Green Haworth Church of England Primary School seeks to promote spiritual development within a context of Christian beliefs, values and worship, and to provide pupils with opportunities to explore the Christian Faith and develop a personal relationship with God.

The School therefore aims to give pupils: 

• a set of Christian beliefs and values by which to live;
• a sense of transcendence – that there is more to life than ‘meets the eye’, more than a physical or material existence;
• an awareness of order, pattern, meaning and purpose in the World – leading towards an understanding that for Christians, creation is a revelation of God’s loving purposes;
• a capacity for awe, wonder and mystery, an awareness of uncertainty and paradox;
• a sense of personal identity and self-worth and of all others as created in God’s image;
• self-knowledge, and an awareness and growth of feelings, emotions and imagination;
• an understanding of Christian teaching on life and death, on suffering, grief and loss;
• an awareness of God’s love and care for them personally;
• an understanding of the Christian belief of Jesus as Saviour.

The School sets out to provide opportunities in collective worship and throughout the Curriculum and life of the School for pupils to:

• be quiet and reflect on life and the World and develop an awareness of God;
• become familiar with traditional forms of Christian prayer and worship including Christian religious festivals;
• become familiar with the St. Clement’s Church building;
• give thanks to God for the creation, preservation, salvation and the promise of eternal life;
• use a variety of prayer forms and techniques;
• use their own prayers;
• question, explore, discuss and give an account of their own beliefs;
• understand and evaluate Christian and other faiths’ interpretations and responses to life;
• use their gifts of imagination and creativity;
• explore and express feelings and emotions;
• develop respect for others as independent, thinking, feeling people;
• face difficult or distressing matters in a context of loving Christian teaching and support.

Spiritual Development has to take place in a particular context, in our case, that of Christian belief and practice. Christian spiritual development shares features with other forms of spirituality in that it is concerned with coming to know ourselves, learning to reflect on experiences, exploring important questions of how to live and treat others, and so reaching a set of beliefs and values by which to guide our lives. Its distinctiveness, most importantly, consists in its capacity through a context of Christian worship, life and teaching, to offer opportunities for all in our School community to develop a personal relationship with God through Jesus.

Spiritual development in a Christian context is only possible when there is growth of the whole person. It therefore forms the basis for the other three areas of moral, social and cultural development. 

Christingle 

Barney, Bob & Bella explained the origins of Christingle in our Service:

Christingle started in Germany in 1747, probably when your great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandparents were around. A Bishop called John noticed that people like your great grandparents were forgetting the reason that Christian families come together to celebrate Christmas.

To celebrate that Jesus, God’s Son, was born in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago. God sent Jesus to us, to show us how much God loves each and every single one of us. No matter how we are feeling or the situation we are in. To show this Bishop John used:

• The orange to represent the world, 
• He then took the red ribbon and wrapped it round the whole world to show that God loves the whole world, nothing is missed out.
• The four sticks represent spring, summer, autumn and winter. With the sweets representing God’s creation, that includes you and me!
• Finally, the candle is to remind us that Jesus said that he ‘is the light of the world’. Even in the darkest places, when we are really upset about something. God still wants us to know that he loves us and is there for us.

No matter what we believe, we can all be shining lights and show love to whoever we meet, particularly with our friends and family.

God of love and compassion,

We thank you that you invite us all to be part of your family;

that in you we are never abandoned or forsaken,

that in you we have a faithful, loving God and friend,

that because of your great love for us,

you have called us your children and loved us with an everlasting love.

We thank you for the joy of our Christingle celebration and the opportunity it brings us to stand together as a family, as we remember those so desperately in need of love and support.

Through our prayers we ask that no child will ever have to walk through this life alone.

Amen

As part of our Year of Prayer, we are praying for one school per day and today we are praying for Green Haworth Church Of England Primary School

Find out more and access resources for the Year of Prayer on our website:

https://www.bdeducation.org.uk/the-year-of-prayer/

Thank you for your prayers. This week, at Green Haworth, we are praying for 'peace'.

Jesus wants everyone to get along, show love, forgiveness and understanding.

Prince of Peace - we pray for places in the world where people need peace. Help us all to try and understand each other. Give us the ability to be peacemakers. May broken friendships be healed. Give us a better understanding of Your love and forgiveness. May today be a day when Peace dwells in our classrooms and our homes. In Jesus’ name.

Amen.

Advent...

The four candles on an Advent wreath each represent a virtue and symbolize the four Sundays of Advent: 

• Hope

  The first candle is purple and is also known as the "Prophet's Candle". It symbolizes hope and is a reminder of the hope people hold as they wait for Jesus' arrival. 

• Peace

  The second candle is also purple and is known as the "Bethlehem Candle". It symbolizes peace and focuses on preparing for the King and the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. 

