A primary purpose of collective worship is to create space for children to think, engage and respond. We therefore need to shape our time together in such a way that we create some key moments for this to happen. One helpful approach to consider is ‘Head, Heart and Hands’ framework. Head for thinking; Heart for engaging and Hands for responding.
Head
“Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it.” – Henry Ford
When delivering an assembly it is important to pose questions that we don’t automatically answer ourselves. A great story for example, doesn’t give everything away – the listener or reader has to do some working out themselves to discover what is happening. “Thinking Time” doesn’t need to be ages, but can just be a simple question related to the theme or the actions of a character you have referred to. For example, “Why do you think John acted in that way?” or “If you were in that situation, how do you think you might react?”
There is also a useful tool to encourage the idea of thinking before rushing to speak – with some simple questions based on the word THINK:
T – Is it True?
H – Is it Helpful?
I – Is it Inspiring?
N – Is it Necessary?
K – Is it Kind?
This could form the basis of a display in classrooms or a school corridor to remind children to think before they speak.
Heart
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” – Jesus
Connecting with the heart in an assembly is about learning what the children we work with value. What matters to them? What are they passionate about? It can also be about sharing our own heart for something. If we believe what we are talking about in an assembly, if it really matters to us, then that comes across in our delivery and will help us connect with our audience.
What, in the story you are telling resonates with you? Why do you think this subject or theme should matter to the children? In the Bible we have a reminder about the importance of God’s word. Deuteronomy 6:6-9 lays it out like this,
“These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts. And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as reminders on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.”
There are reminders – the tying on hands and foreheads being the equivalent perhaps to school displays in classrooms – yet it is on the heart that we want a story or a value or a principal to settle.
When something settles on our hearts, it perhaps chimes with what we already know or confirms an existing feeling – it perhaps stirs up passion or commitment and drives us towards our last essential – taking action.
Hands
“It is not a creed but a deed which helps children to grasp the Gospel.” – Freire
A key part of any assembly is the response. With what we have thought about, the way we have connected with the story or theme, what are we now going to do?
This might be a simple action that you can encourage – such as trying to be kind to those around you this week. It could be a collective response – what are WE as a school community going to do (for example, local poverty is an issue – let’s give to the foodbank).
It is often in the action of “doing” that children grasp and make solid what they are learning. This applies, not just in academic subjects but what we learn about ourselves, about God and about each other through collective worship.
We need to apply these three essentials in a consistent way, keeping them in mind as part of our regular preparation. As Aristotle puts it, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” If we take those words on board, then delivering a brilliant assembly might become a weekly occurrence!
This blog post was written by Ali Campbell from The Resource. He has over 30 years experience in children, youth and family ministry. Ali has worked as an educational practitioner and advisor on collective worship as well as trained headteachers and clergy in delivering fun and engaging assemblies. He is also one of the Big Start Assemblies contributors, helping develop a large number of the walkthrough scripts. The Resource is full of insights and resources to help empower those working with children and young people today.
