Lindale School

This morning I went down to Lindale School to do the assembly.  The theme was being generous with our money and possessions based around the story of Zacchaeus.  To start though I told the children I was feeling happy as I had seen my first new born lambs of the year - this was a link to the first song Be Happy, I asked the children if they were happy too before we all sang the song.  After the song I asked the children to stay standing up as I asked one of the taller people from year 6 to help me as well as someone from lower down the school.  I then asked the younger children to go and stand at the back of the other children while I ask the older one to perform some actions.  I kept on asking the younger child at the back of the crowd if he could see what the girl at the front was doing.  I then with staff help asked him to stand on a chair while the actions were repeated at the front - now he could see.  As I asked all the children to sit down I said that is a little bit like the man in our story.  I then told the story of Zacchaeus using pictures at various stages as well as my Bible as I told the part of the story when Zacchaeus was in the tree.  After the story I explained that Zacchaeus had loads of money and no doubt nice clothes and things, but after meeting with Jesus he gave loads of it away.  I encouraged the children with the idea of using what we have to share with other people and that wasn't just about money and things but about being generous with our time too.  Red Nose day is coming up I reminded the children and perhaps they could think of something they could do towards that.  I reminded the children about the Lord's Prayer which we looked at before Christmas about give us this day our daily bread, God gives us what we need each day not what we want.  I explained that when we do share what we have been given we shine out God's love from the inside out - cue for a song.  After the song I closed the assembly with a prayer.  When the assembly was over one of the teachers reminded the children that they were doing the 40 acts of kindness over the next 40 days, and linked it to what I had said about doing things for other people.