Guidelines to be given to Visitors to lead worship

A Few Do's and Don'ts for those asked to lead collective worship

Do find out

• who will attend the collective worship - the whole school, or just part of it
• how long you are allowed to speak for (and don't over run)
• which theme the school is presently following in collective worship , what they have done already and will do in the rest of the term
• whether pupils and staff are used to being involved in activities, should you wish them to be so

Do prepare thoroughly

- a ten minute presentation which addresses the needs and variety of backgrounds of pupils has to be carefully thought out, and should always begin by making a real connection with the children's world.

Do help pupils

by allowing them time for silence in which they may think, reflect and respond at their own level

Do remember

the difference between collective and corporate worship. A school assembly is not the appropriate venue for strong evangelism.

Do adopt

a variety of approaches in each act of worship or within each series of acts. Introduce them on a variety of occasions to the breadth of Christian experiences and practices.

Don't

• talk too much
• forget that pupils are used to a variety of learning styles
• talk down to them
• merely entertain them
• talk over their heads

Don't assume that pupils' presence at worship signifies their personal commitment or involvement. You should not impose on pupils words or attitudes which they cannot honestly express. Your task is not to compel worship, but to enable it.

Don't conduct an act of worship without visiting the school first. Arrange to meet the Head for a discussion of the school's policy and procedures, and if possible, be present at an act of worship in the school.

Contents

1. What is worship?
2. Collective Worship and the law
3. The Anglican Tradition
4. The Aims of Collective Worship
5. The Policy
6. Ways of planning and recording
7. Planning Issues
8. Collective worship ideas and support on the world wide web
9. Asking Visitors to lead worship
10. Guidelines to be given to Visitors to lead worship
11. Are Assembly and Collective worship the same thing?
12. Themes and schemes for planning collective worship
13. Bible stories for use with collective worship themes
14. Involving pupils in Collective worship

Document Downloads

• Collective Worship in Church Schools