For alternative actions that can be used during any unit at any time of year, see Saying Sorry Actions: Options 2, 3 and 4 on pp. 40–2 of Book 1.

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Saying Sorry Action: Option 1

➜Action: placing hands over eyes then removing them

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Let’s put our hands on our eyes.

Lead the children in placing hands over eyes.

When we do something that makes God sad

or other people sad,

it can make us feel sad and dark inside.

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When we say sorry, we ask God

to shine like a light in the dark.

Let’s imagine Jesus, Light of the World,

shining bright inside us!

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Let’s take our hands off our eyes.

Now we can see what we’ve done wrong.

We can see that God gives us a new start too!

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Either:

After 3, let’s shout, ‘God gives us a new start!’

1, 2, 3 . . . God gives us a new start!

Or: choose one of the God Gives Us a New Start options from pp. 15–16.

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Saying Sorry Action: Option 2

Action: shining a torch on the group, passing around a battery tealight or lighting a real candle (out of reach)

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Ask an adult to turn off the lights in the room.

When we do something that makes God sad

or other people sad,

it can make us feel sad and dark inside.

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When we say sorry, we ask God

to shine like a light in the dark.

Turn on a torch or a battery tealight, or light a candle in a safe place.

We can see what we’ve done wrong,

but we can see that we have a new start too!

 

Go around the circle and shine the torch on each child and adult, pass the battery tealight around or point to the candle.

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As you do so:

Either invite the children to go around the circle and say together: Name, God gives you a new start!

Or, if you’re using a real candle or are in a large group, ask the children, after 3, to say, ‘God gives us a new start!’

1, 2, 3 . . . God gives us a new start!

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Saying Sorry Action: Option 3

Action: placing a battery tealight/star on a [white/gold] cloth in the centre of the circle

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The Good News is:

God always wants to give us a new start!

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Show the children the candles/stars. If you’re using battery tealights, ask an adult or child to turn off the lights in the room. We ask an adult to light the battery tealights in advance as we’ve found younger children can be distracted by attempts to light the tealights themselves.

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When we do something that makes God sad

or other people sad, 

it can make us feel sad and dark inside.

When we say sorry, 

we ask God to shine like a light in the dark in us.

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I’m going to ask Name and Name

to bring around these candles/stars now.

If you like, you can take one and let God’s light shine on you.

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While the candles/stars are taken around, lead the group in either:

Option 1: singing the ‘I’m Sorry’ refrain, or

Option 2: humming the first two lines of the ‘We need a new start’ song followed by singing the refrain ‘We’re sorry, we’re sorry. We need a new start’.

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When the group is ready:

The Good News is:

God is always ready to give us a new start!

God’s light is shining on and in us!

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If you’ve turned the lights off in the room:

Let’s turn our lights back on!

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Let’s hold our lights high!

After 3, let’s say: ‘God gives us a new start!’

1, 2, 3: God gives us a new start!

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Let’s promise to use our new start

to shine like lights in the world this week.

Let’s give our candles to God

and promise to share God’s love with each other.

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Invite the children to place their tealight/star on a [gold/white] cloth in the centre of the circle as the group sings one of the following songs, or another that the children are familiar with.

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Either:

Song: ‘We are loving in the light of God’. Tune: ‘We are marching in the light of God’ (traditional)

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We are loving in the light of God,

we are loving in the light of God!

We are loving in the light of God,

we are loving in the light of God!

We are loving, we are loving, oh! Jazz hands

We are loving in the light of God!

We are loving, we are loving, oh! Jazz hands

We are loving in the light of God!

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Or:

Song: ‘This little light of mine’ (traditional). Tune: traditional. 

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This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

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Or:

Song: ‘God loves to give me a new start!’ Words: © Sharon Moughtin-Mumby. Tune: ‘Give me oil in my lamp’ (traditional).

 

[Yes, my] God loves to give me a new start!

Trace a smile/cross on own forehead

How amazing God’s love for me!

Cross hands on chest

[Yes, my] God loves to give me a new start!

Trace a smile/cross on own forehead

How amazing is God’s love for me!

Cross hands on chest

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Sing hosanna! Sing hosanna! Wave hands in the air

Sing hosanna to the King of Kings!

Wave hands in the air followed by crown on head

Sing hosanna! Sing hosanna!  Wave hands in the air

Sing hosanna to the King!

Wave hands in the air followed by crown on head

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Saying Sorry Action: Option 4

Action: placing a battery tealight or paper star on a piece of dark fabric, with a focus on giving other people a new start too

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Show the children one or more baskets/trays with stars or lit battery tealights. We ask an adult to light the battery tealights in advance as we’ve found younger children can be distracted by attempts to light the tealights themselves.

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If you‘re using battery tealights:

Let’s turn the lights off

for a moment and look at these candles.

Ask an adult or child to turn off the lights.

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When we do things that make God or other people feel sad

everything can feel dark and lonely.

The Good News is that Jesus is the Light of the World.

Jesus can shine in any dark place.

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In a moment, Name and Name

are going to bring around these candles/stars.

If you like, you could take one

and hold it gently in your hands like this.

Model to the children holding their tealight/star.

Imagine Jesus’ love shining on you.

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If you’ve turned the lights off:

We’re going to sing

as we wait in the dark for Jesus,

Light of the World, to come to us.

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While the candles/stars are taken around, lead the group in either:

Option 1: singing the ‘I’m sorry’ refrain, or

Option 2: humming the first two lines of the ‘We need a new start’ song followed by singing the refrain ‘We’re sorry, we’re sorry. We need a new start’.

 

When the group is ready:

God gives us a new start!

Let’s hold our candle/star high!

Joyfully, lead the children in holding your candle/star high.

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But there are other people

feeling like they’re in a dark place.

Let’s ask God to help us give other people a new start, too.

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Lay a dark piece of fabric in the centre of the circle.

If you like, you can put your candle here

and promise to give other people a new start this week,

especially when they’ve made us feel cross or sad.

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When we give other people new starts

It can fill dark places like this with light!

Lead the children in singing/humming again as the candles are placed. Some groups may like to ask two children to take two trays covered with dark fabric opposite ways around the circle to collect the candles. The trays can then be placed in the centre of the circle.

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When the group is ready:

After 3, let’s say, ‘God gives us a new start!’

1, 2, 3 . . . God gives us a new start!

Let’s use our new start to share God’s love this week!