Collective Worship
COLLECTIVE WORSHIP
Collective Worship is central to the life of our school for all and is the heart of every school celebration which brings the whole school together. Praying together and a commitment by all to strengthen every member of our school communities relationship with Christ is part of the daily experience for all pupils and staff. Collective Worship can be seen in many forms at St. Bernadette's.
Whole School Celebration of the Word - Every Monday, our whole school comes together for Celebration of the Word. During this, we share Sunday's Gospel and the key messages from it. The children are then given time to respond and reflect on how they could live out this Gospel personally through guided prayer, spontaneous prayer or guided meditation. From the Gospel reading, children and staff are given a mission linking to one of our Gospel values: kindness, compassion, stewardship, humility, courage and service. Through this, they live as disciples of Christ, continuing His work. The Gospel is then displayed in classrooms, reflected on daily by teachers and pupils, and acknowledged in the nomination of Values Hearts and Jelly Bean Awards.
Family Celebration of the Word - Every class plans and leads a Celebration of the Word for their families and the children and staff in their phase. The children in the class actively plan and choose the 4 key elements: Gather, Listen, Respond, Mission. The Family Celebration of the Word is based around a theme or particular event/time of year.
Daily Classroom Prayer - All children in school say daily prayers, led by classroom Prayer Leaders. The Hail Mary, Grace before lunch and the Our Father. They fully engage and immerse themselves in these opportunities to talk to God daily.
Creative Prayer - The very first sentence of God’s Word tells us what kind of God He is: a Creator. We have been created in God’s image to create. Like the beautiful images of a kaleidoscope, there are so many unique and creative ways to connect with God. Weekly Creative Prayer in school offers the opportunity for all pupils to grow spiritually through experiences of prayer, stillness, worship and reflection.
CREATIVE PRAYER
At St. Bernadette's, the act of prayer is not about what we say, it is a dynamic response and a chance to pause, reflect and be open to hearing from, and talking to, God. Every class, from Nursery to Year 6, enjoys 'Creative Prayer' weekly. This is an opportunity for pupils to experience powerful ways of using their senses to express their faith in a different way, making a space to pause and reflect. These can be as simple but powerful as reflecting on words or images, using objects and practical responses like placing a pebble in water, lighting a candle or using bubbles or modelling dough to pray. Through engaging with acts of prayer, the children develop an understanding of themselves as spiritual beings and grow their own beliefs, hopes and responses as part of living in an ever- changing, ever-challenging world.
FAMILY CELEBRATION OF THE WORD
Year 5/6
Year 5/6 led their families in a poignant Celebration of the Word to commemorate Armistice Day. The children shared personal stories of family members who did, and still do, serve in the Armed Forces as well as prayers for those we have lost, which they wrote themselves.
Reception & Year 6 Buddies
The buddies from Reception and Year 6 joined together with their families to deliver a beautiful Celebration of the Word. As our Year 6 pupils reflected on their journey through school, they promised to help nurture and care for some of our youngest members of school, teaching them kindness, compassion and courage.
Year 5/6
Year 5 planned and led collective worship for their families. Together, they chose the theme of compassion, designed their focal point and led spontaneous prayer. Parents also left with compassion prayer cards as reminders of the message shared by the children.
“Whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25: 40
Year 3/4
We were joined by the parents and families of Year 3/4 for a beautiful collective worship, which the children planned and led.
They shared the message of Pope Francis in this Jubilee year, and encouraged us all to journey as pilgrims of hope. The children designed the focal point, wrote their own prayers for our brothers and sisters around the world and inspired us with stories of hope such as Paul, from Muhoroni.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has chosen me to announce good news…”
Luke 4:16
Year 4
Year 4 used the Beatitudes as their scripture for their collective worship for their families, and focused particularly on, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
For their mission, they challenged us all to go forth and be peacemakers, considering the feelings and emotions of others and reacting with kindness.
Their reading was beautiful and their singing was stunning.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." Matthew 5: 9
REMEMBRANCE COMMUNITY PRAYER
We opened the hall to our families and local community during the month of November, to give the opportunity for those who need it to pray for the lost or faithfully departed. All were welcome to offer their personal prayers.
