It had been four years since Wesley children last journeyed to the cross . So, it was decided by all primary-level departments in the Children’s Ministry (CM) that teachers would come together, and pool their talents and resources to recreate the Stations of the Cross for their respective sessions on 26 March 2023 leading up to Easter.
Wesley Kids for Christ (WKFC 9.30 am department) buzzed with excitement to finally bring the experience back to the children after two COVID-stricken years. We dusted off our script, and reference photos from four years ago, and dug out props and costumes from the cupboards.
WKFC teacher, Tao Ai Lei, who helped put the script together, explained, “Jesus’ sacrificial journey was packed with so much meaning and emotion. By combining drama, puppetry and interactive dialogue, we were hoping to transport the children to a different era which would let them literarily walk with Jesus in His journey to the cross.
We hoped that being able to experience with their different senses – the cheering crowd at Jesus’ triumphal entry; how unleavened bread tasted during the last supper; and watching a puppetry depiction of the crucifixion – would allow them to come away with a grateful sense that God has given us this great gift of New Life in Jesus’ death and resurrection.”
Preparations began about a month before. Thankfully, we were able to re-use many of the props and artwork amassed over the years – lovingly handcrafted by past and present CM volunteers. Some, however, needed to be repaired and restored, while others had to be recreated from scratch.
It was all hands on deck, the evening before, as around 25 volunteers returned to church to set up the stations in the halls at Levels 2 and 3. Classrooms that children sit in every Sunday were transformed into seven key gospel scenes – to retell the events leading up to Jesus’ death and resurrection some 2,000 years ago.
As there are close to 200 children attending WKFC sessions weekly, we had to run the programme concurrently on both levels, which meant that the stations, props, artwork and activities had to be duplicated.
Chloe Wong, (7 y.o.) who enjoyed journeying through the stations very much, said, “The Triumphal Entry Station was very colourful, and I enjoyed waving the palm leaves as Jesus entered on the donkey!”
Adelle Ng, (8 y.o.) found her experience journeying through the stations made learning the Bible easier to understand.
Janet Wong, who teaches at Big Fish (P1 – 4) of 5 Loaves 2 Fish (5 pm CM), shared that Tweens from the 5pm BeTween Ministry (P5 – Sec 2 ) and their older cohort now in Youth Ministry (YM) also journeyed with them, with some youths stepping up to help.
Janet recalled, “It was wonderful to see our classroom being transformed into the streets of Jerusalem! The props and actors got the children observing and thinking about what happened to Jesus. It was an interesting change from the usual classroom setting for me and my fellow CM volunteers.”
Friends from Diakonia Small Group (SG) also rallied to help setup and support WKFC. Besides shepherding the children from station to station, they engaged them with props, craft activities, shadow puppetry, music, singing and acting – so as to bring the experience to life.
Explaining how Diakonia got involved, Christine Wee said, “Our SG friends, who are CM volunteers, suggested that this could be an activity in which our Small Group members could serve others and the church.”
She added, “I’m very thankful for the opportunity to serve. It has made me appreciate more fully the huge amount of time, dedication and hard work CM teachers put in every Sunday nurturing our kids to know and love God, which was especially evident during this event. My heart was moved to see the children’s reactions as they moved from station to station. I think they gained a lot from this experience. Thank you so much, CM teachers!”
Reflecting on his experience, Bryan Lee, who teaches at Junior Church 1 (JC1) said, “It was wonderfully interactive and fun for the kids who enjoyed journeying through the stations. Waving palm leaves at Jesus on a very impressive-looking donkey was particularly memorable. We were really blessed with help from Diakonia SG. Facing a shortage of teachers who could not attend at the last minute, some parents responded to our SOS to take on a few acting roles. In the end, the Lord provided more than we needed. Having so many willing hands was such a blessing! It’s amazing to see all the pieces fall into place for the glory of the Lord.”
Looking back, the lessons were manifold. Most precious of all, we caught a glimpse of what would be a fellowship of believers coming together to share whatever resources we had and to serve together, like the disciples described in Acts 2:42-47. It is our hope that the Lord will add to our numbers too, through the lives of the little ones whom we want to nurture as the next generation of believers.
Photos by Ho Tzin Yih and CM teachers.
Read related article: Reflecting on My Journey to The Cross with Christ
