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As small churches, we have the opportunity to make a huge impact on people during Holy Week. Understandably, it’s hard to find new ideas for services that we do every year, but I want to encourage you that it is possible! I want to provide you with the best Prayer Stations for Good Friday! They are designed to work for a congregation of any size, and have the potential to be incredibly impactful.
Overall, what makes these prayer stations for Good Friday special is their unique focus on the crucifixion of Christ Jesus and the theological themes associated with His sacrifice. It’s a time for believers to engage in solemn reflection, prayer, and worship as they contemplate the significance of Jesus’ death and the hope of redemption it offers. Keep reading to find the best ideas for your prayer stations for Good Friday.
Prayer Stations For Good Friday
The Good Friday Prayer Stations are part of a service that is best presented in an open-house style, usually from 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm or 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Let it be a time of contemplation and worship that people can pop into and leave whenever they want or need. Talk to your worship leader to ask if a guitarist or keyboard player could provide soft, instrumental music. If live music isn’t an option, create a playlist or play a CD of soft worship songs or instrumental songs and hymns.
In this post, only the Bible verse reference is listed for the Scripture card. When you create the cards, please include the whole Bible verse along with the reference. Use the version that is most often used in your small church.
A week ahead of time, print off the instructions and place them in self-standing acrylic frames or picture frames. (Only one set of instructions per station is needed.) Print the scripture on a half sheet of paper or a smaller card to display at the correlating station. Some churches print out one card and place it on the table, while others print multiple copies for each station so congregants and guests can take the scriptures home!
Good Things To Do When Starting Out
Set up the following prayer stations for Good Friday on various tables, and invite your congregation to come with their family or friends! Ensure you have greeters to welcome guests. They’ll be there to explain the prayer stations and how they’re and have instructions at each station. Encourage families with young children to participate at the same tables; this can help the parents guide their children and assist when needed.
It also might be a great idea to have prayer cards at each station. This gives people the opportunity to write down their prayers and take them home as a reminder of the service!
1. A Sign Of The Cross
At this first station, place art supplies such as paper, paints, crayons, and clay at a table. You could even provide supplies for people to paint on a wooden cross too! If you end up sticking with paper and paints, invite guests to cut out cross shapes to create their own depiction of Jesus’ cross. This works well for adults and children. This helps people visualize the story and provides them with a physical representation of the day Jesus died.
Instructions to display for your congregation:
As you create your cross, think about Jesus’s love. He loves you so deeply. He was willing to carry His cross so that one day you would join Him in Heaven.
Child engagement question: Think about the biggest, best thing in the whole wide world. Something really, really great. Jesus loves you MORE than that. Fill in the blank with your thought: “Jesus loves me more than _____”
Scripture card: John 3:16
2. Prayer Knots
For this Good Friday prayer station, place 12” pieces of twine on a table. Prepare enough for each person to take one.
Instructions to display for your congregation:
Take a piece of twine and hold it in your hands. Ask God to show you some of the moments He worked in your life. For each moment, tie a knot in the twine you’re holding. Repeat this until you have made 3-5 knots. Then, hold the first knot and pray. Take this time to say a prayer of thanks. Thank God for His unending love and for working in your life. Repeat this for every knot. Take this twine home. Put it in a place where you will see it, and let it be a daily reminder that God is actively working in your life!
Scripture Card: Philippians 1:6
3. How Valuable?
These prayer stations for Good Friday have two areas. Place 30 silver coins (they can be real or fake) randomly on the table or in a rustic pottery-type bowl. In the second area, stand up a large wall decor cross on a table OR, if you have an accessible life-sized cross in your sanctuary, place the first table near the cross. You could even decorate this station by placing a linen cloth or scarlet robe at the base of the cross.
