A Spiritual Path to Living. The Season for Non Violence Series All Ages Assembly 1/29/2017 This Week s Theme: Today s Lesson kicks off The Season for Non Violence. The lesson is based off the statement of purpose from the SNV website (AGNT.org): Our purpose is to create an awareness of nonviolent principles and practice as a powerful way to heal, transform and empower our lives and communities. Teacher Insights : This week we will kick off a ten week series to explore the Season for Non-Violence. At no point like today, are we reminded more, of how easy it is to go to anger when we have a conflict with another person. In order to change this course, we MUST teach our children differently. Each week there will a specific concept about peace and non-violence that will brought to light. We will have: A weekly prayer that will be recited for the group Activities and situations will be highlighted to help guide the children in ways to choose better, communicate peacefully, embrace differences, and show up for each other Lots of interaction! Take home materials for the children to share with their parents (*Portions of this lesson have been supplemented through the AGNT website, which hosts the SNV. www.agnt.org) Unity Principles: (today s principle is highlighted) 1: God is all Good and active in everything, everywhere. 2: I am naturally good because God s Divinity is in me and in everyone. 3: I create my experiences by what I choose to think and what I feel and believe. 4: Through affirmative prayer and meditation, I connect with God and bring out the good in my life. 5: Practice, Practice, Practice. I do and give my best by living the Truth I know! I make a difference! Quotes hange you want to see in the world. ~ Mahatma Gandhi ve out darkness; only light can do that. t hate; only love can do that. King, Jr.
Pre-session: A World of Peace Make sure you create a sacred space at the tables in your rooms. You can do this by lighting the Christ candle and then placing sacred objects around it. Greet Parents and Children. As much as possible try to greet parents at the sign-in table. o At the Sign-in table ask: Please print names Does your child have a registration form filled out? Any special needs that we should know about? Allergies? Can we have your email address for updates? Pre-session DRAWING FOR A WORLD OF PEACE Objective: To allow every student to express their vision of a world of peace. #1 Ask the students to create a drawing or a poem of their idea of peace. Afterward, hang the drawings where they can be seen: classrooms, gym, hallways, stairway, school office, etc. Ask the children to name actions, words and gestures of peace, to describe a peaceful world. Take some finished examples and suggest what it might be like to live in the peaceful world all the students have designed. #2 Now tell the students to draw themselves into their world of peace. Ask each student to talk about his or her drawing. Ask the student about possibilities not yet drawn (ex: What kinds of things would you be saying? How many people live in this world? ) Have the kids break off into groups and take turns discussing their drawings. Offer discussion questions such as: How is their drawing different from the world they live in? How is it the same? Sacred Circle: 3 Ohms: In order to synchronize our energies, have the children sit in a circle and begin sacred circle with 3 ohms. Who is Jesus for us in Unity? Our way-shower, the great master of love. Affirmation: I understand my purpose in the world, and I express Peace, through my words and actions. Introductions/Affirmations: In turn, have each student stand say their name and a characteristic they bring to the classroom. For example, I am Kelly and I bring peace to the circle today. All the children warm up their hands and put their hands in the prayer position, bow, and say, Namaste, you are! : "The light in me sees the light in you." Heart Agreements : Heart Agreements establish the boundaries of how everyone in the group agrees to show up in Sunday school. They are not being TOLD how they must show up; they are telling YOU how they have agreed to show up. During the course of the lesson, you may refer back to the Heart Agreements. For example, if a group of kids is perpetually talking while you are speaking, then you may say to the class as a whole, What was our heart agreement about listening to speakers? And let the kids tell you! Our basic heart agreements are:
