At our 2024 Fall Retreat, we embraced an approach to justice that felt as cozy as it was radical—Craftivism. Eight themed “Stations of Craftivism” offered youth the opportunity to engage deeply with issues of justice, faith, and community through creativity, contemplation, and action.

Craftivism, a term coined by Betsy Greer in 2003, is “a way of looking at life where voicing opinions through creativity makes your voice stronger, your compassion deeper and your quest for justice more infinite.” It’s gentle protest—resisting injustice not through confrontation, but through creation, connection, and compassion.

My interest in craftivism began when I attended Princeton Seminary’s Forum on Youth Ministry in May 2024. During worship, we used crafts to engage with Lectio Divina. The youth leaders I brought with me were really into it and asked if we could replicate something similar at our Fall Retreat. While researching ideas for a “crafty Lectio Divina,” I stumbled upon the concept of craftivism. Forty hours of deep-diving later, I partnered with one of our incredible volunteers who helped bring the vision to life. I developed the concepts, and she made them tangible—creating the printouts and finalizing our materials.

Each of our eight stations tackled a different cause through a hands-on project paired with scripture, prayer practices, and reflective prompts. I chose the causes based on research into what young people care most about today. Here’s a snapshot of that data:

Position	%	Source
Federal government needs to step in to Climate Change	67	2021 Pew Research
Stricter gun control laws	63	2022 Harvard Youth Poll
Black Lives Matter movement	77	2020 Pew Research
Same-sex marriage	77	2021 Gallup
Transgender Rights	67	2019 Public Religion Research Institute
Increased government funding for mental health services	72	2022 Pew Research
Legal access to abortion	69	2022 NBC News/Generation Lab
Voted in 2020 US Presidential Election if eligible	50	CIRCLE
Believe immigration strengthens the US	69	2021 Pew Research

We designed the following eight stations to reflect these passions:

🪨 Kindness Rocks – Mental Health Awareness
Participants painted uplifting messages on rocks to remind others that mental health struggles are real and valid. Scripture and breath prayers helped us root in hope and shared healing.

🏳️‍🌈 Button-Making – LGBTQ+ Equity
With markers and button-makers, students crafted wearable affirmations of love and inclusion for queer youth. Through imagination prayers and powerful quotes from Baldwin and Giovanni, we dreamed of a more expansive, welcoming world.

✉️ Postcards – School Safety & Gun Violence
Postcards became vehicles for advocacy as students wrote to their legislators about the need for safer schools. Prayers encouraged empathy, not apathy, reminding us that “slow advocacy” still moves mountains.

🪧 Positive Posters – Racial Reconciliation
Participants made bold, affirming posters to display in homes and churches, declaring solidarity with marginalized communities. Prayers of confession and calls to anti-racist action reminded us that reconciliation is a practice, not a point of arrival.

🎀 Woven Prayers – World Peace
With ribbon and a communal loom, students tied written prayers for peace in Ukraine, Sudan, Palestine, and more. A practice in silent prayer grounded us in empathy and global awareness.

🛍 T-Shirt Upcycling – Recycling & Waste Reduction
Old shirts were transformed into reusable bags as a statement of environmental care. We reflected on what it means to be stewards of God’s creation—and how small changes can echo holiness.

🚩 Flag Decorating – Immigration Justice
Each participant decorated a flag representing a piece of their heritage, adding it to a growing wall of shared stories. Through ancestor meditation, we remembered: every journey has a sacred story.

🧩 Puzzle Pieces – Neurodiversity
A collaborative art station where participants colored puzzle pieces to honor neurodiversity. With tear-off affirmations and praying in color, we celebrated every mind as fearfully and wonderfully made.

These stations were more than arts and crafts—they were holy spaces for contemplation, protest, and community-building. Each project invited youth to slow down, reflect, and act—not out of shame or fear, but out of love. Whether they painted rocks or stitched their truth into a button, every act was sacred. Every piece mattered.

Because justice isn’t just something we fight for—it’s something we create together.

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