Instructions to display for your congregation (These instructions are longer than the others, but so worth it!):
Sometimes we hear the question, “Would you ________ for $100?” To answer that question, we place value on the action. We think, “I would never do _______ for a hundred dollars. You’d have to give me $500 to do it.” We decide how much it’s worth for us to … embarrass ourselves, betray a friend, or do something that might not be smart.
In Jesus’ time, one piece of silver could have been worth over $350. Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. (This could be over $10,500 by today’s standard!)
Judas put a value on his relationship with Jesus. Thirty pieces of silver were worth more to Judas than his friendship with Jesus.
How much is Jesus worth to you?
Pick up one of the silver coins and think about how important your relationship with Jesus is. Take this time to pray, and tell God how much He means to you. Let Him know He is your everything. Take the coin in your hand, walk over to the cross, and place it at the base of the cross.
Scripture card: Matthew 26:14-16
4. Jesus Died For Us All
Purchase two black stamp pads and a package or two of hand wipes or baby wipes. Prepare a canvas panel ahead of time. Use black electrical tape to make a cross on the canvas. The cross should be about ¼ the size of the canvas. Ask some friends, church elders, or leaders to use the stamp pad and put a fingerprint on the canvas panel. (Having a few fingerprints already on the panel is helpful for the first few people at this prayer station because sometimes people don’t want to be the first to start a project like this.)
Place the prepared canvas panel flat on the table at this prayer station. Add the stamp pads and wipes to the table, and set a small trash can near the station for used hand wipes.
At the end of the day, pull off the electrical tape, and display the canvas during your Easter morning service!
Instructions to display for your congregation:
Using the stamp pad, add your fingerprint to the canvas panel.
Take a moment to consider Christ’s death. He died so that ever person had the chance to be saved. Think about your next-door neighbor. Think about three different students in your school. Think about your co-worker.
Pray this prayer silently:
Jesus, I thank You for everything You did so I could one day live in Heaven with You. Lord, for each person I thought of a minute ago, please speak to their hearts. Draw them closer to You. Let them know that You love them unconditionally. And, help me show them Your love when I am with them. Your love is deeper than the oceans and greater than the mountains. Your love never fails. Amen.
Scripture card: 1 John 2:1-2
5. Lent Vs Lint
For this prayer station, you’ll need to purchase a few lint rollers – the type that has sticky paper that you peel off after each use. Set them on the table with the Instructions. Save some lint from your dryer to put on the table as part of the station table decor. Place a trash can nearby for the discarded lint papers.
Instructions to display for your congregation:
Lent is a time to focus on the Lord, His sacrifice, and our relationship with Him. It’s a great time to pause the things that are hindering us or distracting us from our relationship with God.
Say a short prayer, asking God to show you anything that’s clinging to you and is distracting you from your relationship with Him or your spiritual journey. Decide to limit or eliminate the distraction from your lifestyle. After a moment, take the lint roller and run it over your sleeve, shirt, pants, or skirt. Lint rolling your clothes is a symbol of your decision to intentionally limit or eliminate distractions that may hinder your walk with God. When you are finished with the lint roller, peel off the paper and throw it in the trash.
Scripture card: Hebrews 12:1-2
Prayer Stations For Good Friday Are Highly Impactful
These prayer stations for Good Friday encourage congregational participation and hands-on activities. Good Friday can significantly impact your congregation, and these prayer stations are a perfect place to start! Overall, offering a Good Friday service at your small church during Holy Week can enrich the worship experience, deepen spiritual reflection, and meet the diverse spiritual needs of your congregation. As small churches, we are uniquely positioned to create a safe space for people to engage and connect with those around them. By utilizing these prayer stations for Good Friday, we are able to present people with the chance to deepen their understanding of Jesus’s sacrifice for us! How beautiful is that?
If you’re navigating the challenges of small church ministry and want a place to connect with other leaders who understand the journey, consider joining our Small Church Ministry Facebook group. It’s a space for encouragement, shared wisdom, and real conversation as you lead.
Read more:
The Best Good Friday Service Ideas For All Ages