Gentle Hands Open Hearts Walking Feet Listening ears Kind Words Love Offering: Divine Love, Blesses and multiples, all that I have, all that I give and all that I receive. And I am joy-filled and grateful. FYI: students may place lots of things besides money in the love offering basket: joy, friendship, peace, love, etc. iolence All Ages Assembly: During the assembly, we will outline what the Season for Non Violence is about and some history. (This can be paraphrased to accommodate your students ages) commences on January 30, in cities across the globe. The annual 64 day campaign, co-founded in 1998 by Dr. Arun Gandhi and The Association for Global New Thought (AGNT), is an educational, media and grassroots awareness campaign spanning the January 30th and April 4th memorial anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The purpose of the campaign is to focus educational and media attention on the philosophy of attaining peace through nonviolent action as demonstrated by legendary leaders Mohandas K. Gandhi, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar E. Chavez, and President Nelson Mandela, as well as living legends such as His Holiness, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet. Spiritually guided citizen leaders in 900 cities in 67 countries have participated since the campaign began in 1998. Discussion Questions: Who was Mahatma Gandhi? What did he do? Who was Martin Luther King Jr.? Why is he famous? Do you think they needed to have courage to do what they did? Have you ever stood up for something? Meditation/Prayer: * This will take place in another room Say: We are going to do things a little differently today for our meditation. We will have
prayer that is going to be read out loud, and you can choose to close your eyes and concentrate on the words. Let s get into a comfortable position for meditation. Close your eyes if you like. Breathe slowly and gently in through your nose and out through your mouth. Become still and calm. Listen to the words of our poem: Candlelighting Prayer First Sunday of the Season. Contributed by: Rev. s Les and Audrey Turner, The Creative Center for Spiritual Living. (Modified by Rev. Matthew Long, Peace Unity Church) As I light a candle and raise this single flame to the highest level of consciousness, where all is Spirit, all is Love, and all is Peace, I know that Love, Peace and Spirit are everywhere. I embrace with highest Love this season for Nonviolence. As this single flame entwines with a multitude of lights, I accept this magnificence that nonviolence is also everywhere present. I accept this for myself and for this community and for all communities of light. I see, sense and know this condition of nonviolent Life is expanding everywhere. I am grateful for this. With Thanksgiving I accept this new season for nonviolence, I claim a lifetime for nonviolence. My Prayer is the knowing of Peace. Peace is the understanding of Love. I know and I know I know that Peace is all there is. Peace is God being God. I accept Peace, I am Peace, I see Peace, I smell Peace, I hear Peace, I taste Peace, I touch Peace, I know Peace is who and what I am. Peace is action. Peace in stillness. I experience Peace for myself, for every person, every animal, every living being on this wonderful planet, Mother Earth. Peace is, and so it is. As we begin to notice what is going on in the room around us we say thank you, God for the answers that we have received. (Have the children say Thank you God with you.) Amen.
Creative Expressions: OUR GOOD QUALITIES Objective: To make students aware of the strengths and talents among them, and to show courage when they talk to someone they might not know. Understanding dispels fear. Every student gets a name of another student (by whatever means you decide) for whom he or she has to find a talent to tell the class. The students have 5 minutes to find the good quality/qualities of their partners and record their answers on the slips provided at the end of the lesson. Help the younger kids write on the slips. You can help initiate the discussion by providing some questions for the pairs to start with. ( What are some things you like to do? Have you ever gotten an award/honor for anything? Does your mom or dad ever brag to their friends about you? What do they say?) After the 5 minutes is up, every person gets up alternately and names the quality that they found for their assigned classmate. When each student has had his or her turn, draw attention to how many different and wonderful things were just named, many of which chow unique and talented each person in this world is, and how this deserves our respect. Go with whatever flow your classroom decides after the activity. Closing Prayer : Let us pause for a moment in silence. We send thoughts of love to everyone in the world. Pause. Father Mother God, thank you for this time together to learn about the power of release and how we always have choice in our lives and the wonderful moments when we can connect with you. In this moment we choose to create a wonderful world for all. We allow our Christ light to shine out for the world to see and speak words of love and peace into our world. We are grateful. Thank you God! Amen. Teacher Reminders : Please HELP o Return the teacher tub and all supplies to the Resource Room o Sign out by writing the number of children you had on the Teacher Sign-In Sheet. o At 11 put the sign-in sheets in your supply tubs. o Put the love offering in the envelope in your tubs.
NAME: QUALITY: NAME: QUALITY:
NAME: QUALITY: