Equipment: Projector, Laptop, Powerpoint (click to download)

Introduce yourself, what you do etc.

Survey: Explain that this morning you want to do a survey to get to know the children more. Explain that there will be 5 questions and some choices and they must vote for the one that most fits them. (Use powerpoint slides to illustrate these)

1 – I go home from school and Mum is cooking my favourite tea…it is:
A – Pizza, B – Lasagne, C – Burger & Chips, D – Salad

2 – On the way home from school I was allowed to go to the shop and buy some sweets. I chose:

A – Bar of chocolate, B – Jelly Babies, C – Dolly Mixtures, D – Lollypop

3 – It’s Saturday and we don’t have anything planned so I choose to:

A – Phone up my friend and see if they want to play out, B – Watch TV, C – Do some baking with Mum, D – Spend the whole day following Mum/Dad around saying ‘I’m bored’

4 – It’s been a bad day at school and I’ve fallen out with my best friend. When I get home I…

A – Go to my room and lay on the bed feeling sad, B – Burst into tears and tell Mum/Dad all about it, C – Act really grumpy with everyone and shout, D – Throw things across my room…I’m really cross.

5 – Today is your birthday…do you:

A – Go to school with a big badge on, B – Tell everyone you meet ‘today it’s my birthday’, C – Tell a few friends, D – Don’t tell anyone…you don’t want a big fuss made

Explain: From that survey I feel like I know you all a little bit better and I know that you’re all different.

Some of you really like pizza…others prefer sausages.

Some of you really like jelly babies whereas others would choose chocolate

Some of you want to spend lots of time with your friends whereas others would like to bake with your mum and cook something yummy.

Some of you go quiet when you’re sad and have had a bad day whereas others of you might throw things or shout at people

Some of you want everyone to know it’s your birthday whereas others might find it embarrassing and not want everyone to know

We’re all very different people and we all act in different ways and like different things.

Story: One of the things the bible tells us is that Jesus knew what people were like.

(Adapted from Luke 10:38-42)

One day Jesus and his disciples were travelling and they came to a village where a lady named Martha invited Jesus to her house to join her and her sister Mary.

Jesus accepted their invited and followed them to their house.

When they got to the house Martha started getting everything ready for dinner, preparing lots of things for Jesus…whilst she was doing this her sister Mary sat with Jesus listening to what she said.

After a while Martha came across to Jesus and said ‘Don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work myself? Tell her to help me!”

Jesus thought for a second and replied, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things but few things are needed…Mary has chosen what is better.”

Explain: In that story Martha invited Jesus around but then is so busy that she doesn’t spend any time with him whereas Mary spends time with Jesus.

When Martha asks Jesus why he isn’t cross that Mary isn’t helping he tells Martha that he understands how she is feeling and all the things she’s worried about and concerned about.

That story reminds us that we’re all different and we all do things differently but that Jesus understands all of us and that it’s important that we try and understand each other too.

Reflection: Invite the children to think about the words of this part of Psalm 139 (New Century Version)

Lord, you have examined me
and know all about me.

You know when I sit down and when I get up.
You know my thoughts before I think them.

You know where I go and where I lie down.
You know everything I do.

Lord, even before I say a word,
you already know it.

You are all around me—in front and in back—
and have put your hand on me.

Your knowledge is amazing to me;
it is more than I can understand.

You made my whole being;
you formed me in my mother’s body.

I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way.
What you have done is wonderful.
I know this very well.

You saw my bones being formed
as I took shape in my mother’s body.
When I was put together there,

you saw my body as it was formed.
All the days planned for me
were written in your book
before I was one day old.

Prayer:
Dear God,
Thank you that you have made each of us differently and that you know each of us.
Help us to understand each other more whether we’re upset about something or really excited about something.
Amen