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#faithathome with ROOTS 3-9 July Vulnerability

Worship and learning for the whole Church – wherever you are

Resources for families with school-aged children to use at home

Welcome to #faith at home with ROOTS. We're delighted to be part of the Church of England's #faithathome initiative working with Oak National Online Academy.

This week, the theme is Vulnerability. View the #faithathome video.

My grace is sufficient

2 Corinthians 12.2-10

Before you start exploring the theme,
you can find out more about St Paul
through a poster, a short animation
and an article about him.

You can also read about life in the city of Corinth when Paul lived there.

Material for primary-aged children

A prayer and activity to introduce the theme.

Prayer

Friend and Saviour,
we think about those people
who are feeling weak today:
maybe they are not well;
maybe they have been ill for a long time;
maybe they are grieving for someone;
maybe they are very unhappy;
maybe no one understands their pain;
maybe they wake up afraid every day.
We pray that you would comfort them,
and give them your strength.
Bless them and help them to know
how much you love them.
Amen.

Stronger than they look

Find a picture of something that looks weak, but is, in fact, strong, e.g. a spider's web. Talk together about how things can be stronger than they look. 3D printing analysis of spider silk has shown it to have a stronger structure than steel! Alternatively do a simple demo of how strong eggshells are using four eggs. Today’s theme is about God’s strength working in us when we are weak.

Paul's world

Download and use the Paul's world sheet to understand the historical context of Paul’s letters.

Talk together to connect faith with everyday life

Why does Paul boast about his weaknesses?
Have you ever felt that God has helped you when you have had a problem, or difficulty?
Why might it be helpful to other people if we admit our weaknesses?

Silver linings

Consider how weaknesses can be strengths

You will need: black and silver card, marker pens.

Beforehand, cut out five cloud shapes from both the black and the silver card. Write on the black clouds characteristics that might be seen as weaknesses, e.g. shy, sensitive, loud, impatient, angry. On the silver clouds write how these characteristics might be strengths, e.g. good observation skills, cares about others, enthusiastic about things, gets things done, gets cross about injustice.
In the session, hide the clouds around the space and challenge the children to find the black clouds and match them up with their ‘silver linings’.
Ask the children what other weaknesses can be strengths.

A life lesson

Use a film clip to show that accepting help can be a strength

You will need: Cars DVD, a tablet/iPad/laptop (timings: 0:41:17 to 0:43:54, then 1:36:50 to 1:37:55).

Lightning McQueen is a boastful race car who believes he has no weaknesses and needs no help. He tries to show off and crashes. But through crashing and listening to Doc Hudson’s advice (dark blue car with headset), he learns how to manoeuvre tight corners.

Explain the background, if you need to, and show the children the two clips. Talk together about how we can learn from our weaknesses and difficulties, and turn them into strengths.

The masks we hide behind

Identify our own strengths and weaknesses

You will need: mask templates, printed onto card, and felt tips, or theatrical masks, and marker pens, elastic.

Talk together about how we all have things that we don’t like admitting to others, and want to hide from the world, e.g. fears, feelings, weaknesses, problems.
Give each child a mask and invite them to write/draw on the inside of it anything they are frightened of, struggling with, or which feels like a weakness. Then invite everyone to write/draw on the front of their masks their gifts and strengths, positive personal qualities, and what they can do well.
Ask the children to put their masks on (thread elastic through holes and knot) and pray:

God of grace, whatever face we show to the world,
and whatever we keep hidden inside, you love and accept us as we are.
Give us the strength to cope with our fears, overcome our difficulties,
and use us to do extraordinary things in the world. Amen.

Material for secondary-aged children

Based on 2 Corinthians 12.2-10

Download the Paul's world sheet to read background and introduce the theme.

Starting point

Provide a selection of hats, scarves and other colourful dressing-up headgear. Take selfies wearing different hats, scarves and other headgear you've got around. Are you brave enough to post one on social media?

No barriers

Nick Vujicic is an Australian evangelist who was born in 1982, without arms and legs. He says, ‘If God can use a man without arms and legs to be his hands and feet, then he will certainly use any willing heart!’ Have a look at Nick’s story and discuss how people can overcome tremendous difficulties and achieve amazing things.

Lift a finger

Put your dominant hand flat on the table and see how high you can lift your third (ring) finger, while keeping all the other fingers flat on the surface. Use a ruler to measure who can lift theirs the highest. Then try to curl your middle finger under your palm and try again. It will be impossible!

A prayer for the future

Think about what life might be like for you in 2030, e.g. job, location, family, faith. Make some notes on a piece of card. Now write a prayer on the card asking for God’s guidance and help in overcoming difficulties in the years ahead. Keep the card in a diary or treasured book so you can find it in the future.