This half term we are in Christmastide and Epiphany until 5th February 2022 and the liturgical colour is white/gold. From 6th February (until 5th March) we are in ordinary time and the liturgical colour is green. Each week we encourage you to: Set up your worship table or centre of the class circle with the liturgical cloth and take out the Bible, cross and light a candle Say opening responses If you have school responses or opening words for collective worship say them together or say the following: We take out the Bible – and think about God the Father We take out the cross – and think about God’s Son, Jesus We light the candle – and think about God, the Holy Spirit
If you are using this for class worship, you can choose items to go in a box that are taken out at the beginning of the worship. We encourage including a Bible, cross and candle along with the liturgical cloth in the colour for the season of the church year. You might want to have a symbol for the Lord’s Prayer that stays in the box all year, alongside the symbols we provide that highlight if we are exploring an Old Testament story, a New Testament story, a story Jesus told or an example of an individual. For this half term you could use the shield symbol to represent courage, trust and faith. You can then select items relevant for each week’s story.
You could set up a reflection area this half term using one of the resources below that provides creative ways for pupils to reflect or pray. Lifeline (full details here) When a mountain climber slips or is struggling, their friend throws down a rope to help them to keep climbing. This is sometimes called a ‘lifeline’. There are times in life when we struggle and find things difficult. When this happens, we can turn to others for support and strength. They can throw us a ‘lifeline’. Take a ribbon As you hold it, think of someone who helped you when you were struggling. How did they help you? How did you feel? Tie the ribbon onto the Lifeline. If you want to, you can say a prayer thanking God for that person and their help. Hand Challenge (full details here) “A challenge is an opportunity in disguise.”Use your non-writing hand (it’s a challenge!) to draw around your writing hand, then cut it out. What challenges are you facing right now? Write or draw them on one side of the hand. What opportunities are there too? Write these on the other side of the hand.
This half term we are in Christmastide and Epiphany until 5 February 2022 and the liturgical colour is white/goldFrom 6 February (until 5 March) we are in ordinary time and the liturgical colour is green Set up your worship table or centre of the class circle with the with the liturgical cloth and take out the Bible, cross and light a candle. Say opening responses If you have school responses or opening words for collective worship say them together or say the following: We take out the Bible – and think about God the Father We take out the cross – and think about God’s Son, Jesus We light the candle – and think about God, the Holy Spirit
This week you could include Bible, cross, candle, liturgical cloth A symbol for prayer Shield symbol to represent courage, trust and faith Different types of bread
Overview for the teacher Bread was a staple in the diet of the Jews and throughout the Bible a symbol of God’s provision for His people in the Old Testament e.g. Exodus 16: 4-12 God’s provision of manna which was given every day in the desert. Christians believe they are asking God to sustain them physically, supplying their basic needs to live and to support their spiritual needs. Make connections
You could ask pupils to think of people to be thankful for who provide what we need. These could be added to a large outline of bread that is kept in the reflection area this week as a reminder along with the words Give us today our daily bread
You could invite pupils to say the Lord’s Prayer together and do the sign language together You could invite pupils to sing the Lord’s Prayer using the song resource shared in the introduction
This half term we are in Christmastide and Epiphany until 5 February 2022 and the liturgical colour is white/goldFrom 6 February (until 5 March) we are in ordinary time and the liturgical colour is green Set up your worship table or centre of the class circle with the with the liturgical cloth and take out the Bible, cross and light a candle. Say opening responses If you have school responses or opening words for collective worship say them together or say the following: We take out the Bible – and think about God the Father We take out the cross – and think about God’s Son, Jesus We light the candle – and think about God, the Holy Spirit A gathering activity on courage (from faith at Home, CEEO) I wonder what you think of when you hear the word courage? I wonder who you think of when you hear the word courage? I wonder if you can think of a time in your life when you had to be filled with courage? What did this feel like? Find a small stone and hold it in your hand Could something this small make any difference to anything?
Read You could read Daniel and the Lions from the Lion Storyteller Bible You could watch the story using one of these videos here and here
Overview for the teacher After Israel was defeated many of the people were taken into exile. Some prospered and joined the government as administrators, but they continued to worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Darius the king was actively considering putting one of these people, Daniel, in charge of his entire civil service. Those overlooked plotted against Daniel and, when they could find nothing to report against him, persuaded Darius to establish a new law. Flattering the monarch the law made it illegal for any citizen to make a request of any one other than him, including saying prayers. Daniel loved God and didn’t stop praying to him at least three time each day. The king had no option but to condemn him to be thrown into an enclosure with lions, an obvious death sentence. When Daniel survived, unharmed, Darius ordered that his God should be respected throughout the empire. Make connections with Give us this day our daily bread. Explore how Daniel turned to God in his time of need. I wonder how Daniel showed courage and faith?
