"WOW...This trip truly changed my life....This week reminded me who God is and who I am because of him. Thank you so much, Passion Play 2026. I came here feeling lost, and I'm leaving with my faith renewed and my heart forever changed." - from Molly on mission in June 2026.

This is the experience that many young people have when serving here on mission at The Great Passion Play!

Worship at a House and at a Church!

Here are some notes and observations on costumes:
1. We need more variety especially in the neck area of the costume that allow for very small grommets, rope, and leather stitches (as is pictures in the chosen pictures).
2. Reducing the intensity of the colors will be helpful in making the Play appear more modern. Currently, many of our costume colors really "pop." Reducing the saturation of some of the colors will be helpful.
3. Making a variety of sizes will also be super helpful.
4. Unlike the Chosen (and more like the Passion of the Christ), garments need to reach the ankle. Sleeves need to at least pass the elbow/midway between elbow and wrist. Most should go to the wrist.
5. Notice that each disciple and person has a different "featured" color, but they all remain within a similar family of color hues.

Men: Simple inner garments, varying lengths with 4-5 different muted color choices. 3-4 outer shape options with  options for belts, satchel, or some other accessories such as walking sticks or a burlap sack that looks dense. These can be picked up on set from market and from cart.

​Women: Longer flowing inner garments with 3-4 pretty color choices (pastels and muted lavender). Outer garments with small accents like string and bead ties at the sleeves and bottom seams. Accessories for women being water pots, flowers, wool/pretty fabrics that they can pick up from market or fabric salesmen by East Gate.

The three pictures with muted colors are from the Oberammergau Passion Play in Germany from 2022. Their approach is very muted in colors and mostly devoid of bright.

Notes on the costumes made:
Great work on the one on the left. The only thing you might change is the amount of material in the arms.  The one on the right might be a little too big. I think we need a greater variety of sizes. Rather than approaching from a one-size fits all approach like we have in the past. We need more of small, mediums, large, and extra large. Previously, we have just roped up costumes so they could fit someone, but we need to take a slightly more tailored approach.

I think the commercial patterns will run large. The ones that Judy made from the Chosen basis are much better. We want all costumes to go down to a person's ankles. Notice too that in the Chosen picture that not everything is tailored. The bottom edge is sometimes left unraveled.

We have several mission trip groups with seamstresses with them! We are working to update and rejuvenate our costuming. 

Play all the video to see their work!

The First Christian Church from Stilwell, Oklahoma was here this past week to volunteer at the Great Passion Play. “We bring as many 6th graders and up as we can,” says Rick Eubanks. The group of 13 consisted of 3 adults, 3 college & career and 6 youth. Some of the past projects were, a greatly needed dorm room above the Eastern Gate, building the stone retaining wall on the set, the tearing down and rebuilding of a new fishing shack by the Sea of Galilee, and weeding and watering by the front entrance. This week, along with helping out with meal preparations as usual, the volunteers focused on laying pavers for the flogging post on the set and helped to build a retaining wall by the Snack Shack . And we don’t want to forget while they were here last year, Kent did some matchmaking. He will be marrying Natalie Gaches and Benjamin Johnson in Tahlequah, Oklahoma on July 19th.

​We at the Passion Play never say goodbye to our family of volunteers. We just say “until next time.”

We are looking at specs to entirely redo the worn and unlevel areas of concrete on the Passion Play property. This page is currently under development.

In 2003, this sidewalk ended at the front gate. It is time to finish the project! The concrete will cost around $3,500 plus the cost of rebar and forms.
​
40 ft by 88 ft of front entrance side
8 ft by 88 ft of sidewalk by gravel drive in
188 ft sidewalk by 8 ft
12 ft by 8 and 3 inches where trail crosses

Wall needed is 65ft long around asphalt curve and runs 37ft = 102 ft long total length

- Box of concrete would be 15 ft by 19 ft by 9ft 20 ft if we rounded from cut to railroad tie 61 ft in length
- Concrete Option for all of the taken up asphalt is 40 ft by 65 ft by 20 ft on average curve of 15 ft

- 9 inches wide by 8 inches tall by 19 inches long (course length would be 64 blocks)
- 3 courses needed (1 below grade and 2 above) plus capstone layer

- Brutus block comes in 36 individual blocks per pallet; Brutus Capstone comes in 48 capstones per pallet
Cost is approximately $6.62 per Brutus block and $7.34 per capstone.

195 Brutus block needed for job. 65 capstones needed.
Order 6 pallets of Brutus Block and 2 pallets of capstones.
​
Total Project Cost should be approximately $2,134.56 for the rock plus drainage rock, bedding sand, corrugated pipe, landscape fabric (bottom and top)

BEFORE: December 2023 
​AFTER: August 2024

We have been tackling some larger projects at the Passion Play with our mission trip program! In 2024, we would like to replace this wall at the Highway 62 entrance. 

Here are the specs:
- 120 feet of wall is needed to replace the leaning retaining wall
- geogrid 4ft wide will run along the top side of the wall and capstone
- backfill with white 1/2 inch drainage rock behind retaining wall
- landscape fabric near top capstone to prevent soil from clogging drain
- corrugated pipe behind the bottom course
- Brutus Blocks are a Romanstone product that we get from the Midwest Block and Brick Company in Springdale
(479-750-7887)
- 9 inches wide by 8 inches tall by 19 inches long
- 80 blocks per course 
- total blocks needed between 240 blocks to 300 blocks
- Midwest Block and Brick can deliver 8 pallets on their short truck (this is the truck that is needed if going up and down big hills...they can carry more on big semi)
- Brutus block comes in 36 individual blocks per pallet; Brutus Capstone comes in 48 capstones per pallet
- 27 retaining wall lights at 5 watts a piece--135 watts total required--200 watt transformer required--(160 possible)

- Order 6 pallets of Brutus Block along with 2 pallets of capstones
Cost is approximately $6.62 per Brutus block and $7.34 per capstone.

Total Project Cost should be approximately $2,100 for the rock plus drainage rock, bedding sand, corrugated pipe, landscape fabric (bottom and top)

Below are a couple of videos that we reference when looking at cuts for the capstone.

We are very thankful to the volunteer help and material contributions of Dover Christian Church of Oklahoma and Corinth Baptist Church of Louisiana. These two churches have been instrumental in the addition of our petting zoo area, the spotlight towers on the set, and numerous other projects throughout the grounds. Here's a before and after look as well as a progress shot of the 3rd spotlight tower that they've put in for the Passion Play.

Additionally, the First Christian Church of Stilwell, Oklahoma did an awesome job of staining the tower to help it look great for a long time as well as completing a walkway to connect the pathway to the cross to the walkway to the statue.