Primary assembly
Theme: God helps us to get rid of all the “rubbish”
we carry from last year, so we can start again.
You will need three or four
bits of paper screwed up in your pocket, with things that you want to get rid of
from the preceding year e.g. “getting angry”.
One letter addressed to
yourself with the words, “Loving God, because he loves me” written on it.
1. Ask children what New Year is for. Elicit making resolutions. Ask children about their New Years Resolutions
2. Get all children to put their hands up if
they have already broken them – say “Be honest!”
3. Explain that New Year is a bit like moving
house. Tell the brief story of family
who moved house, told the moving company to move everything, and ended
up with their old rubbish all over the floor of their new house. Comment that it’s difficult to start a fresh
year or home if you are still carrying old rubbish.
4. “Find” bits of screwed up paper – rubbish
from last year in pockets. Unwrap them
and show the children what your bits of rubbish are from last year, e.g. not
being good at work, being bad at sport, (in chest pocket i.e. close to your
heart) getting angry, being lazy, picking my nose (if you want a cheap laugh). Wonder aloud what you can do with this
rubbish.
5. Say you can think of a story which might
help you. In as simple or dramatic a
fashion as you want, tell the story of Zacchaeus and the “rubbish” he carried –
possibly linked in with your own. Tell
how Jesus helped him to leave it behind.
6. Now you know what to do. Rip up your “rubbish” and throw it away
behind you. Admit that you may well do
these things again, but God doesn’t want the fact that you did them in the past
to stop you having a fresh start – at any time.
7. “Find” an envelope with your name and “not
to be opened until 2001” on it in your pocket.
Take out a piece of paper with writing on it. Get a pupil to read it out.
“Loving God, because he loves me.”
Say that God can give us a new start to love him at any time. That is a resolution that you want to keep
this year.
8. Pray, thanking God that he lets us get rid
of our old rubbish and start again.