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Why worry? An assembly for leavers

To help children bring to mind any concerns they may have about the future, especially moving school.

by The Revd Sophie Jelley

Suitable for Key Stage 2

Aims

To help children bring to mind any concerns they may have about the future, especially moving school.

Preparation and materials

  • You will need a flipchart and pens.
  • A Bible to read Matthew 6.25–34.
  • A large fresh flower (ideally a scented lily, e.g. Madonna or Stargazer – but beware the pollen and be sensitive to any allergies in school).
  • Optional for Time for reflection – a paper flower template to give to each child.

Assembly

  1. Ask if anyone likes making lists - perhaps in their classroom or at home. Talk with the children about the kinds of lists that may be kept; examples include parents’ shopping list, list of birthdays, important school dates, lists of class attendance, etc. You could talk about the things you make lists of.
  2. Explain that you have brought a large sheet of paper to make a big list all together today. Not a shopping list of food you need to buy, but a shopping list of worries - things we sometimes worry about.

    (This will need careful handling because there may be serious issues. You might want to steer the answers you take from the children by giving them subjects to comment on, e.g. anything they worry about to do with their friends or pets, etc.)

    Make the last entry on the list any worries about their new school. Be ready to suggest some in case they are worry free! Don’t forget to include any adults you have present.
  3. Explain that Christians believe that Jesus knows we can’t help worrying about things sometimes. That’s why he talks about it in the Bible. Read Matthew 6.25–34. Explain that we all have worries – things that concern us. Grown-ups can have worries about not having enough money to buy clothes and food, etc.
  4. Hold up the flower and show it to the children – you could invite some children to touch it and smell the scent. In the Bible passage we just read, what did Jesus say about the flowers and our worries? (God cares for the flowers and birds – how much more does God care for us?)
  5. Look again at the list. Look again at the flower. As we think about moving to a new school we may have some worries, but Christians and people of other faiths believe that God cares for us and will help us in difficult times. You could also point out that often things seem far worse as we think about them than they do when they actually happen!

Time for reflection

Reflection

What are you worried about?

Imagine your worry is written on a piece of paper…

Hold it in the palm of your hand…

Now a strong wind blows up and blows your worry away, high up into the air…

It’s blown away, it’s gone for good.

You could enact a version of this by getting children to write down their worries and throwing them away with a dramatic gesture as they leave the assembly space.

 

Prayer

Dear God,

Thank you that you know all our worries and concerns before we even tell you about them.

Help us to bring all our concerns to you – especially any about our new schools.

Help us to know that you are always there with us,

and care about every single part of our lives.

Amen.

Song/music

‘Father, hear the prayer we offer’ (Come and Praise, 48)

Publication date: July 2006   (Vol.8 No.7)    Published by SPCK, London, UK.
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