This Lesson was used in KS3 (Yr7-9). We first did the lesson two years a go in an all boys school and went down really well, and we were asked back again to repeat the lesson with another year group a year later. The Boys really identified with Jesus being a Super Hero and sat up and took notice of Kanye West.
Hi Matt, this looks really interesting! What year group was this for? How did it go down?
I love the idea of using art to explore faith and the life of Jesus. We’ve used some similar ideas to explore the idea of worship and why Christians worship. We used music excerpts in different styles to try and break the stereotype of what students assume Christian music worship sounds like (i.e. old church organs), and what it means to worship.
Great stuff!
I don’t have too much to add, as those before have been really thoughtful and balanced in what they’ve said. What I would say though Rachel, is not to be too bound by expectations even when you’re in the midst of a programme or a particular session.
I was leading a lunchtime group last week that meet on a monthly basis, and which is necessarily based around aims and objectives (I’m invited into school for quite a particular purpose). But before we even kicked off with the session I had planned, I just felt kinda prompted to move in a different direction, and shared some of what the past few weeks had been like for me (practically and spiritually), which the group of lads responded to with some really thoughtful and open sharing.
Shifting the agenda (in quite a suprising way, for me) to where they were at encouraged us to have a potentially much more significant discussion, and I think the group moved deeper as a result.
Of course, after the session, I talked through how things had gone with my contact in the school, and he was really happy with me following my instincts, which was also a really positive step for our ongoing working relationship.
I guess what I’m saying is have your aims and obs, but don’t forget to be sensitive to where God seems to be leading, even when you least expect it!
Greetings
Good stuff. Only yesterday I was in a school facing a very difficult time as a pupil had killed herself and whilst ‘being there’ along with others to help / support / listen etc another lass comes upto and says she is really keen to see a christian group start up at her school. Others are interested so hopefully this will happen - maybe next term as there are also some supportive staff. For me groups that start this way - from within and driven by those already there have a life of their own. Most groups that exist around here are led by pupils, staff, outsiders (or a combination of any). Numbers aren’t important - I think it’s about those who want to meet meeting and people like us doing what we can to support - enable and encourage. I’m not directly involved in any groups as they tend to run themselves. I see my role in support / encouraging and the like and when I’m in their school I’ll pop in from time to time and the rest of the time be ‘Hanging Around’ with the other young people / staff outside of the group. I find through ‘HAM’ I have some brilliant chats - opportunities and the like with people on their territory - in their time and this can (and does) lead to other things.
The aims and the like others have shared above are helpful / useful but I don’t think we do ourselves any favours if we focus to much on just numbers. A group with 3 that want to be there / make a difference is arguably more useful than a larger group who maybe attend because?? or not really with it. Also in the schools round here that do have groups for various reasons some christians don’t / can’t be part of it. Not necesaarily a major problem..some are doing other good things / hopefully all are helped / supported in their respective local churches (not always the case I know). So I see groups two ways - great if they are there - we can help etc. Not major if a school doesn’t have one but the christians in that school are being helped in other ways with our presence and the like. Actually harder to be a christian in school at lunch etc when not in a group than in a group - although both have there place. Let’s continue to do what we can both in and out and may God continue to lead, guide and use the christians in our schools all the time with or without a group.
Some schools won’t allow groups (for various interesting reasons) other schools the time available has reduced significantly over the years and to try and have it at another time (before or after) doesn’t often work. What always works is as we (and others) encourage those variety of christians in our schools to be Jesus- that is what has impact and so if there is no group..the impact is still there. Glory! I think of a lass called Anna where this happened...won’t go on now though.
Have a good day / weekend.
Wayne Dixon
Personally I feel that the results of these films to “educate” us on how things are for young people are exactly as you experienced - they attract a number young people who want to see the lurid action.
I think that there is enough about this life in the news media which is then reflected in films and documentaries but I have not come across enough (or any) solution-focussed programmes for those caught up in and affected by this lifestyle. Maybe as Christians we need to put that in a movie or documentary as an alternative.
