Called to ACT
We can all do something!
by Alexandra Palmer
Suitable for Whole School (Pri) - Church Schools
Aims
To use the word ACT (Act, Care, Time) to explore how we can all help each other.
Preparation and materials
- You will need the PowerPoint slides that accompany this assembly (Called to ACT) and the means to display them.
- Have available the YouTube video ‘The Good Samaritan (Luke 10.25-37)’ and the means to show it during the assembly. It is 3.08 minutes long and is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osfQg4yKtq8
- Optional: you may also wish to use the extension activity (Called to ACT - Extension Activity) that accompanies this assembly.
Assembly
- Show Slide 1.
Explain that you are going to show four pictures to the children and you want them to decide how they might be able to help in each situation. You might like the children to discuss in pairs or small groups before they answer. - Show Slides 2 to 5, pausing after each one to listen to a range of responses.
Suggestions may include:
– Helping out by tidying a messy bedroom. (Slide 2)
– Comforting the boy who has fallen off his bike. (Slide 3)
– Talking to the child who is being bullied. (Slide 4)
– Helping the woman who is on the streets. (Slide 5) - Explain that while Jesus was on earth, he told stories called parables. These are stories that contain a special truth about God. One of them is the story of the Good Samaritan, which is about a man who is attacked on the road to Jericho.
Show the YouTube video ‘The Good Samaritan (Luke 10.25-37)’. (3.08 minutes long) - Show Slide 6.
Use the word ACT to explain and discuss the story of the Good Samaritan.
Say to the children, ‘We are called to act. What might the word “act” mean?’
Listen to a range of responses. - Ask the children the following questions.
- How did the priest and the Levite act when they saw the injured man on the side of the road? (Answer: they crossed to the other side of the road and continued on their journey.)
- Why do you think that the priest and the Levite walked on by? (Answer: they might have been worried about the robbers attacking them too. Perhaps they did not want to be delayed on their journey. Maybe they did not care about the man or other people.)
- In the story, whose action was the right type of action? (Answer: the Samaritan who helped the injured man.)
- Why is it important to act and help others? (Listen to a range of responses.)
- Show Slide 7.
Ask the children the following questions.
- We are called to care. What does the word ‘care’ mean? (Listen to a range of responses.)
- How did the Samaritan care for the injured man? (Answer: he tended to the injured man’s wounds and bandaged them. Next, he put the man onto his donkey and took him to an inn, where he paid for a room. The Samaritan also gave the innkeeper two extra silver coins to take care of the man until he was well enough to continue on his journey.)
- How can we act and care for others? (Listen to a range of responses.) - Show Slide 8.
Ask the children the following questions.
- We are called to give our time. What does ‘giving our time’ mean? (Listen to a range of responses.)
- How did the Samaritan use his time to help the injured man? (Answer: the Samaritan stopped to help the injured man. He also took the time to take the man with him to the next inn on his route.)
- How can we use our time wisely to act and help others? (Listen to a range of responses.)
Time for reflection
Show Slide 9.
Explain that if we act, care and give our time, we can change things around us. We can make a difference to our classes, school, community, town, country and the rest of the world for the better.
Ask the children, ‘How can we act to help others?’
Pause to allow time for thought before listening to a range of responses.
Ask the children, ‘How can we care for our friends and family?’
Pause to allow time for thought before listening to a range of responses.
Ask the children, ‘How can we use our time to help others?’
Pause to allow time for thought before listening to a range of responses.
Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you for all the times when we can act and help other people.
Thank you for all the times that we have been cared for.
Please help us always to care for others.
Please help us to use our time to help other people.
Please help us to be like the Good Samaritan so that we know when to ACT.
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 (Called to ACT - Extension Activity). Ask the children to colour in the lettering and then encourage them to illustrate the words with actions that they could take to help others.
