Tuesday 24 March 2015

Low Furness School

This morning Sarah and I went to Low Furness School for the assembly.  Our theme was Palm Sunday.  So to start of we sang So Many Ways to Praise the Lord and in the chorus part instead of saying I Love You we shouted Hosanna.  Then Sarah asked if anyone had ever been in a large crowd, a few children gave their thoughts on what it was like, then she asked them to close their eyes as I played a crowd noise which I made go louder and louder.  Then I told the story of Jesus on what we call Palm Sunday, I mentioned that this was the start of Jesus' final week on earth and talked a little about the other events of the week - the last supper, Good Friday and then Easter Day.  Sarah reminded the children what Easter is all about before we sang Inright Outright as it talks about Jesus cares for me when he died on Calvary.  Sarah then closed with a prayer.

Vicarage Park School Experience Easter Outside

Yesterday Sarah and I had the joy and privilege of being involved with Experience Easter Outside with the pupils and staff of Vicarage Park School.  We help set up 4 areas or stations in the outside classroom area in the grounds of the school.  Then groups of children came and journeyed between the stations as the Easter story unfolded before them.  The children stood at sign posts pointing to Gethsemane, the courtyard, Golgotha and finally the Garden Tomb.  At each station the children heard the next part of the story and took part in a reflective activity.  The experience was good not only for the children but also for the staff at it brought home the Easter message.

Friday 20 March 2015

BX OT 5 Flookburgh

This afternoon I did the final lesson of Bible Explorer at Flookburgh School.  The children had a great time as we cover the exile of Israel and Judah as well as the stories of Daniel and Esther.  As there was a number of different stories there was lots of children required to help tell the stories.  Then we did a final run through of all the hand signs before giving out their certificates. 

Thursday 19 March 2015

Our Lady's School

This morning Sarah and I did the assembly at Our Lady's School.  We decided to do one about miracles so to start us off we sang a good old favourite Great Big God.  Then I used a Bob Hartman book to retell the story of Jesus walking on the water and calming the storm.  The story repeats each line 3 times and at the end of some of the lines there is a response required from the children.  Following the story Sarah explained that Jesus in fact had done 2 miracles in it the first walking on the water the second calming the storm.  She continued by saying that in life many people call the ups and downs the storms of life, however when we have Jesus close to us he helps us through the rough times.  I then linked this miracle with Jesus coming back alive on Easter Sunday, explaining to the children that that is why we celebrate Easter.  This linked into our second song Inright Outright.  Following this Sarah closed in prayer.

Wednesday 18 March 2015

Flookburgh School

This afternoon I went down to Flookburgh School for an assembly.  I started the assembly off with Great Big God and then went on to tell the story of Jesus walking on the water towards his disciples who were in a boat in a storm.  As soon as Jesus got close and into the boat the storm stopped.  I used Bob Hartman's version of the story so there as a response required from the children on certain key words.  I then pointed out to the children the miracles within the story - walking on water and calming the storm and explained that many people talk about the ups and downs of life as being the storms of life.  But when we have Jesus close to us it helps us through those times.  I then went on to talk briefly about Easter and how another miracle happen in Jesus rising from the dead.  I encouraged the children to think about that as they ate their Easter Eggs etc.  To finish we sang Inright Outright and I said a prayer.

Monday 16 March 2015

Church Walk School

This morning Sarah and I were at Church Walk School for the assembly.  After singing Creator God, Sarah talked a little about creation and about the first people created Adam and Eve, she asked if anyone knew what their names meant - 'first people ever'  I then told the Adam and Eve story and about how they got tricked and then had to leave the garden.  Sarah then explained why and asked what would the world be like if that had not have happened, she listed a load of things that wouldn't happen today.  She then turned it around to talk about Jesus and how God sent him into the world to save us and as it is nearly Easter we should be thinking about what happened at this time.  To finish we sang and signed I Love You then I closed with a prayer.

