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Christmas Assemblies
Sometimes we can get so caught up with various things in school and elsewhere that we forget how quickly Christmas and assembly time comes around. All of a sudden you’re faced with trying to deliver a Christmas message that isn’t cheesy but tries to get the children/young people thinking deeper about Christmas and what it might mean for them. To try and help we’ve got a couple ideas in the Resource Toolkit (one from the December Youthwork magazine article, and one called ‘the cost of Christmas’).
We also want to hear back from you about how things are going, what works, what doesn’t work so well?
If you’re doing assemblies this week or next, have fun and enjoy the potential!
Updated
Heeeelllp!
I’m a schools worker but have just been “voluntold” to do a Christingle homily in church for a kids service. I don’t know much about Christingle - heeeellllppp!
Hi Charlotte,
You need to head on over to http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk and follow the Christingle link...you should find everything you need to know!! Have fun, it’s a magical service.
Lillie
I am doing assembly this Wednesday on advent.
It’s a Christmas tree dress game with 4 pupils, 2 on each team. They have to dress their partner up with decorations for 1 min then the children judge the best christmas tree!
The point I make is that a Christmas tree looks great when prepared! Advent is about preparing ourselves for celebration/party of baby Jesus/Christ’s Birthday.
Mark
I was inspired by the creative ideas shared at the youthwork conference, and decided to try and introduce some reflective practice to my advent assemblies this week.
Using images, famous quotes and some reflective questions (google is our friend!), I made a 1-minute slideshow for each of the things the four outer candles on an advent wreath represent- hope, peace, joy and love. Because my computer has no speakers, the clips have to be shown in total silence! So in the assembly I gave a little background on advent and then explained that usually I stand there and talk to them, but today I was going to give them some peace and quiet and let them think about these things for themselves- sort of a ‘spiritual check up’ as they prepare for Christmas. As I showed each clip I lit one of the advent candles (a little sacrilegious, I know. tough.) Then finished off with a bit about the final candle and God bringing these things to the world in the form of Jesus.
I’ve never used silence in an assembly before, so I was a little nervous about it. The year 7s I had today did really well with it. They were a bit awkward during the first moment, but by the end there was a real sense of calm in the room. It’s year 11s tomorrow- we’ll see how it goes…
Here’s various bits and pieces I have used in different ways / combinations in schools that have been well received.
What’s in a name?
Got these words below in a christmas card many years ago and have used it many times and has been well receieved including the Matthew 1:21 bit.
Depends on different situations - relationship you have with a school(s).
Also brief talk on presents at Christmas explain the 3 gifts given and unpack Myrrh...and nice little link up for Easter if you go back then has also gone well
There’s a great webiste http://www.whychristmas.com set up by a christian called James and is brilliant for all sorts of facts and figues. Plus Evangellical Alliance have some good facts and figures we use in our christmas presentations we do for year 6 eg 10 million turkeys, 93% will eat Turkey, 2 billion christmas cards posted, 2 billion christmas cards given, 35,700,000 mince pies sold etc
2 great books Scripture Union published ‘Christmas Wrapped Up’ & ‘More Christmas Wrapped’ up full of variou bits for schools - churches and the like http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk\shop
Finally Katie Evans gave us a cracking idea years ago about ‘bubble gum’ and ‘fluff’ that we use as an intro. to get back to the very first christmas without destroying all the fluff. Love it.
Here’s the words from the card.(Author unknown - unless someone knows?)
“ If our greatest need was Information
God would have sent us an Educator
If our greatest need was Technology
God would have sent us a Scientist
If our greatest need was Money
God would have sent us an Economist
If our greatest need was Pleasure
God would have sent us an Entertainer
But our GREATEST need was FORGIVENESS
So God sent us a SAVIOUR!!!”
Matthew 1:21 “You shall call his name Jesus for he will save people from their sins”
Wayne Dixon
Hey Rachel fantastic to hear you’re doing the silence thing, glad year 7 managed, I think if anything it’s easier as you go up the school so hope it’s gone well today. Also it takes some practice even for those ‘in the know’ as it were, so be encouraged even if the young people struggle with it in the beginning!
I just want to say THANK YOU to everyone who’s offered me help - I really appreciate it!
hey people new to this but is there somewhere we can upload the assemblies we all used last year so we’re ready for this year? i’d love to explain what i did but its easier just to read it off the page!!! lou
Hi Louise,
We’re working on developing a section where whole lesson plans and assemblies can be uploaded from members of the community, as we realise it’s hard to read straight off the community blog. Bear with us as we develop this. In the meantime please feel free to post any resources you’ve used and things you’ve developed yourself on the blog. We will also be looking out for elements from the blog that we can put into the resource toolkit.
Thanks!
Amy
thank you