Items Needed: Laptop, Projector, PowerPoint (click to download), images from The Brick Testament for the story, the Street Bible or Word on the Street

Assembly Aim: To remember that Jesus is with us all the time

Time needed: 20 minutes

1. Introduction

Introduce yourself. If you visit any of the local secondary schools, mention that the children going to those schools will see you in September.

Explain that in this assembly we’re going to be thinking about changes and the fears we experience with change.

1. Phobias quiz

Ask the children, what is a phobia?

Explain that a phobia is something we’re afraid of…some things might seem silly things to be afraid of but for some people these things are huge! Some people might be scared of the dark, or spiders…one friend of mine is even scared of feet!

Announce that you’re going to split the room in half and have a competition to see who’s the best at guessing the phobia!

Say to the teams that the names of different phobias will be read out and that they have to come up with the correct meanings for each one. They should put hands up to indicate that they want to answer.

To include the rest of the children, ask them to help judge who has the correct answer.

You may want to ask:

Arachnophobia – spiders

Aerophobia – flying

Agoraphobia – open spaces

Claustrophobia – enclosed spaces

Vertigo – heights (use this as a tie breaker)

Achluophobia- Fear of darkness.

Congratulate the teams, rounds of applause etc.

Explain that whether there’s a fancy name for it or not we’re all scared of something and sometimes we’re scared of changes in our lives. Some of you may be getting ready to leave here at the end of July and change school for September, many of you will be changing your teacher next year and these can be scary things because we don’t know what the change will be like…we don’t know what our new teachers will be like.

Some of you might be experience a change outside of school. Some of you may be moving house…that can be really scary. Some of you might have a new baby brother or sister…a baby can  be a big change.

1. Bible story

Comment that as the children move on to their new school or class you hope they won’t feel gripped by fear or panic! They may feel nervous or a bit scared but hopefully not terrified.

Explain that you are going to tell the story about someone in the Bible who started off very brave but then got scared. It’s about a chap called Peter and he was one of Jesus’ disciples, which means he was Jesus’ friend and follower.

Who knows who Peter is? – a disciple

Who knows what a disciple is? – a follower of Jesus

The Brick Testament

Read Matthew 14:22–33 from the Street Bible.

Explain that you want to ask a few things…

Who was the bravest disciple in the boat? Why was that?

How do you think Peter felt when he was walking on the water?

What do you think the other disciples thought as they watched?

What did Peter do when he was afraid and started sinking?

What did Jesus do when Peter was afraid and started sinking?

Peter was the only disciple who walked on the water even though he found it scary. After all, he’d never done it before! Jesus doesn’t expect us to walk on water (so don’t try it at home on your garden pond!) but there will be things we have never done before.

There will be new things that are scary whether that’s a new teacher, a new school, a new house, a new brother or sister or whatever it is that’s going on in your lives but Jesus is there all the time.

However we are feeling and whatever we are doing and we can always talk to him. There will be some new and exciting things at your new school or with your new teacher but you may feel a bit nervous about some of them at the moment.

4. Prayer to Finish

Thank you Jesus that you are always with us.

Thank you that you have good things ahead for us.

Help us to remember that you are there.

Please be with those of us who are particularly nervous about moving on to their new school, changing teacher or any other change that is coming up.

Thank you Jesus that you are with us today and always. Amen.