Reverend Andrew Worship.

Every Tuesday the whole school joins together to celebrate and worship with Reverend Andrew. It is wonderful to be able to share stories taken from the Bible, but also to explore them in a fun and interactive way. Finding out about Jesus and relating this to our lives is so important.

Harvest Festival 

Harvest time is a special time of celebration in church where we thank God for all the good things we have to eat and enjoy time together as a family. In school today we have had time as a school family, thinking about how we should share what we have with others.    We have shared food, thoughts, smiles and fun and we have used the verse:

"When you harvest your land, don’t harvest right up to the edges of your field or gather the gleanings from the harvest.  Don’t strip your vineyard bare or go back and pick up the fallen grapes.  Leave them for the poor and the foreigner.  I am God, your God.”

Leviticus 19 v 9-10

It is important to say thank you for all that we have and also share some of what we have with others.  Many children brought donations in for the local food bank and we spent time thinking about how some people have a lot and others don’t, across our area, country and across the globe. 

A Reflection from Rev Andrew

It was lovely to finally come and have a chance to interact with the whole school after nine months of being 'the local vicar' and what a treat it was as each class came into the hall to spend some time reflecting on what harvest is and what it means for us and others around the world. The session began with a reflection on Leviticus 19:9-10 and how 3,500 years ago God commanded his people not to harvest right to the edges of their fields but to leave some for the poor and foreigners who didn't have any land of their own. After that Mrs Jones and I spoke of what harvest meant for us and how it had changed over the years and then the children were invited to take part in a range of reflective activities that encouraged them to be grateful for what they had and to think about those who didn't have what they had.

It was touching to see some come and light a candle and pray quietly for someone they knew or a situation on their mind. Others wrote prayers asking God to provide and be near to the many throughout our world who don't have as much as we do. Class 1 had great fun drawing their favourite food on paper plates and the Year 5's and 6's unwittingly demonstrated the selfishness and greed that permeates the world as the harvest celebration food that Mrs Jones provided was quickly gobbled up by those who got there first or those who had come back for third or fourth helpings before others had even had a taste. It was a sobering reminder of how even the nicest of us is prone to fully satisfy ourselves before we think of others and yet despite that there was much to be thankful for and encouraged by.

Friends separated by class enjoyed the chance to work together, donations were brought in for the food bank, plates of imaginary and carefully drawn food were taken, out of love, to friends and siblings in other classes and all the children were encouraged to give thanks and be grateful to God and all who work so hard - from the farmers to the delivery drivers, from the shop keepers to our mums and dads - to provide us with food to eat day by day.

It really was a real privilege to be part of the day and to spend time with this wonderful group of children and I even got the added bonus of joining Cass 1 at lunchtime as we had lunch together!

For 18 months we have been unable to worship as a whole school family. Today we gathered in the warm September sunshine under our oak tree 🌳 to launch our value for the term - FRIENDSHIP. 
 

So many small traditions and events make a school family strong, meeting together for collective worship is one of those. Everyone needs to stop and think each day about what we are grateful for and how we can be the hands and feet of Jesus in this world. 
 

Today we are grateful that we can meet together.