The Weakest Link

To help children to appreciate their own self worth

by Gwyneth Air

Suitable for Whole School (Pri)

Aims

To help the children appreciate their own self-worth.

Preparation and materials

• Set and costume for 'The Weakest Link': black clothing and a lectern or music stand, plus 4 blank pieces of card and 4 felt pens.
• A sweeping brush (for Gideon).
• Choose 4 KS2 volunteers for the first part and 2 for the poem drama. The poem drama would benefit from a quick rehearsal beforehand.

Assembly

1. Stand the 4 volunteers in a semicircle. You (acting as Anne Robinson) say, It's time to vote off the weakest link. The volunteers write a name on their cards and display them. Everyone has written 'Anne Robinson'. Say, Anne Robinson - you are the weakest link, goodbye, and walk off (briefly!).
   
   
2. Send the children back to their places and say something like (now in normal mode): We all do that sometimes, look for weaknesses in others, don't we? Maybe you've been made to feel silly by someone or maybe you've treated someone else like that. Sometimes we look for people's weaknesses instead of their strengths - look for the bad instead of the good. But that's not how God treats people.
   
   There's a story in the Bible about someone called Gideon. He was the youngest in his family, and his family was not very important, so he didn't feel very special at all. But God had something important for him to do and so God wanted him to know that he was special. Ask the children to listen to the poem while two of the children act it out.
   
   
3. Read the poem while the volunteers do actions and repeat the dialogue after you.
   
   Gideon
   
   A long time ago in the land of Midian
   there lived a lad whose name was Gideon.
   He believed he was the weakest link.
   But things aren't always what you think!
   
   One day when he was working on the threshing floor
   an angel came in through the door.
   'Hi, mighty man of God,' he said.
   Gideon blushed the brightest red.
   
   'Oh no, not me. I'm the weakest link.
   Everyone tells me that's what they think.'
   (True his clan was the smallest in the land,
   true he was the youngest in the band.)
   
   But the angel said, 'It's God who knows,
   and he says you are the one he chose
   to lead an army of mighty men
   to save this land for God, and then
   destroy false gods and worship him
   and turn the people from their sin.'
   
   At first Gideon was full of fear,
   but he always knew that God was near.
   He always did the things God said
   and the people had peace all the time he led.
   
   
4. If appropriate, tell of times when you've felt like the weakest link, e.g. not good at sport, being different, making a silly mistake.

Time for reflection

You don't live in the land of Midian
And it's almost sure your name's not Gideon.
But if you think you're the weakest link,
remember that is not the way to think!

Dear God,
Help us to know that everyone is special.
There are no weak links in your chain.
Thank you that you are the strongest link.
Amen.

Song/music

'You can build a wall' (Come and Praise, 91)