Remembrance Day Assembly: Revelation 21

Remembrance Sunday can be quite sensitive for many reasons and schools often request assemblies at this time.  Here's an assembly based on the theme of peace that can be adapted for any age group.

You will need: a large poppy prop, bubble mix and bubble wand, poppy seeds (optional but useful!)

Ask Children about the poppies they see people wearing at this time of year and might be wearing themselves.  What are they for?  Using the prop, talk about the different parts of the poppy

Red petals- a reminder of the blood that was and is spilled in wars- sacrifice of others

Flower-the poppies that grew on the battlefields were a sign of new life and hope for the future

leaf- set at 11 o clock position to remind us of the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month when the armistice was signed.  This is the day and the time we remember those who have died.

Talk about the fact that war is a painful, hurtful thing but it is not the picture that God really has for the world.  Talk then about Revelation 21:4 where we are told about a world with no more sadness, pain, war or suffering.  This is a place of peace.  What do you think peace feels like?  Looks like?

Look at the dark centre of your poppy.  This is where the seeds are held- planting the seeds brings hope of new life.  We can help to bring about this new life, this vision of peace that God has.  We might think that we are remembering things from a long time ago, but actually this is something that we can be involved in now.

How can we help to bring peace? In our families, in our school, in the world?

Say each line of the following prayer to the children and ask them to sit quietly and watch the bubbles until they pop. Imagine that, as the bubbles pop, peace is coming to that situation and the hard thing is disappearing.  When the last bubble has popped say the next line.

We think of/ pray for all who are angry- bring them peace

We think of/ pray for all who are jealous- bring them peace

We think of/ pray for all who are greedy- bring them peace 

We think of/ pray for all who hate- bring them peace 

We think of/ pray for all who are afraid- bring them peace

Amen

To accompany this assembly, there is a play dough mat using the same verse from Revelation.