Objective: To inspire and encourage early years students to recognize and remove negative habits or thoughts (weeds) in their lives and to replace them with positive actions and attitudes (good habits) while understanding the importance of personal growth and kindness during the season of Lent.
Welcome
Good morning everyone! Today we will be doing some spring cleaning in our hearts and minds. What does this mean? Let’s find out.
Reflection/Story
Let me tell you a story about a farmer. Once upon a time, there was a farmer who had a beautiful field. But one day, he noticed that weeds had started to grow among his crops. These weeds made it hard for his plants to grow strong and healthy. So, the farmer decided to remove the weeds. It was hard work, but soon his field was full of strong, healthy plants.
Just like the farmer, we have to look at our own lives and see if there are any ‘weeds’ we need to pull out. These might be bad habits like not sharing, being grumpy, not listening, or being unkind to others. It’s important to replace these bad habits with good ones, like being ready with a smile, being grateful, listening to our friends, and sharing with others.
Song: Clean Up Inside Your Heart | Sunday School Songs | Bible Songs for Kids
Prayer Dear God, thank you for the beautiful season of spring and the chance to grow and change. Help us get rid of our bad habits and to fill our hearts with kindness and friendship. Help us remove anything that stops us from being good people. Amen
Objective: To inspire and encourage primary students to recognize and remove negative habits or thoughts (weeds) in their lives and to replace them with positive actions and attitudes (good habits) while understanding the importance of personal growth and kindness during the season of Lent.
Welcome
Good morning, everyone! Today, we will talk about something very important and exciting: we all wish for the world to be a better place, yes? So, how about doing some spring cleaning to our hearts and minds?
Reflection
Spring is a time when everything around us starts to bloom and grow. Just like a farmer takes care of his crops by removing the weeds, we too need to look at our lives and see if there are any ‘weeds’ – like negative thoughts or bad habits (for example, lying, stealing, we do not pray, gossiping) – that we need to remove.
(Explain that first, we recognize them and understand that we need to change. Then, we try to replace these bad habits with good ones. Instead of not sharing, we can start to share more. Instead of getting angry, we can practice being calm, more patient and kind.)
Inspirational Quote:
Pope Francis: ‘Lent is a time for renewing faith, hope, and love.‘ This quote reminds us that Lent is a special time for growth and improvement. We try to renew ourselves and make positive changes in our lives.
Song: I Will Follow
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for this beautiful season of Lent, a time to reflect and grow. Help us recognize the ‘weeds’ in our lives—the negative thoughts and bad habits. Give us the strength to remove them and to replace them with positive actions and attitudes. Guide us to be patient, loving, and forgiving toward others and ourselves. Amen.
Objective: Renewing ourselves through cherished and not-so-cherished learning opportunities this Lent
Welcome (2 min):
- The educator greets students and reminds them about the theme Sowing Hope and the importance of waiting patiently when we are yet to see the desired results of our hard work.
- The educator leads students to quiet down, starting with the sign of the cross and a simple thanksgiving prayer / a short moment of silence to think about the beauty of a new morning and the new upcoming season: Spring that also coincides with Lent.
Video (2 mins):
- The educator introduces the March theme, Time to Spring-clean and explains the term by saying that with the new season many feel the need to re-adjust their living environment by removing the old and bringing out the new. Unless you are a hoarder and shows clip Hoarding: Buried Alive (1:23 mins).
Reflection (5 mins):
- The educator suggests that while few are hoarders, many have the tendency to resist change, also capable to ‘burry us alive’ since to live is to change.
- The educator sustains that spring cleaning reflects the natural changes of re-birth, re-growth, or resurrection in springtime after the dormant seasons.
- The educator leads students in considering that change on a personal level could be exciting. Still, it may also be uncomfortable – though just like it is uncomfortable but healthy for the branches in the vine to be pruned, (we) will be even more fruitful(we find in the Gospel of John).
- The educator invites students to identify unhealthy thoughts, attitudes, or relationships that require re-adjusting and change in their lives and invites believers to Let go and let God, who is like a Farmer, be ready to lovingly cleanse his vine!
Prayer (1 min): Dear God, thank you for teaching us through the natural processes of re-birth in springtime. Help us to let go of anything that may be holding us back from living fully this lent, and trust that you can bring us new strength and renewed hope this Easter. Amen
Objective: Renewing ourselves through cherished and not-so-cherished learning opportunities this Lent
Welcome (2 mins):
- The educator greets students and reminds them about the theme Sowing Hope and the importance of waiting patiently when we are yet to see the desired results of our hard work.
- The educator leads students to quiet down, starting with the sign of the cross and a simple thanksgiving prayer / a short moment of silence to think about the beauty of a new morning and the new upcoming season: Spring that also coincides with Lent.
Video (2 mins):
- The educator introduces the March theme, Time to Spring-clean and explains the term by saying that with the new season many feel the need to re-adjust their living environment by removing the old and bringing out the new. Unless you are a hoarder and shows clip Hoarding: Buried Alive (1:23 mins).
Reflection (5 mins):
- The educator suggests that while few are hoarders, many have the tendency to resist change, also capable to ‘burry us alive’ since to live is to change.
- The educator sustains that spring cleaning reflects the natural changes of re-birth, re-growth, or resurrection in springtime after the dormant seasons.
- The educator leads students in considering that change on a personal level could be exciting. Still, it may also be uncomfortable – though just like it is uncomfortable but healthy for the branches in the vine to be pruned, (we) will be even more fruitful(we find in the Gospel of John).
- The educator invites students to identify unhealthy thoughts, attitudes, or relationships that require re-adjusting and change in their lives and invites believers to Let go and let God, who is like a Farmer, be ready to lovingly cleanse his vine!
Prayer (1 min): Dear God, thank you for teaching us through the natural processes of re-birth in springtime. Help us to let go of anything that may be holding us back from living fully this lent, and trust that you can bring us new strength and renewed hope this Easter. Amen