St Andrew: A pattern for life

To think about what ‘good news’ we can share today.

by Ronni Lamont

Suitable for Whole School (Sec)

Aims

To think about what ‘good news’ we can share today.

Preparation and materials

• You will need two readers.

Assembly

1. One of the readers runs up to the other, and shakes their arm in excitement.
   
   Reader 1:  I’ve found him, Peter! I’ve found the one who God promised us all those years ago! The special person, the Messiah!
   
   Reader 2 (bemused):  What? You say you’ve found the Messiah, the chosen one of God? Where?
   
   Reader 1:  Up by the river! He was watching John baptize people. Come on! Let’s go and find him!
   
   They run off. (Based on John 1.40–41.)
2. Have you ever told someone that something special was going on? That your favourite celebrity was in town? That your favourite band was playing locally? That a certain shop has stocks of the latest must-have gadget? Or even, when you were younger, were you one of those people who shout, ‘Fight, fight!’ and encourage people to go and watch?
   
   Those two people we’ve just seen were excited because Andrew had found someone who they thought was very important, the Messiah, the chosen person God would be sending. He was the person the Jewish people had been waiting and looking for about 2,000 years ago.
3. Andrew told his brother Peter about Jesus, and that’s how the two men became part of the group of followers of Jesus, the disciples. Andrew told Peter, and then Peter told others.
   
   And in fact we don’t know how many people Peter told. It is now believed that it was actually Peter who dictated one of the books in the Bible that tell the story of Jesus – the Gospel of Mark – and many people have become Christians through reading the Bible.
4. Andrew believed that Jesus was good news. What good news have you heard today? Would any of you like to share some with us all? Take answers, if there are any.
5. All over the world, people will be sharing good news today. Probably not that they’ve found the Messiah, but perhaps the news of a new baby, of passing an exam, of getting a job. Of getting engaged, or maybe that they love someone.

Time for reflection

What good news could you share today?

Perhaps you’ve done all your homework?!

Perhaps you did well in a test?

Perhaps you understand that bit of maths that you’ve been struggling with?

Perhaps you’d like to tell a friend how much you appreciate them?

Perhaps you’d like to tell a member of your family how much you love them?

What good news could you share today?

Prayer

Lord, help me to share good news as well as bad.

Help me to remember the good news of Jesus: that you love us and are there for us.

And help me to share that good news in my life.

Amen.

Hymn

‘Go tell it on the mountain’ (Come and Praise, 24)