You could ask some I wonder questions
Reflection activity You could encourage pupils to write one thing they will take away from today’s story on a shield and add it to the class reflection area
A sending activity on courage (from faith at Home, CEEO) Use the EXAMEN prayer to reflect on courage. It has 5 steps, so you might like to count them on your fingers: 1. GIVE THANKS for something that were good today 2. ASK FOR HELP with something that scares you at the moment 3. REFLECT on your day and think about the things that have given you courage and the things that have discouraged you 4. SAY SORRY for the times you have lacked courage, or discouraged someone else 5. DECIDE how you will keep hold of your courage tomorrow You could invite pupils to say the Lord’s Prayer together and do the sign language together You could invite pupils to sing the Lord’s Prayer using the song resource shared in the introduction
This week you could include Bible, cross, candle, liturgical cloth A symbol for prayer Shield symbol to represent courage, trust and faith Some coins Images of the story (link below)
You could read Jesus and the taxman Lion Storyteller Bible You could watch the story using this video You could use these images to retell the story Overview for the teacher The people who collected the taxes in Jesus time were very unpopular. Not only did they work for the Roman enemy, but they cheated, asking for more money than they should. Tax collectors were very rich and often disliked by the people around them. Zacchaeus was no different. He was curious about Jesus, but never imagined he would sit and eat with Jesus. Luke tells us nothing of what happened, but we do know from this story in that after meeting Jesus he was different. Zacchaeus not only repaid what he had stolen but gave away lots of money too. Meeting Jesus changed the life of that tax collector, and Christians believe Jesus can help us become better people too. Make connection with Give us today our daily bread . . . I wonder how this story links? I wonder what things you need to help you keep going when things are difficult?
You could ask some I wonder questions:
You could give pupils opportunity to write or draw responses on an outline of a coin and place them in the reflection area this week
Use the EXAMEN prayer to reflect on perseverance and faith. It has 5 steps, so you might like to count them on your fingers:
This week you could include Bible, cross, candle, liturgical cloth A symbol for prayer Shield symbol to represent courage, trust and faith An image of William Wilberforce A picture of the Houses of Parliament An image to represent slavery e.g chains An image of the courts
You could use the book A world of Difference by Bob Hartman which includes William Wilberforce’s story Overview for the teacher In both the Old and New Testament the Bible talks a lot about God’s heart for justice and how he wants those who are disadvantaged to be treated well. Loving God means loving others and this means having courage to stand up for those that might not be able to stand up for themselves regardless of what they look like, do, or have. Sometimes this is in small ways with the people we meet, and sometimes in big ways that challenge unjust systems. Today we are going to find out more about William Wilberforce, a man, who was motivated by his beliefs to take courage and speak out against injustice. In Hull Minster, you can see the font that William Wilberforce was baptised in. He became a Christian when he was 12 years old. He went to Hull Grammar School, which at that time was right next to the church. After that he went to Cambridge University where he met William Pitt the Younger, who would be prime minister for many years. They were both passionate about politics and Wilberforce got elected to parliament when he was just 21. He met John Newton, who had been a slave trader but now was campaigning to stop the slave trade. John Newton wrote hymns, including ‘Amazing Grace’ which is often associated with Wilberforce. He also met Thomas Clarkson, who was probably the most famous campaigner against slavery at that time. They worked together for many years. Wilberforce used his position as a member of parliament to introduce laws to stop slavery, Clarkson organised rallies and produced pamphlets. William Wilberforce didn’t just campaign against slavery. He founded the Bible Society and the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Protection of Animals). He worked with Hannah More to spread the idea of Sunday School. It was his Christianity that drove him on to help make all these good things. In 1804, when another of his anti-slavery laws had been defeated in parliament he said ‘when men are devoid of religion, they cannot be relied upon.’ When William Wilberforce joined the abolition campaign, slavery was normal. People were captured in Africa and shipped over to the Caribbean islands to work on sugar plantations. The slaves were treated very badly indeed. As a Member of Parliament, Wilberforce kept introducing laws to abolish slavery but other MPs who were getting rich from slaves voted against him and slavery carried on. He kept on doing this for eighteen years. Slavery was finally abolished and the slaves freed on 29th July 1833. William Wilberforce died three days later.
You could ask some I wonder how it would feel questions:
You could ask pupils to write a reflection on a speech bubble on something they want to speak up or speak out on to make a difference. They could pray a prayer if they wish to asking for courage to speak up
