The Story of George Müller

A life of faith

by Janice Ross

Suitable for Whole School (Pri)

Aims

To consider the life of George Müller and what we can learn from it.

Preparation and materials

• You will need the PowerPoint slides that accompany this assembly (The Story of George Muller) and the means to display them.
• Have available the YouTube video ‘The Torchlighters: The George Müller Story’ and the means to show it during the assembly. It is 30.17 minutes long, but you will be showing it from 18.44 to 20.25 minutes. It is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7jUlzZtyEQ

Assembly

1. Ask the children, ‘What do you think of when you hear the word “fundraising”?’
   
   Listen to a range of responses.
   
   
2. Discuss various situations for which funds are needed. For example, local community groups, issues in the news, emergency relief, charities and so on.
   
   
3. Ask the children whether they have ever been involved with any fundraising. Ask them to share their experiences.
   
   Listen to a range of responses.
   
   Identify some fundraising methods that are used in school.
   
   Optional: you may wish to use this assembly to introduce a fundraising event in school.
   
   
4. Ask the children, ‘What do you think about using prayer as a way to raise funds?’
   
   Listen to a range of responses.
   
   Explain that for most people, this idea might never enter their head! However, there was someone who tried out this method of fundraising many years ago.
   
   Show Slide 1.
   
   This is a man called George Müller. He and his wife set up orphanages and George ‘prayed in’ everything that they needed to look after the hundreds of children under their care.
   
   George was born in 1805 and lived until he was 92 years old. As a young boy, he was often in trouble for many things including stealing. However, when George was 20, he became a Christian and went on to become a minister. He decided that people who were already poor shouldn’t have to pay him a salary, so he lived by receiving donations.
    
5. Ask the children, ‘What might this way of living have meant week by week?’
   
   Listen to a range of responses.
   
   Answers might include worrying that basics like food wouldn’t be available in time, dealing with lots of requests, feeling totally dependent on others and so on.
   
   
6. Continue with George Müller’s story.
   
   As a young married man in Bristol, George could see that there was a big problem in the city. There were many orphans living on the streets and George didn’t have the resources to do anything about it. However, he was sure that God must care for these children very much. George believed that the children were God’s responsibility and that God would provide for them. He felt that God simply needed a person on the ground to work through, a person who would trust him.
   
   George decided that this person would be him! First, he and his wife opened up their home to 25 street orphans. Later, they opened three more homes, but the more children they took into the homes, the more the need grew. Every time they needed something, George prayed and laid his requests before God. Then, he waited, believing that God would be faithful.
   
   Show Slides 2 and 3.
   
   These pictures show some of the children in the orphanages.
   
   
7. Explain that there were times when things were difficult for George Müller. Sometimes, the answers to his prayers only came at the very last minute!
   
   Here is just one event that happened at one of the orphanages.
   
   Show the YouTube video ‘The Torchlighters: The George Müller Story’ from 18.44 to 20.25 minutes.
   
   
8. Identify that God provided for all of the orphanage’s needs, often through other people and their kindness.
   
   
9. Explain that our own faith grows as we see God provide. George Müller’s faith grew so much that in the end, he had helped thousands of orphans, all without asking anyone for a penny, except God.
   
   Show Slide 4.

Time for reflection

George Müller saw a need and did something about it. So often, we see a need and do nothing.

Ask the children to think of a time when they saw that there was a need and did something about it. How did it make them feel? Examples could be as simple as seeing someone on their own and asking them to join in with a game.

Encourage the children to look out for people who are in need and act upon it.

Pause to allow time for thought.

Ask the children, ‘What can we learn about faith from George Müller’s life?’

Listen to a range of responses.

Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you for George Müller and the actions that he took.
Thank you for all the children who were helped by his actions.
Please help us to act when we see a need.
Please give us courage.
Please help us to trust in you.
Amen.