Saying Sorry Action: Option 1

➜Action: placing a battery tealight or paper star on a piece of dark fabric

 

If you’re using battery tealights:

Show the children one or more baskets/trays containing lit 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.

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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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We’re going to sing as we wait

[if lights are off: in the dark] for Jesus,

Light of the World, to come to us.

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While all the children and adults who wish to take a candle/star do so, lead the group in either:

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

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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God gives us a new start!

Let’s hold our candle/star high! Joyfully, hold candle/star high

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/star in the centre of the circle

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

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

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Lead the group in singing again as the candles/stars are placed. When all the children and adults who wish to place their tealight/star have done so:

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After three, 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!

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Saying Sorry Action: Option 2

Action: scribbling on a whiteboard/chalkboard then wiping it out

 

Place a single collective whiteboard/chalkboard in the centre of the circle, or ask one or more children to distribute individual smaller whiteboards/blackboards.

 

Ask two more children to take around chalk/pens and a piece of kitchen roll to give to each child as you sing.

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We all make bad choices sometimes.

When we make bad choices,

it can feel like we’ve made a big mess.

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Let’s scribble on our board

to show the mess we can make of things.

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While the children and adults scribble, lead the group in either:

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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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Once all the children and adults have had the chance to scribble:

 

Look at that mess!

Bad choices can make everything feel messy

and all tangled up.

They can make us feel not ready for Baby Jesus!

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The Good News is: God always wants to give us a new start!

Let’s be God, and wipe our scribble away!

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Lead the children in wiping away their scribble. If you’re using a collective board, invite one or more children to wipe out the scribble on behalf of the group; then invite another child to draw a smile.

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Now let’s draw a big smile . . .

and after three say ‘God gives me/us a new start!’

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

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

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Saying Sorry Action: Option 3

Action: sprinkling water or tracing a smile/cross with water

This option is particularly appropriate for churches that use the sprinkling of water (asperges) in Advent.

 

Tip: When inviting children to lead by taking the water around, you may find it helps to make it clear to them that they can keep both hands on the bowl while the other children dip their finger in. Standing with the children, with your hands placed over theirs on the bowl, as they offer the water to the first participant may help very young children understand the pattern.

 

When we make bad choices,

it can feel like we’ve made a big mess of things.

The Good News is: God always wants to give us a new start!

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Sometimes we use water to show

that God’s making us clean again:

not just on the OUTside, Rub arms

but on the INside too. Trace a circle on your heart

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Either:

In a moment, I’m going to sprinkle us with water.

When the water splashes us

let’s remember God is making us clean inside and out.

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Or: invite two children to take round bowls of water, going opposite ways around the circle.

Name and Name are going to bring round some water.

If you like, you can dip your finger in the water

and draw a smile/cross on your forehead

to show that God gives you a new start!

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Model to the children drawing a smile/cross on your own forehead. While the water is taken around, lead the group in either:

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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 . . .‘.

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Once all the children and adults who wish to have taken some water, or everyone who wishes to has been sprinkled with water:

That’s better! Our hearts are lovely and clean again!

After three, let’s jump up and say ‘God gives me a new start!’

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

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

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