LUCKY DIP

Write words on slips of paper. Turn them over and attach them to a board in the shape of a cross, so that the words cannot be seen.
Words can include: rainbow, bread, water, light, teacher, father, son, spirit, shepherd etc.
Children come forward and choose a slip of paper.
They show it to the school.
They are then told that the words are names for God.

Children in the hall think quietly about one of the words.
They are then asked to share any prayers they composed in their heads, such as:
BREAD - O Bread of Life, fill me with your strength.
RAINBOW - O Rainbow, give us all hope for the future.
LIGHT - O Light, in our darkness, show us the way ahead.

The children may need to hear an example first.

The prayers can be kept and used in future assemblies, when the theme is relevant.

BIBLE

Begin the assembly with quiet music. Turn this down even lower and give the children time to reflect prayerfully. A recent or future event may be suggested as a topic, or this can be left to the children to decide.

After a few moments, pass around a closed Bible.
Children can either remain silent, but respectful, or can say a few words when the Bible reaches them.
They can say what they said to God, or what they heard him say to them.

DRAMA

Bible readings may be dramatised or accompanied by: mime, symbolic movements or different postures.

One of the readings during Mass can be treated in this way and this can be very effective in holding the children's attention.
Older children could work out their own way of dramatising a Bible reading.

Even turning lights on and off at appropriate times can emphasise the meaning of the reading.

The priest should be told beforehand.

CHANGING WORDS

The words of familiar prayers can be varied slightly to suit the theme of the assembly.
Children should be told that the words have been altered and maybe told why.

E.g. the words of the Gloria could be changed. The school could be asked to make a repeated response during the prayer.

DISMISSAL

At the end of assembly, some children from each class can be commissioned, maybe with the words, 'Ite, missa est', or 'Go, our assembly has ended.'

A gesture can be made to these children, e.g. sprinkling with water, laying on of hands, blessing with oil or water.

Their task is to take the good news they have heard in assembly back to class, home etc. This prolongs the message of the assembly and words become actions.

WHAT AN IMPRESSION

Submitted by
Peter Blezard

Type
An assembly idea

Assembly title
What an impression

Age group
7-14

Brief aim
To illustrate that Jesus always made an impression on the people that he met.

Faith group if relevant
Christian

Resources needed
A selection of balls of different sizes and used for different purposes.

Other details
Reading - Luke Chapter 9 The would-be followers of Jesus.

Take the balls one by one and find out which one bounces the highest. 
Ask the children what happens when the ball hits the ground, looking for the answer that the side of the ball that hits the ground flattens before reverting back to its original shape, so there is no sign that the ball came into contact with the ground. 
Then produce a ball made out of plasticine.  Drop it to show that it doesn't bounce at all, but there is a lasting impression where the ball smacked on the ground. 
When Jesus met with people he always made an impression, but sometimes the people were like the first set of balls, the impression was only fleeting, it didn't last, like the story of the would-be disciples from Luke's Gospel. 
However there were other times when the people were like the ball of plasticine.   The impression that Jesus made on their lives lasted and lasted, as in the case of Peter, Andrew, James and John, who were Jesus' first disciples.