On Monday 6th June all staff visited Wintershall Estate in Bramley, Guildford to enjoy a peaceful day of reflection and Bible studies. The Wintershall mission is is to share the Bible story with those of all ages, of all faiths and none, through the presentation of high quality drama.
Staged open-air in the stunning Surrey countryside and in the heart of London and Guildford, the Wintershall plays focus on the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. The setting allows visitors to truly Immerse themselves in the stories that shaped our world.
Walking the Stations of the Cross
The Nutfield Church Primary School took part in a number of exciting and enlightening workshops such as walking the stations of the cross with prayer and reflection at each station.
History of the Stations of the Cross
There are 14 stations of the Cross. While the practice of following the Way of the Cross can be dated back to the Blessed Mother’s practice of visiting the holy sites of Christ’s passion, the formalized prayers and Stations of the Cross came centuries later.
After Christianity was legalized under the rule of emperor Constantine, he had the Church of the Holy Sepulchre built around the site of Christ’s tomb. Soon after, pilgrims began praying at the site before visiting others from Jesus’ passion, where more churches were later constructed. This tradition began what is now the practice of walking the Via Dolorosa, Latin for the “Sorrowful Way.”
This devotion continued throughout the centuries, but it was not until the 1300s when the holy sites and churches in the Holy Land were entrusted to the care of the Franciscans. About a hundred years later, the term “stations” was first used by an English pilgrim, William Wey, and the word soon became popularized as the practice was adopted through images of each station displayed inside European churches.
To find out more about each of the 14 stations, visit: https://www.wintershall.org.uk/stations-cross
Godly Play
The staff also took part in workshops to help them better understand how to teach Godly Play. Godly Play begins with children’s innate sense of the presence of God. It offers Christian language as a support for their ongoing spiritual formation. It teaches a process that aims to promote an inner working model for life-long Christian learning.
The day ended with some fantastic performances by actors at the venue. After the performances, staff were given the opportunity to discuss and reflect on each play.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Wintershall Estate team for a brilliant day and for making us feel so welcome. We look forward to visiting again in the future.
To find out more about the Wintershall Estate, please visit their website here: https://www.wintershall.org.uk/