Duration: 30 minutes
Objective:
- Children discover that everyone can do something kind and that every small act of kindness helps us participate together.
1. Introduction (5 minutes)
Show an empty jar and ask:
- What can we put inside this jar?
- Can one person fill it alone?
Explain:
- When everyone brings something good, we can fill the jar together.
2. Story (5 minutes)
Animate the story of Christoph and Vanessa in simple words.
Christoph and Vanessa were having a wedding celebration. They asked their guests to participate and bring a bottle of grape juice to share. When the guests arrived, they poured what they had brought into one big jar. When it was time to drink, they opened the tap…
Only water came out!
Many people had thought, “If I bring water instead, no one will notice.”
But everyone thought the same thing.
The big jar was full of water.
Together they learned: Everyone is important. What I do makes a difference.
3. Talk Together (3 minutes)
Ask:
- Why was there only water?
- What good things can we participate in and give to others?
Encourage answers such as:
😊 a smile
❤️ a hug
🤝 helping
🎁 sharing
💛 kind words
4. Prayer Activity
Resources:
- A large jar cutout on cardboard
- Paper bottle templates
- Crayons.
- Glue sticks
- Give each child one paper bottle.
- Ask them to draw one kind thing they can do to participate in helping someone.
- One by one, invite them to stick their drawing onto the large jar while saying: “I can help.” or “I can be kind.”
When all the drawings are added, say:
“Look how full our jar is! When we all participate together with kindness, we make our world happier.”
Closing Prayer
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for helping us to be kind.
Help us to participate, help others and love our friends every day.
Amen.
Duration: 30–40 minutes
Objectives
- Children identify simple ways they can participate and contribute to their family, school and community.
- Children recognise that everyone has gifts to offer.
- Children practise story mapping through drawing.
1. Introduction (5 minutes)
Show an empty bottle or a large jar and ask:
- What can we put inside it?
2. Animate the story of Christoph and Vanessa
(You may wish to prepare the story beforehand so that you can tell it in your own words.)
Christoph and Vanessa were getting married, so they invited everyone in their village to their wedding celebration. They did not want presents. Instead, they asked each guest to participate in the celebration by bringing a bottle of red wine so everyone could share it.
When the guests arrived, the waiters invited them to pour the wine they had brought into a large jar placed in the middle of the hall. Everyone poured in what they had brought.
When it was time to serve the wine, they opened the tap on the jar. Instead of wine, a clear liquid came out. When they tasted it, they realised it was only water.
Each guest had thought to themselves:
“My bottle won’t make any difference. If I bring water instead of wine, no one will notice.”
But everyone had thought the same thing, and the result was a disappointing celebration.
3. Discussion (5 minutes)
After telling the story, ask:
- How do you think Christoph and Vanessa felt?
- Why was there only water in the jar?
- Whose fault was it?
- Was only one person responsible?
Emphasise: Everyone thought, “My contribution won’t make a difference.” Yet because everyone thought the same way, the celebration became a disappointment.
4. Prayer Space / Spiritual Reflection (5 minutes)
Resources needed:
- A transparent jar or container filled with water.
- A basket with paper bottle cut-outs.
- Pens or pencils.
Instructions:
- Invite the children to think of one good thing they can do to participate and help others, for example:
❤️ love, 😊 a smile, 🤝 kindness and help, 🙏 prayer, 🎁 sharing their gifts and talents
- Give each child a paper bottle template.
- Ask them to write or draw what they would like to offer others.
- Then invite them to place their paper bottle into the jar while silently asking God to help them serve together.
Remind them: Communities are not changed by one extraordinary person. They are changed when many ordinary people choose to do good every day.
Additional Activities – (If more time is available.)
5. Story Mapping through Drawing
Instructions:
Give each student an A4 sheet divided into six boxes. Explain that in each box they should draw what they heard in the story. The aim is to create a visual story map that will help them retell the story to someone else.
Drawing Guide
- Characters – Christoph and Vanessa, the wedding guests
- Setting – The wedding hall, the tables, the large jar
- Plan – Draw a bottle of wine and write: “Everyone was invited to bring a bottle of wine.”
- Problem – Draw a person thinking. Write: “My bottle won’t make any difference.”
- Action – Draw the bottle filled with water.
- Lesson – Draw yourself doing one good thing you can do to participate and help others, for example: helping hands, a loving heart, a smiling face, helping a friend. Write: “I make a difference.”
6. Show and Tell
When everyone has finished, invite the students to share their story maps with a partner or with the whole class. Those who wish may tell the story through their drawings. They may also share what they wrote on their paper bottle and explain how they can participate and make a difference at home, at school or among their friends. In this way, the story map becomes more than a visual of the story; it becomes a personal reflection on how each person can participate and contribute to building a stronger community.
Final Message
When everyone gives their very best and participates, a beautiful community is created. When we think only about ourselves, everyone loses. Each one of us has a unique “bottle” to offer: our kindness, talents, love and willingness to participate together.
Prayer
Jesus,
You have given each one of us a kind heart and wonderful gifts.
Help us never to think that what we do does not matter.