Really interesting and honest thoughts there Louise, thanks. I am reminded of some retreat days I did last year with year 8s, and our topic was ‘freedom’. We looked at the exploitation of children particularly in the Ivory Coast and exploring the way cocoa beans were harvested there. As well as activities all around freedom in the children’s own lives and in our world, there was a challenge for us throughout those days to think deeply about the choices we make when considering what we spend our money on, and the implications of those choices. I have to say though, over a year on I’m not sure the message of those days has sunk in deep enough into the way I live my life and what I choose to spend my money on. I’ve just come out of a meeting with some other local youth workers and we chatted for a bit about this very thing, and about what has to be affected before we see change in our outward behaviour (and indeed with the young people we’re working with), and it comes back to it being a ‘heart’ thing. Until we are impacted at the core of who we are, then we have no real motivation or reason to change our behaviour. I think we live in a society where it’s very easy to ‘switch off’ when thinking about our global responsibilities and yet, (and I say this next sentence to myself) if we believe that Jesus showed us what it is to reach out to the poor and demonstrated a way of life that we should follow, then surely, in the words of Brian McLaren, ‘Everything Must Change’…
i watched this, my main thought was: has this affected me? You know, sadly i’m not sure it has. Right now i think right i won’t go there again but i wonder in a few months time will i remember. it would be interesting to use this thought with the Bible’s words on the poor- does it effect our heart? when we’re so detatched watching the news about this world, how does it/does it not effect us? secondly what is our response as Christians to this?
This is good but comparing someone to a lemon in certain geographical area could have certain connotations. For Example, if you call some one a lemon in the Birmingham area, it suggests that they are a lesbian. I’ve seen this activity been done in an all girls school and went completely wrong.
It is exciting isn’t it when we get a sense of God at work in a particular school and join in. So often we ‘ask God to bless what we’re doing, rather than do what God is blessing’ (to quote Rick Warren).
Amy, you are right when you say that the Christian young people will be the biggest influence in their school. Supporting them becomes a key role of the schoolsworker. Helping them to take a lead in, and have ownership of, any lunchtime clubs / groups is a great way to support them and encourage them in this God-given task.
As to the aims for a particular session, it very much depends on what the young people see as important. After all, if they do not own it and see God’s hand on it, attendance will always be an issue. Whenever I do training with young people who want to run, or who are running a group, we always spend a lot of time on ‘Why run a group’ and ‘Who is it for’. If this is established and clear from the start, it avoids potential disappointment and disillusionment. For example if they know that the purpose of the group is to be a place where their friends can find out about Christianity, they will understand why their needs for support and fellowship are not being met through the meetings themselves.
How you measure success? Again it depends on what the aims are. In a nutshell, no matter what the clubs is for, surely we are looking to produce ‘fruit that will last’ (John 15:16-17 ‘You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other.’ (NIV)
Bite back
“If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a room with a mosquito.”
Unfortunately this isn’t a joke for hundreds of thousands of people, many of them children, who die every year in Africa from Malaria, a disease spread by mosquitos. This is the issue being targeted by the Bite Back campaign from Compassion International and Youth Specialties.
Assemblets
The Assemblies Website has coined the term ‘assemblet’, which describes an essential feature of school assemblies. They are ‘short, snappy stories with a clear effective message’. I hadn’t come across this term before today, maybe I missed class that day, but it helps me to think again about collecting a bunch of ‘assemblets’ to have up my sleeve for when I’m asked to do an assembly at the last minute. Here’s one I liked…
Schoolswork conference
This conference is coming up in Surrey in June with, and this may or may not be good news, me doing some of the speaking. I’m looking forward to the chance to share some of the stuff we’ve been developing on the theology and practice of schoolswork. For twenty five quid it’s got to be bargain! More info here.
Blood, Sweat and T-shirts
A REALLY good resource to use when discussing consumerism and our effect on the wider world.
wellbeing
Did you know that the wellbeing of children in the UK is worse than in any other developed country, according to recent UNICEF research?
A survey out today shows that an increasing number of children and young people are less happy than their predecessors and suffer from depression and concerns about their health. Contributing factors include family breakdown, peer pressure, media influences and school work and have been identified as causes of poor mental health.
Read on for a bit more info and a great idea by The Children’s Society to gather childhood memories.
Body …and Soul
There’s been loads in the news about obesity recently and I think it’s a great area to get involved in. Offer a club for all the pupils who struggle with weight, fitness or who hate PE and you’ll be the sports teachers best friend, not to mention having the chance to share some truths about what makes us who we are and living life to the full.
Letter From God
A Youtube video that can spark some big questions about how young people view God
The Wise and Foolish Farmers
The fourth in the series of the Farmer Andy parable videos. The video is a new version of the wise and foolish builders.
Films in education
A great site with films made in a south london school
Totally Wired?
Over the next few months, Urban Saints are running a series of events aound the UK looking at how the digital and online world is changing the world of young people.... and by implication the world of youth work and schools work.
