Opportunity Knocks!
Making the most of every opportunity
by Alexandra Palmer
Suitable for Whole School (Pri)
Aims
To consider the importance of taking the opportunities that we are given.
Preparation and materials
- Have available the YouTube video ‘Jonah and the fish’ and the means to show it during the assembly. It is 2.58 minutes long and is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOSadLyqshg
- Optional: you may also wish to use the extension activity (Opportunity Knocks! - Extension Activity) that accompanies this assembly.
Assembly
- Introduce the assembly by telling some knock-knock jokes.
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Harry.
Harry who?
Harry up and answer the door!
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Tank.
Tank who?
You’re welcome!
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Boo.
Boo who?
Why are you crying? - Ask the children, ‘What does the word “opportunity” mean?’
Listen to a range of responses.
Explain that an opportunity is a chance to do something. - Ask the children, ‘What does the phrase “opportunity knocks” mean?’
Listen to a range of responses.
Explain that when an opportunity comes knocking at our door, it means that we have been given the chance to do something. However, it’s up to us to decide whether we want to take that opportunity.
We may not have been expecting it, or we may have been waiting for it for some time. If we decide not to take the opportunity, we may not get the chance to do it again. - Introduce the story of Jonah from the Old Testament part of the Bible.
Jonah was a prophet. His job was to tell people what God told him. One day, God asked Jonah to go to Nineveh because the people there were behaving badly. However, Jonah didn’t take this opportunity. Instead, he ran away to a place called Tarshish.
Show the YouTube video ‘Jonah and the fish’ (2.58 minutes long). - Ask the children to discuss the following questions about the video in pairs or small groups.
Listen to a range of responses after each question.
- What was the opportunity that God gave to Jonah? (Answer: to go to Nineveh and tell people to stop behaving badly.)
- Why do you think Jonah travelled in the opposite direction and went to Tarshish instead? (Answer: Jonah was scared of how the people of Nineveh might treat him if he told them to stop their bad behaviour. He also wanted to run away from God.)
- Why did God send the storm? (Answer: to try to prevent Jonah from running away.)
- What opportunities did Jonah give to the sailors? (Answer: to throw Jonah into the sea so that the storm would stop; to learn about God.)
- How did God give Jonah a second chance? (Answer: God sent a large fish to swallow Jonah, who spent three days inside its belly. During this time, Jonah prayed and said sorry to God. Eventually, the fish spat Jonah out and God asked Jonah again to go to Nineveh.)
- How do you think Jonah felt when God gave him a second chance? (Answer: relieved, thankful, pleased, comforted, happy and lucky.)
- Who else had an opportunity to get to know God in the story? (Answer: the people of Nineveh because they listened to what Jonah had to say and they said sorry to God for their bad behaviour.) - Ask the children whether God controlled anything in the story of Jonah.
Listen to a range of responses.
Explain that, in the story, God controlled things in nature, such as the storm, the wind, the rain and the giant fish. However, he didn’t control the people because he wanted them to have the freedom to make their own decisions. God wanted them to decide what they would and wouldn’t do. God didn’t control Jonah, the sailors or the people of Nineveh.
Time for reflection
Ask the children to think about the things that they would like to achieve this year.
Explain that Christians believe that God gives them the opportunity to do things in life. If it’s the right time to do something, God will open the door to that opportunity and give them that chance. It could be something like starting a new job, making a new friend, trying a new activity, helping others by raising funds for charity or learning something new. We can all have these opportunities, but it is up to us whether we take them.
Ask the children to think about things that they didn’t take the opportunity to do last year.
Explain that we are often given second chances and that it is important to learn to grasp opportunities when they arise.
Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you for the story of Jonah and the lessons that we can learn from it.
Thank you for the opportunities that come knocking at our door.
Thank you that you give second chances when we don’t take an opportunity the first time round.
We pray that we will all have amazing opportunities this year and that we will have the courage to try new and exciting things.
Amen.
Song/music
‘Our God is a great big God’, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaXPXWBcE3I (3 minutes long)
Extension activities
- Give each child a copy of the sheet that accompanies this assembly (Opportunity Knocks! - Extension Activity). On each of the three doors, ask them to write or draw the opportunities that they would like to have this year and how it would make them feel to achieve them.