Give us the courage to offer our very best and participate in making a difference wherever we go.
May the love, joy and peace that we share with others help make the world a better place.
Amen.
Duration: 50–60 minutes
Theme: Personal responsibility and the common good
Objectives
By the end of the session, students will:
- reflect on how every person’s small decisions affect others;
- understand the consequences of the mentality, “No one will notice”;
- recognise that everyone has something to offer and can participate in making a difference through their choices and actions;
- recognise what they can contribute to their family, class and society so that we may continue participating together.
1. Introduction: “What happens if everyone does the same?” (5 minutes)
Display the following statements on the board or PowerPoint, or read them aloud:
- If everyone throws rubbish on the ground…
- If everyone arrives late…
- If everyone participates and helps one person…
- If everyone smiles at someone…
- If everyone cheats in an exam…
- If everyone plants a tree…
Ask: What happens if everyone makes the same choice?
Emphasise that we often fail to realise the impact of our choices when everyone acts the same way. When we choose to participate through small acts of kindness, responsibility and care, our actions can make a positive difference to the whole community.
2. Animate the Story of Christoph and Vanessa
(You may wish to prepare the story beforehand so that you can tell it in your own words.)
Christoph and Vanessa were getting married, so they invited everyone in their village to their wedding celebration. They did not want presents. Instead, they asked every guest to bring a bottle of red wine to participate in the celebration and share with everyone.
When the guests arrived, the waiters invited them to pour the wine they had brought into a large jar placed in the middle of the hall. Everyone poured in what they had brought.
When it was time to serve the wine, they opened the tap on the jar. Instead of wine, a clear liquid came out. When they tasted it, they realised it was only water.
Each guest had thought to themselves:
“My bottle won’t make any difference. If I bring water instead of wine, no one will notice.”
But everyone thought the same thing, and the result was a disappointing celebration.
3. Discussion (5 minutes)
After telling the story, ask:
- Who was responsible?
- Who was to blame for what happened?
- Was there one person who ruined the celebration?
- How could each person have participated and contributed to the whole community by doing their part?
Allow a few moments of silence before continuing. Then ask:
- What is the difference between “Everyone does it” and “Doing what is right”?
- Why do people sometimes choose the easy way instead of participating and helping others?
- What happens when everyone thinks only about themselves?
- What happens when everyone chooses to participate and contribute?
Emphasise:
Everyone thought, “My contribution won’t make a difference.” Yet because everyone thought the same way, the celebration became a failure. Participating together means recognising that even our smallest contribution matters. When each person participates and offers what they can, we can make a difference to others and to the whole community.
4. Prayer Space / Spiritual Reflection (5 minutes)
Resources
- A transparent jar or container filled with water, placed on a table.
- A cane container containing paper bottle cut-outs.
- Pens or pencils.
Instructions
- Invite the students to think of something good they can offer and participate in sharing with others, for example: love, trust, generosity, a smile, kindness and help, service, prayer, truth, sharing their gifts and talents
- Give each student a paper bottle and ask them to write or draw what they would like to offer others.
- Then invite them to place their paper bottle into the jar while silently asking God to help them participate together.
Remind them: Communities are not transformed by one extraordinary person. They are transformed when many ordinary people choose to participate with others and do good every day.
Additional Activities (If more time is available.)
5. Story Mapping through Drawing (To be done at the end of the session if time permits.)
Instructions
Give each student an A4 sheet divided into six boxes.
Explain that in each box they should draw what they heard in the story. The aim is to create a visual story map that will help them retell the story to others.
Drawing Guide
Characters – Christoph and Vanessa, the wedding guests
Setting – The wedding hall, the tables, the large jar
Plan – Draw a bottle of wine and write: “Everyone was invited to bring a bottle of wine.”
Problem – Draw a person thinking. Write: “My bottle won’t make any difference.”
Action – Draw the bottle filled with water
Lesson – Draw yourself participating and doing something kind for others, for example: helping hands, a loving heart, a smiling face, helping a friend. Write: “I make a difference.”
Ideas to help students understand the story more deeply and give them confidence to retell it in their own words.
6. Show and Tell
When everyone has finished, invite students to retell their story through their story map with a partner or with the whole class.
They may also share what they wrote on their paper bottle and explain how they can make a difference at home, at school or among their friends.
In this way, the story map becomes more than a visual representation of the story; it becomes a personal reflection on the contribution each person can make to their community.
Final Message
The problem in the story was not the water. The real problem was that everyone believed their own choice did not matter.
In real life, every choice makes a difference. When we choose to participate, help and care for others, even our smallest contribution can have an impact.
The question is not, “What will everyone else do?” but rather,
“What will I bring to the jar of my community?”
“How will I participate and make a difference?”
Prayer
Lord,
Sometimes we think that what we do does not make a difference.
Give us the courage to choose what is right and to participate with kindness, even when others choose a different path.
Help us to offer our talents, our time and our very best to our families, our school communities and our friends.
Teach us to participate together, knowing that even our smallest actions can make a difference.
Help us to be people who bring more love, justice and hope into the world.
Amen.