Friday 13 March 2015

BX4 OT Flookburgh School

Today was the 4th Bible Explorer lesson with the children at Flookburgh School.  We had the stories of Samuel, Saul, David and Solomon so there was lots of helpers needed to retell the stories.  The children loved dressing up and being involved with the stories and even asked questions during the lesson too.  They are all enjoying doing the hand signs too.  The last week next week and my favourite story Esther.

Cartmel CofE Primary School

This morning Sarah and I went to a new school to do an assembly, Cartmel CofE Primary School is the 14th school we are now involved with doing assemblies.  We had a great welcome from both the pupils and the staff.  We started off with God's Love is Bigger than a Burger before I retold the story of Jesus walking on the water and calming the storm.  I used the Bob Hartman version from one of his books that repeats each line three times, and each time using a different style as I read the lines out.  The children had some actions to do to in response to certain key words in the story.  After the story Sarah talked about how in life sometime we go through ups and downs and adults call them the storms of life, however like the story if we draw near to Jesus and 'let him into our boat' then things never seem to be so bad.  This led to us saying that God can do anything which was a cue for a song.  To close Sarah said a short prayer.

Thursday 12 March 2015

Leven Valley School

This morning Sarah and I went over to Leven Valley School for the assembly.  We started with the song Creator God.  Sarah then asked the younger children if they knew who the first people on earth were, she then asked what their names meant pointing out that Sarah means 'princess'  No one knew although a few did give a good answer - it means 'first people ever'.  I then retold the Adam and Eve story afterwards pointing out that if Adam and Eve had not been tricked then wrong would not have come into the world and we might live in a world free from war, fighting, crime a world were no one goes without food.  This linked to God sending Jesus and as it is getting close to Easter I reminded the children that Easter is not all about chocolate and Easter bunnies but about God showing us his love in allowing Jesus to die on the cross.  Sarah said a little bit more about this as she introduced the second song I Love You, she then close with a prayer.

Wednesday 11 March 2015

Broughton School

This morning Sarah and I went along to Broughton School for the assembly.  We had been given a request to sing God's Love is Bigger than a Burger so we sang it first.  Then I told a story from a Bob Hartman book about Jesus walking on the water and calming a storm.  The children needed to respond with actions on certain key words.  Sarah explained this before I started to read.  Afterwards I explained that two miracles happened during the story the first was Jesus walking on the water and the second was the storm being calmed.  The storm only stopped when Jesus drew close to the boat and got into it.  I said that in life we have ups and downs and older people call it the storms of life, so I encouraged the children that when they face tough times of difficult times - storms then they too should ask Jesus to draw close to them.  I linked this to the year 6 SATs coming up soon.  Sarah added that we have a great God who can do anything which linked to the song God can do Anything.  Sarah closed the assembly with a prayer.

Tuesday 10 March 2015

Crosthwaite School

This afternoon Sarah and I travelled over to Crosthwaite School it was beautiful looking up Windermere today as we saw the wonder of God's creation.  We told the children this as we started the assembly then as we sang Creator God it reminded us all about the different parts of creation.  Following the song Sarah asked who the first people were and what their names meant - Adam and Eve the children said then someone had a go at the meaning of their names 'first people ever'  This was just a filling in link to the story which was about Adam and Eve.  I told the story of Eve being tricked by the snake in the garden so she ate the fruit of the tree of good and bad.  This then led to them being asked to leave the garden and needing to work hard to make the ground bring forth fruit and veg to eat.  I asked the children to think about what the world would be like today if they had not been disobedient towards God we would live in and even more beautiful world with no fighting and falling out, no wars, no theft, no one going hungry, no stealing, no crime and so on.  I then reminded the children that God gave us a second chance in that he sent Jesus to die on the cross and as we move towards Eastertime we should remember what it is all about and not about Easter bunnies and chocolate.  God sent Jesus because he loved us so much and to end the assembly we sang I Love You which is a song we play as the children arrive into assembly.  Sarah then said a prayer to close.

