BX 5 NT St Peters

This afternoon I went along to St Peters for the last lesson of Bible Explorer New Testament.  This week the children got to hear about the journeys Paul went on and how the gospel spread to many parts of the Roman Empire.  Paul himself going to Rome and from his prison cell writing letters to places that had received the message about Jesus.  At the end of the lesson all the children went through the hand signs form start to finish and I was proud to be able to give them their certificates.

Croftlands Juniors

Following the assembly at the infant school we walked across the car park to the junior school and did the assembly there too.  As the year 5 and 6 had gone off swimming we only had years 3 and 4.  To start off the assembly we sang So Many Ways to Praise the Lord then we displayed the optical illusions, which the children loved as the discussed if they could see something or not and what they could and couldn't see.  This was a way into the story of Samuel looking for a new king.  Samuel had been told by God to go down to Bethlehem and to Jesse's family and one of his sons was going to be king, as 7 of the sons came to Samuel he could see them as being good strong kings however not one of them was right and God reminded Samuel that man looks on the outside and he looks on the inside, into mans heart.  Finally David a young boy came in and God told Samuel that he was the one as he trusted God, loved God and followed him.  Sarah explained what the story could mean to us today and that it doesn't matter what we are like on the outside because it is what is inside us that matters and we should Shine out.  Which was a cue for a second song Shine.  After the song Sarah closed the assembly with a prayer.

Croftlands Infants School

This morning Sarah and I were at Croftlands Infants for the assembly.  After saying hello we started the assembly with a good warming song - So Many Ways to Praise the Lord.  Then we displayed a series of pictures all of them optical illusions.  The idea was that we sometimes can see something different to everyone else and the children did, some saw one thing others saw differently.  This was a link to the story which was Samuel anointing David as King.  We see what Samuel saw in David's older brothers was not what God saw and then what God saw in David was not what Samuel saw - because God looks on the inside and we only look on the outside.  I part read part ad-libbed the story using the Lion Storyteller Bible.  After the story Sarah explained to the children that we only see what is on the outside of people, they may look nice, wear good clothes but inside they may be different.  She encouraged the children to Shine from the inside out which was a cue for a song.  After the song Sarah closed the assembly with a prayer.

Flookburgh Primary School

The final assembly of the day was at Flookburgh Primary School.  It was good to see all the children at the school again so after saying hello I introduced the first song So Many Ways to Praise the Lord.  Then I displayed a number of optical illusions and asked the children what if anything they could see.  We had a multi-legged elephant, an old women or a young lady, a moving snake or was it still?  Lines that looked as if the would meet but could they?  I explained that sometimes we see things that are not really there or we think we see things.  Samuel was a little bit like that when he went to see Jesse to anoint one of his sons as King of God's people.  Samuel looked at the first 7 sons and thought that anyone of them would be the right one but all the time God was looking on the inside of them at their heart.  Finally David came forward and God told Samuel that the young lad was to be the King.  I used the Lion Storyteller Bible and a lot of ad-lib to tell the story.  I explained that what we see as people is not what God sees because he can look inside of us and see what we are thinking and feeling.  We might think someone is good because they look good but deep down they might be bad.  However we should Shine from the inside out which was a cue for a song.  After the song I closed the assembly with a prayer.

Cartmel Primary School

The second assembly of the day was at Cartmel Primary School.  After saying hello to the children I introduced them to a new song - well new to them which was So Many Ways to Praise the Lord.  I then displayed a number of pictures and asked the children what they could see.  There was an old women or was it a young lady?  was the picture moving or still?  and how many legs does that elephant have?  Yes they were optical illusions I explained that sometimes we can see something that perhaps isn't really there.  This was a link into the main story which was a bout Samuel looking for a new King.  I read part of the story from the Lion Storyteller Bible and ad-lib was used for other parts.  The point was that Samuel was looking at Jesses sons on the outside but God was looking much deeper into there hearts and that is why Samuel was told to anoint David as King although he was only a boy God knew all about him and could see that he followed, Him, loved Him and trusted Him.  I then talked about how sometimes we might see someone who looks nice on the outside, has nice looks, good clothes, the latest phone and other gadgets yet on the inside they could not be so nice and think wrong things about people.  Yet a very untidy person could be the nicest person you would ever meet.  What is on our inside should shine out which was a cue for a song Shine.  Following the song I said a short prayer and closed the assembly.

Church Walk Primary

Our first assembly of the day was this morning at Church Walk Primary School.  We started off by singing So Many Ways to Praise the Lord.  We then displayed a series of optical illusions and asked the children what they could or couldn't see.  The reaction to the pictures was interesting particularly when we explained what some of them were.  This led into the account of Samuel anointing David as King.  It was an adaptation of the story in the Lion Storyteller Bible - I did a bit of ad-lib as I retold the story.  The main point was that God looks on the inside while we look on the outside of a person.  Sarah explained a bit more about this idea once I had finished the story.  This led into singing Shine from the inside out.  Sarah then closed the assembly with a prayer.

BX4 NT St Peters

This afternoon I was at St Peters school for lesson 4 of Bible Explorer New Testament.  We looked at the Holy Spirit coming upon the disciples and how it transformed them into people that wanted to tell the world about Jesus.  We covered the story of Phillip then the conversion of Paul and ended with Peter's dream of unclean animals.  Next week for our final week we shall be looking at the journeys that Paul makes as the good news spread even further.

BX 4&5 OT Pennington School

This afternoon I have been at Pennington school doing a double Bible Explorer Lesson.  I had to do lessons 4 and 5 together because last week the electricity was off in the school.  The children did brilliantly as they sat through the first hour long lesson then they had a break and we continued into the second hour doing lesson 5.  The children had all remembered the hands signs from the previous lessons which was good to see.  We all had an enjoyable time.

St Peters School

This morning I went over to St Peters School for the assembly.  After singing So Many Ways I then displayed some optical illusions and asked the children what they could see.  I explained that what some people see can be different from what other people see.  This idea led onto the telling of the story from 1 Samuel of David being made king.  Using the Lion Storyteller bible for part of the story I retold the account of how Samuel looked at the outside of the 7 brothers but God was looking on the inside and although David was only a small boy he loved God, trusted him and followed him.  I encouraged the children to think about what they are like on the inside and allow that to shine out which led to the song Shine.  Following the song I said a prayer and closed the assembly with the Lord's Prayer.

Crosthwaite School

This afternoon Sarah and I have been over to Crosthwaite School for the assembly.  As it was SATS week we only had time for one song so we went straight into the story.  We displayed a number of optical illusions and asked the children if they could see certain things, old women/young lady, dots, elephant legs etc Sarah used this to explain that what we see sometimes is not what is really there.  Like we can see a nice person but we can't see what is going on inside of them.  I then read the story of David meeting Samuel and being anointed as king.  Samuel looked at all the other brothers and thought that they would make great kings but God looked on the inside and that is why David was picked.  God looks on the inside but man looks on the outside , God told Samuel.  Following this we sang Shine from the inside out and Sarah explained why we sing the words in the song.  We then did have time for a quick burst of the Chicken Dance.  Sarah closed with a prayer.

Low Furness School

This morning Sarah and I went to Low Furness School for the assembly.  The theme was Hope and the Holy Spirit.  Having already done an assembly on hope this half term we decided to build upon that idea.  So after singing Shine I read the story of Pentecost out of the Loin Storyteller Bible then Sarah referred back to the previous assembly about having hope and having to wait for something.  It was rather funny in that during the telling of the story a wind was blowing outside and at just the right moment a huge gust came.  Following the talk we then sang May the God of Hope.  Sarah then closed with a prayer.

BX 3 NT St Peters

I went to St Peters this afternoon for the 3rd New Testament lesson of Bible Explorer.  I had to tell the children the stories Jesus told about the lost coin, son and sheep then talk about Lazarus being raised and the Zaccheaus story too.  This all led to the final week in the life of Jesus and his entrance into Jerusalem and him clearing the temple to do this I set up a sort of market in the class room and the actors need to make a sacrifice so needed to buy a bull but then they needed temple money so went to change it and so it went on.  I used this to illustrate how the temple traders cheated people out of money.  Jesus turned all the tables over and declared that his house was a house of prayer not a den for thief's.  Then we looked at the last supper and Jesus' arrest and Peter denying him three times followed by the crucifixion and burial.  I didn't want to leave the story there so I talked about Easter Sunday and Jesus rising from the dead.  Next week we look at the Holy Spirit coming at Pentecost and the spread of the gospel.

Leven Valley School

This morning I travelled down to Leven Valley School for their assembly.  To start off we sang So Many Ways to Praise the Lord.  Then I showed a number of very clever optical illusions and asked the children and staff if they could tell what they were.  Some were two pictures others move there was even a multi legged elephant - 7 legs!- someone said.  This linked to the idea that sometimes we see something different when we look at things which is what happened when God and Samuel looked for a new king, Samuel saw the tall, handsome type people were as God looked at the heart and could see the loving, trusting person which was David of course.  To help tell the story I took some of the words from the Lion Storyteller Bible and one line in particular God said I look on the inside were you (Samuel) look on the outside.  It was this point I wanted to focus on.  We might be the tallest, strongest, best looking person but if inside in our heart we are mean, nasty and not very nice then God sees that in us.  We should be the same person on the outside as we are on the inside.  This means that we can then Shine from the inside out which was a cue for a song.  Following the song I said a prayer.

Our Lady's School

This morning I was at Our Lady's School doing the assembly.  I decided to sing So many ways to start with as we haven't sung that one for a while.  I then displayed a number of pictures that were optical illusions and asked the children what they saw.  It was amazing to see how many people saw different things.  This linked with what I was going to talk about which was Samuel looking at Jesse's sons to pick one as king.  I read part the story from the Loin Storyteller Bible and adlibbed the rest.  There was a line I did read however which said Man looks on the outside but God looks on the inside.  After telling the story I explained that it isn't what we look like that makes us who we are it is what we are like inside.  We could be the best looking person but if inside we think horrible things and say nasty things then we really are not a nice person.  Following this we sang Shine and I closed with a prayer.

Lindale School

This morning Sarah and I went down to Lindale Primary School.  It was our first visit to the school so we were both excited as this is our 15th school.  We had been asked to do the assembly on David and in particular him being anointed as King.  So after the introductions we sang Great Big God then we showed a few optical illusions and asked the children what they saw, was there a five legged elephant, or was the picture an old lady or a young women, was the picture moving or still etc.  This led Sarah into talking about what we see is not always was is there which moved us nicely into the appointment of David by Samuel to be King of Israel.  I then read the story using the Lion Storyteller bible as a guide - I added my own bits in as I told the story.  The point was made that we look on the outside of a person to see what they are like but God looks on the inside.  That is what he did with David's brothers all 7 of them before he had David brought out to meet Samuel, because God could see into David's heart He knew that this was the right man for the job.  We brought the talk round to being able to Shine from the inside out which was a cue for a second song.  After the song Sarah closed the assembly with a prayer.

Pennington School

This afternoon I went along to Pennington School for the assembly.  I wanted to do the assembly on miracles so to start the assembly we sang Great Big God then after the song I displayed some key words that had actions to them in the story I was about to tell.  It was the account of Jesus walking on the water and calming the storm.  It was a Bob Hartman story which repeats each line three times which helps to build up tension as the story is told.  After the story and the laughing of the children had died down I explained that two miracles took place in the story - the first was Jesus walking on the water the second Jesus calming the story.  It was the second part that I wanted to focus on.  I talked about the ups and downs of life and how some people refer to them as the storms of life but if like the real storm the disciples found themselves in we have Jesus close by us then the storm can be stilled and we can feel safe again.  I linked this to the year 6 children soon to be doing SATS and how they might get a little down but if they allow Jesus to come close to them and ask him for help then he will.  Why because God can do Anything and nothing is to big for him and nothing is to small - cue for a song I think.  After singing God Can Do Anything I prayed for the children and in particular the year 6 children.

Penny Bridge School

This morning I went along to Penny Bridge School for the assembly.  It felt a little strange as today is Tuesday and we normally go on a Monday but yesterday was a bank holiday.  I started the assembly with Great Big God then after the song I displayed some key words that had actions to them in the story I was about to tell.  It was the account of Jesus walking on the water and calming the storm.  It was a Bob Hartman story which repeats each line three times which helps to build up tension as the story is told.  After the story and the laughing of the children had died down I explained that two miracles took place in the story - the first was Jesus walking on the water the second Jesus calming the story.  It was the second part that I wanted to focus on.  I talked about the ups and downs of life and how some people refer to them as the storms of life but if like the real storm the disciples found themselves in we have Jesus close by us then the storm can be stilled and we can feel safe again.  I linked this to the year 6 children soon to be doing SATS and how they might get a little down but if they allow Jesus to come close to them and ask him for help then he will.  Why because God can do Anything and nothing is to big for him and nothing is to small - cue for a song I think.  After singing God Can Do Anything I prayed for the children and in particular the year 6 children.

Millom Churches Funday

Had a great time over at Millom this afternoon as part of the Churches Together in Millom Funday at the Network Centre.  I was able to do 3 different magic shows each one with a gospel message for the children as well as the adults.  Despite the rain the turn out was great loads of people came along and had a fantastic time.

BX3 OT Croftlands Juniors

This afternoon I was once again with the year 5 children at Croftlands Juniors for Bible Explorer.  We had a great time looking at the story of Joshua and then the Judges of Israel finishing with the story of Ruth.  Next week we shall be looking at the first kings of Israel.