Friendship
Ask: A friend is someone who….write down on OHP.
Tell
about China. Describe meal. People talking. How did I feel? What did
I do?
If someone is on their own in a room what do you
do? Discuss the possibilities of what you might do. Leave? Sit in a corner
alone? Stand at the edge of a group and hope someone will notice you? Approach
a group and wait for a good moment to introduce yourself and ask if you can
join them? Push into a group and start talking at once?
Now ask them to imagine
that they are one of the people already in the room. When they notice the
newcomer, what would they do? Ask the new person to join in? Ignore them and continue
talking with their own friends? Hope they will go away? Expect someone else to
look after them?
Help the children to
identify some of the problems of being new. The other people may have different
rules about behaviour, different ways of doing things, different jokes. It may
take time to understand this. Some things may need to be explained to prevent
misunderstandings.
Try
and lift a chair with cotton.
He
gave a command: 'This is my commandment to you: love one another' (John 15.17).
At the beginning of a new term there may be many new
faces in our community. In a moment of quiet, let us reflect together on how we
can each care for one another and help each other to make friends.
Dear God,
Jesus showed us the importance of looking after our friends.
He introduced lots of new people to each other
and helped them to get to know and learn from one another.
At the start of this new school year,
please help us to be friendly and helpful to everyone.
Amen