Lent Trail Launched At St Nicholas
This year as we enter the Lent period we have launched a Lent trail in school. This will give all classes and children the opportunity to find out more about the meaning of Lent and to investigate some of the Bible readings and stories which teach us more about this important period in the Christian calendar.
Here is the script and the photos of the trail.
Inspiring learning to last a lifetime
2016 Lent Trail
Dear Teacher,
You may have noticed that the school has become a lot more purple over the last few days. The theme of course is Lent and we have a number of key events over this period to focus on:
9th February 2016 – Pancake day in school for Shrove Tuesday
10th February 2016 – Ash Wednesday KS2 communion service
12th February 2016 – Stevenage schools Parliament Love Day
14th March 2016 – MAD day
As you know from 2015 we made the decision to focus Lent much more on spiritual learning and growth and we had a lent trail last year that was well received. This year its back with some new activities. The idea is that all classes will follow the trail at some point over the lent period and to help you do that there is guidance at each station but also support in this document to guide you through how to use each station. It is important that you take pictures and record how children respond to the trail so that we know how to improve this for future years. You can do this in small groups or as whole class. You will need the hall to complete the activities so morning slots may work best.
Please let me know if things have run out or you need fresh materials.
Enjoy
Sarah
Inspiring learning to last a lifetime
Lent trail – Station 1 (main entrance hall)
Forgiveness – Sorry Stones
Matthew 6:14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you (attitude: forgive because you love the Lord)
This is a space for the children to say sorry for the things they have done wrong. A time for asking God’s forgiveness and the full knowledge that God remembers their wrongs no more – they are completely forgiven and God does not remember or hold it against them. God loves them!
Encourage the children to think for a minute about something they need to say sorry for. They need tell no-one except God.
Ask them to pick up a stone and hold it. As if by holding it what they are sorry for is somehow transferred into that stone. Then taking a coloured chalk, encourage them to write what they are sorry for on the stone. It doesn’t have to be long, a single word, a single letter will do. God will know.
As they slowly walk to the water, ask them to hold the stone tight again thinking about what they have written.
One by one they gently put their stone in the bucket, letting it go to God. As the water covers the stone, the writing is covered, you are forgiven – God remembers it no more. As Matthew said – ‘Your Father will also forgive you.’
Inspiring learning to last a lifetime
Lent trail – Station 2 (The main hall – by the piano)
Easter – Plant a seed for new life
Follow the green and blue instructions at the station
‘Planting a seed’ – New Life Script Talk to the children about this station;
At the end of Lent we reach the Cross. But the Cross is not the end of the story.
Easter Sunday opens in a garden. In this garden we discover that what was dead is alive, that death is not the end. After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” 8 So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples Look around you. At this station and outside we see that there are signs of new life around us. Encourage the children to walk slowly around the station noting the budding branches and flowers. Encourage them to think of worries they have transforming, what are they looking for as the weather warms? Children gather at a table and take a seed. Hold a seed. Imagine what it will become. With love, water, warmth and care we can nurture it into a flower. What do you need to help you grow and become happy, healthy people? Plant the seed in the soil and think of all the hopes you would like to flower within you. Children move to table with compost on. They fill pots and plant seeds. They stick message on, and if time add a hope they would like to come to flower. New life will come from this bare soil. The resurrection story shows us that God will turn worries and sadness into happiness, as winter turns to spring. Care for this seed, and think of all the good things you would like to come into the world. Take this seed away as a reminder of God’s love for you, and your hopes.
Don’t forget to plant the seeds marked Lent seeds in the planters outside your classroom. Watch them grow.
Inspiring learning to last a lifetime
Lent trail – Station 3 (The main hall – by the violin store)
Fizzy forgiveness – please be advised you will need to ask for the fizzy tablets (SS) before you undertake this part of the trail as these are medicines and close supervision with children must take place.
Encourage the children to quietly surround the fizzy vitamin tablet table.
Explain to them the following, (in your own words is fine & so is ad libbing)
Sometimes we get hurt by other people. When this happens we feel hurt, angry and sad. Sometimes we need to tell an adult about what happened. Once things are sorted we have a choice: to forgive or not to forgive holding onto bad feelings makes you feel worse, which is why we need to forgive other people.
Take a tablet in your hand and think about the person who has hurt you..... ......take your time and think about forgiving that person.
When you are ready, slowly walk to the other table. Encourage the children to take their time at this first table - perhaps a minute!
Walk slowly with the children to the other table (together), then say Imagine this tablet now contains all the hurt, anger or sadness you feel about that other person Drop it into the water (only one per container) As you watch it dissolve, try and let go of the hurt and anger you feel..... ....let it go and forgive, just as God forgives us! Again, encourage the children to take their time, and also to be quiet.
A simple prayer to be said around forgiveness. You may like to use your own or use this one:
Dear God, please forgive me for what I did. It was wrong and I disobeyed you. Please help me not to do it again. Thank You that by the time I have finished this prayer there will be no record of my sin - You won’t even remember the wrong I did. Lord, help me to love You more and more each day.
Inspiring learning to last a lifetime
Lent trail – Station 4 (The library – all tables)
Be still – Be thankful
Take the children through to the school library area. All the tables are covered in purple ask them to think about why this is?
Whilst in this space the children can choose a number of things but they need to focus their minds and be still and calm. For hundreds of years people have discovered that being peaceful enables them to be more aware of God. In our busy world and in our busy school this is not easy. To be at peace. No need to talk, just be.
Children may choose to look at the Bibles on the table, read passages or look at pictures. Children may hold the pebbles and say a prayer to themselves. Children may bow their heads and rest them on the table. It does not matter what they do but they should be guided to be still and calm. It may benefit younger children to undertake this activity in the woods or in smaller groups in the library.
If they want they can say thanks to God in their mind or heart for something. As you do imagine your thanks going up to God in heaven.
End this session with a prayer of thanks.
Dear God,
I have stopped worrying about the bad things,
And I have been thinking all about the good things in life
Because I’ve been thinking about you
Thank you
Amen
Inspiring learning to last a lifetime
Lent trail – Station 5 (The main hall in front area)
Take your worries to the cross
Talk to the children about this station;
Some worry is good, because it makes us take precautions in risky situations. But often worry is bad because is makes us anxious and unsettled and stops us enjoying the good things in our lives. All kinds of things, real and imagined, at home or at school, can cause us worry or concern.
In the Bible we read, ‘cast all your anxiety on Him (God) because he cares for you.’ (1 Peter 5:7) As you slowly walk the lighted pathway to the Cross, think about the things that worry you. Along the way are slips of paper and pens - stop at one! Show them the tables along the pathway where they may stop.
When you are there... Take a piece of paper. Write down one word or just one letter, that, top you, represents each thing that’s causing you to worry or feel stressed. This is just for you - it’s completely anonymous. Roll the slips of paper into a cylinder or scroll and hold it gently in your hand as if you were holding onto the things you wrote down. Make the scroll quite small – this is not in any way trying to make what worries any smaller, but it is just to help you give them to Jesus in His cross. If you hold onto worries tightly, no one else can see it, no one else can help, no one else can take it away.
Imagine that you can give these worries to someone who really cares for you.... and slowly complete your journey to the Cross. While you are here, it is your chance to put these worries to one-side, or let them go. Place the scroll into a hole in the cross and leave them with Jesus. If you or your family are not comfortable with the idea of taking things to the cross of Jesus today, you don’t have to.
God will still hear your worries and you can still leave them with Him, who cares for you.
Encourage the children to take their time and to think as they walk Tell them at the end that God loves them and will help them!!!