SPCK Assemblies - A Generous Spirit

A Generous Spirit

Being generous people

by Claire Law

Suitable for Whole School (Sec)

Aims

To consider the virtue of generosity, and how this can be reflected and incorporated in our lives.

Preparation and materials

You will need the PowerPoint slides accompanying this assembly (A Generous Spirit) and the means to display them.
You will need the YouTube clip ‘Inspiring Acts of Everyday Kindness’ and the means to display it. This can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pYuSSP5Wls

Assembly

Show Slide 1.
Welcome the students to the assembly.
Ask the students to imagine that they have won the lottery. They have won 1 million pounds!
Ask them to take a moment to imagine what they want to do with the money. What would they spend the money on?
Invite responses from a handful of students and/or staff.
Suggest that perhaps some of us would want to donate at least some of this money to charity.
Ask the question: Who would want to give at least 50% of the winnings to charity?
Encourage students to raise their hands if this is the case.
Ask the question: Who would want to give at least 25% of the winnings to charity?
Again, encourage students to raise their hands if this is the case.
Ask the question: Would anyone give 15% of the winnings to charity?
Again, encourage students to raise their hands if this is the case.
Ask the question: Finally, who would not want to give any of their winnings to charity?
Again, encourage students to raise their hands if this is the case.
Explain that any students who would give at least 15% of their imagined lottery win to charity, are in good company with someone who has been described as the person who made the ‘largest charity donation ever’.
Show Slide 2.
This is Sir Chris Hohn.
In 2021, he donated £755 million to charity. This was 15% of his wealth at the time.
If appropriate, highlight any notable recent examples of charity fundraising or giving from within the school. Point out that people were generous in this situation.
Ask the following questions, giving time for reflection and if appropriate, short discussion in small groups.:
Why would we give to charity?
What are the reasons we give to others?
What are the benefits of giving?
The Bible tells us: ‘The generous will themselves be blessed’ (Proverbs 22:9)
Show Slide 3.
This verse tells us that in giving, we receive.
Giving might refer to money; but it can also involve generously sharing our time, attention and gifts with others. Whether we give time, money or love, it is likely that we will receive something back. It may be simply the satisfaction that we have helped and have made a difference.
This video reflects on the virtue of generosity and giving, and how in giving to others, we also receive.
Show the YouTube clip ‘Inspiring Acts of Everyday Kindness’. This can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pYuSSP5Wls (Stop at 2:00 minutes).
It is not only the Christian tradition that values generosity and giving. The concept of giving is very important in any religion. In the religion of Islam, one of the 5 pillars of the faith is to give to charity. In Sikhism, religious prayer services in the Gurdwara (Temple) include a free meal given to anyone. And in the Hindu tradition giving is a way to cultivate spiritual growth.
Generosity is also important to people who do not believe in God. Giving to others is also an important ethical principle within Humanism. Generosity is a way to foster well-being, support others, and contribute to a more just and compassionate society.
Show Slide 4.
In fact, giving is one of the NHS’ 5-Ways to Wellbeing.
Acts of kindness and generosity can create a sense of purpose and connection. Whether it's volunteering our time or simply helping a friend, giving back can have a positive impact on our own wellbeing. The NHS website has some practical examples of ways we can be generous and give to others, boosting our own wellbeing in the process.
These include:

Saying thank you to someone for something they have done for us.
Asking friends, family or colleagues how they are and really listening to their answers.
Spending time with friends or relatives who need support or company.
Offering to help someone we know with DIY or a work project.
Volunteering in our community, such as helping at a school, hospital or care home.

Time for reflection

Let’s take a moment to reflect on how generous and giving we are, and any changes we could make to reap the benefits of developing a generous spirit.

Let’s take some time to silently reflect on some questions around giving:

Firstly, what do we have that we could give to others?