Low Furness School

This morning Sarah and I went to Low Furness School for the assembly.  Our theme was miracles, so after singing an old favourite Great Big God I used a Bob Hartman story to recall Jesus calming the storm as it is in John 6:16-21.  The way the story is told is by repeating a line three times, each time slightly differently, then the children respond with an action on certain key words.  Following the story and much laughter from the children I explained that in the story there are in fact two miracles the first is Jesus walking on the water to meet the disciples and the second is the storm is calmed when Jesus gets into the boat.  I then said that sometimes in life we go through ups and downs and people call this the storms of life but if we have Jesus with us then he helps us through them and calms the storm down.  Sarah also reinforced this point with the children as I got ready the next song which simply had to be God can do Anything.  Sarah closed with a prayer.

Monday 9 March 2015

Pennington School

This afternoon I went to Pennington School for the assembly.  We started by singing Creator God then I told the Adam and Eve story telling the children how Eve was tricked into eating the fruit from the tree of good and bad and giving some to Adam this was wrong.  I asked the children what the world might have been like if they had not  done this and mentioned a few things like there would be no fighting, no wars, peace would rest on the earth, everyone would have enough to eat and everyone would get along with each other.  When I told the children that God asked Adam and Eve to leave the garden it was because they had done wrong and disobeyed his instructions but also they blame someone else.  To link in with Easter I talked a bit about God sending Jesus as a saviour for the world and reminded the children that Easter is not all about chocolate and Easter bunnies.  To close we sang I Love You and I finished with a prayer.

Penny Bridge School

This morning I went along to Penny Bridge School to take the assembly.  After singing Creator God I ask the children if they knew who the first people on earth were - Adam and Eve came the answer, next I asked if they knew the meaning of their names - I needed to give them a clue, Eve means first woman.  So I then asked what Adam means - first man they got it.  I then explained that I was going to tell them the story of Adam and Eve in the garden and about Eve's encounter with the snake.  After the story I pointed out that Adam, blamed Eve and Eve blamed the snake for their down fall.  I explained that this is not good, they had both been disobedient and then tried to blame someone else.  I continued to tell the children what happened to Adam and Eve and about how they would need to work hard in the future in order for them to eat the produce of the ground.  I asked the children to think what the world might be like if that hadn't of happened; there would be no fighting, no war, no-one would be hungry, people would love each other and live in peace as God had planned it in the first place.  I linked this to Easter and said that it is not all about Easter bunnies and chocolate eggs but about God sending Jesus in love to save the world because we have done things wrong.  We then sang I Love You and I closed with a prayer.

Tuesday 3 March 2015

Croftlands Junior School

Following on from the assembly at the infants school I went over to the juniors.  To start with we sang Creator God which would lead me into the assembly story of Adam and Eve.  I asked the children if they knew what the names meant as a way of an intro - 'first people ever'.  I then recalled the story of Adam and Eve as I got to the part when God walks in the garden and asks them if they have taken the fruit from the tree of good and bad, I made a big point of Adam blaming Eve and Eve the snake.  I explained the point of the assembly was to think about how we react when we have done things wrong, too often we can lie about it and hold someone else to blame as Adam and Eve did.  They had to leave the garden and then work hard to live.  Whenever we lie that leads to another lie and so on and so on.  I asked the children to think what the world would be like if they hadn't have done wrong and lied.  To close we sang and signed I Love You, I then closed in prayer.

Croftlands Infants School

This morning I went along to Croftlands Infants School for the assembly.  I started with Creator God then told the Adam and Eve story.  Then at the part of the story when God comes in the cool of the day I point out that Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the snake for their wrongdoing.  I explained that we all too often blame others for the wrong things we do, these lies then can lead to other lies and so on and so on.  I encouraged the children to be honest when something has gone wrong or when they do something wrong as that is what God wants us to do.  Adam and Eve needed to then work hard because of what they had done wrong.  We then sang Great Big God after which I said a prayer.