Great Relationships!
How can we make our relationships sustainable?
by Helen Redfern (revised, originally published in 2006)
Suitable for Whole School (Pri)
Aims
To consider the importance of lasting friendships.
Preparation and materials
- You will need the PowerPoint slides that accompany this assembly (Great Relationships!) and the means to display them.
Assembly
- Tell the children that this assembly is going to be all about rubbish!
Show the images of rubbish on Slides 1 to 3. - Ask the children to think about their day so far. How much rubbish have they already produced? Remind them to think about everything that they’ve eaten and the packaging that came with it.
Next, ask the children to think about any rubbish that they might produce later in the day. Maybe they could consider how much rubbish they have produced this week. - Ask the children whether they have ever considered where all the waste ends up.
As a nation, we produce massive quantities of rubbish, which is a huge problem. In recent years, people have become more aware of this and recycling has increased – but we still have a long way to go. - Ask the children to consider what they’ve thrown away or given away just because they wanted to replace it with something new. Perhaps they’ve got rid of some of their clothes or toys.
- Often, our rubbish bins are overflowing. Our garages are piled high with things that we no longer want. Even though we can recycle more things these days, we can’t ignore the incredible amount of waste that we need to dispose of.
- Ask the children, ‘Do we discard our friendships as easily as we do our gadgets?’
We might hear people say things like:
- I won’t be your friend any more
- I don’t know what I saw in her
- I can’t be bothered with him any more - Sustainability is about building things to last. It can apply to a wide range of situations, from making household appliances that last longer to setting up sustainable farming in countries where there is little food.
- What about sustainability in relationships, though? Are we building friendships that will stand the test of time? Or do we give up and move on to someone new when we feel like it, or as soon as a problem arises?
Time for reflection
Christians, and those of many other faiths, believe that God is faithful. He has created a sustainable world and he believes in sustainable relationships. He doesn’t regard anyone as a waste of space.
Let’s think about our own relationships. Are we treating people in a way that encourages good, lasting friendships?
Pause to allow time for thought.
Let’s make a special effort this week to treat one another in this way.
Listen to how the psalmist expresses it in some verses in Psalm 145:
Every day, I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.
One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your power endures through all generations.
Prayer
Dear God,
We thank you that you do not give up on anyone.
You are the perfect example of sustainability.
You built the world to last.
You build relationships to last.
Help us not to treat people as things.
Help us to take care of all that you have given us.
Help us to take care of our family and friends.
Amen.
Song/music
‘Great is thy faithfulness’, available at: https://youtu.be/uDNKpvDoRJc (3 minutes long)
‘You’ve got a friend in me’ from the Toy Story series of films, available at: https://youtu.be/DNZUKm0ApEM (2.08 minutes long)
