and grateful to Jesus for doing what he has done for us. I like station two the most, the one where Jesus takes up his cross. Because it makes me think more about which group I belong to. After the session, I asked God for forgiveness for disobeying him so many times and to help me to obey him so that he will not be sad.
Kristian Lee, 10:
I kind of like the Stations of the Cross. I liked it because I learnt about how and what Jesus did.
Phoebe Wong, 13, BeTween:
This year, there is more reflection compared to last year.
The meaningful scene is the one of Pontius Pilate. It reminds me that everyone will succumb to peer pressure. At the station, the narrator tells you not to succumb to peer pressure, which motivates me not to succumb to peer pressure in my daily life.
Asher Tay, 10:
My Sunday School teachers were patient and explained clearly at all the stations. I learnt that Jesus carried his own cross while he walked to the hill to be crucified. He suffered for our sins.
Shauna Tan, 10:
Station 1 is good because it lets us feel what Jesus’s heart was like and how Pontius Pilate’s heart was too. I understood what the teachers were talking about. I learned that Jesus had to die on the cross for our sins even though he did not want to, and that God so loved the world He gave his one son to die on the cross for our sins. I enjoyed station two because it clearly shows how Jesus had to suffer. I learnt that the leaders cared about their own reputation and ordered Jesus to die. From station three, I learnt that John did not hesitate to accept Mary as his mother. John also showed his loyalty. I like station four because the teachers showed us the cross and explained what happened to Jesus. Here, I learned about the resurrection of Christ. Finally, I like station five because I learnt that Jesus loves us and gives us greater hope than death. I also learned that His love is so amazing that death cannot end it. Station 6 was good because I learnt that Jesus would rather die for us than see us perish.
Jonah Tan, 9:
I like Station 1 because I could hold a soft rubber heart, station two because I saw cool dioramas and station six because I got to learn how Jesus rose from the dead.
Samual Le, 10:
When I entered the Stations of the Cross, Stations 5 and 6 showed God’s love for me. At Station 5, the teachers said that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, even though he was innocent. At Station 6, the people there said that Jesus was raised from the dead. It is hard to believe, but I am starting to believe in it now. I pray that I will experience God as my heavenly Father.
Jayden Leung, 10:
The journey of the cross was a very enjoyable experience. I especially liked the diorama of Jesus Christ carrying the cross. It was very interesting. The other children had fun and really connected with Jesus.