• Joy

  The third candle is pink and is known as the "Shepherd's Candle". It symbolizes joy and is lit on the third Sunday of Advent, also known as "Gaudete Sunday". Gaudete is a Latin word that means "rejoice". 

• Love

  The fourth candle is purple and is known as the "Angel's Candle". It symbolizes love and represents the message of the angels: “Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men”. 

In some homes and parishes, a fifth candle is lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day to represent the birth of Jesus. This candle is usually white and larger than the other candles, and is placed in the centre of the wreath.

Dear God                                                                                                                                   we thank you for giving us hope when we feel worried,                                               when we are having a hard time,                                                                                         when we don’t know what’s ahead of us and when we are sad.                                  Thank you that even the smallest seed of hope can grow into a big, tall tree. Please help us when we find it hard to be hopeful,                                                         so we can offer hope to others.                                                                                           Amen

"Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”                  

  (John 15:3)

We have been busy delivering poppies and merchandise to every class, every day. Thank you for your generosity supporting the Poppy Appeal. There will be a Remembrance Service at 11:00am on Monday 11 November.

A prayer that can be said with your child for Remembrance Day:

Dear Lord,

We remember the fallen soldiers that have paid the ultimate price for our freedom

On this Remembrance Day,  we come to you and ask for healing for families who have lost loved ones.  We ask for protection for all our service members.

Help all of us make sure that Remembrance Day is more than just one day of gratitude                       but a continual act of thanks.

Amen

Harvest Service

We will be holding our Harvest Festival Service next Friday 4 October at 2.00pm to which Green Haworth families and St. Clement’s parishioners are very welcome. During the service, each of the classes will deliver a brief performance linked to their Harvest learning.

Historically, we have delivered food parcels to local elderly or unwell residents. However, in the current social climate, any food donations will be gifted to Accrington Christians Together food bank.

The Accrington Christians Together Food bank is still open at St. James' Church every Wednesday at 1:30pm: The Accrington Christians Together Food bank is doing vital work in our town when people are struggling to buy food at a really difficult time. We would really appreciate it if you are able to financially support this work. You can donate via the website.Top of Form

Bottom of Form

If you have physical food donations, you can drop off food donations at Cuppa Cabana on St James Street, Accrington. https://www.erneststreetbaptist.org.uk/foodbank

We can support our local community by bringing Harvest Food Parcels to school; we will accept any packaged, tinned or boxed goods but please check the use by date! Please bring goods any time from Monday 30 September to Friday 4 October.

Dear Lord

For the promise of harvest contained within a seed, we thank you.
For the oak tree within an acorn, we thank you
The bread within a grain, we thank you
The apple within a pip, we thank you
The mystery of nature, gift wrapped for us to sow, we thank you.                                                          

  Amen

Blackburn Diocese Harvest appeal 2024 This year the appeal is supporting the work a women’s literacy programme in the Multan region of Pakistan.  You can view Harvest appeal information here: https://www.blackburn.anglican.org/harvest-appeal-2024

Blackburn Diocese Harvest Appeal for 2024

Harvesting a Love of Learning

In July, we were privileged to have a visit from Bishop Leo Rodrick, the Bishop of Multan in central Pakistan.  During his time in the diocese, he was able to meet members of the Vision and Strategy team and join in with the joyous year 6 leavers’ service at the Cathedral.

As a diocese, we are strengthening our links with Christians around the world.  This year, we are encouraging our parishes and schools to learn about the lives of Christians in Pakistan.

The diocese of Multan is made up of 75 parishes with 52 priests and a number of church primary schools.  Most of the population live in villages.  The climate is warm and dusty.  Islam is the predominant religion (98.99%) with Christians making up 0.86%.  Christians are free to worship and Bishop Leo reports that churches are growing.  He asks us to pray for the security of Christians.

One of the priorities of the Multan diocese is to improve the low levels of literacy that exist especially for women and children.  The Harvest Appeal, this year, will go towards a women’s literacy programme.  

The importance of lent and why we need it

Written by the Bishop of Blackburn, Philip North

When I moved into my new house, I decided to make a new start. I promised I would get some proper exercise every single day. That lasted about a week. I promised I would keep my study tidy and not allow piles of books to gather in every available space. That lasted two weeks. I promised I would avoid unnecessary chocolate eating. That lasted about twenty-five seconds!

Maybe you are the same. Maybe you have promised to stay up to date with homework, or brush your teeth twice a day, or keep your bedroom clean. But as time goes on, all those promises get forgotten. No matter how hard we try to do our best, bad habits always seem to creep in.

Sadly it can be the same with the Christian life. Those who are Christians know how they want to live. They want to make time every day for prayer. They want to go to Church every Sunday. They want to put their faith into practice through their honesty and courage in standing up for right. They want to share their faith in Jesus Christ with others. But guess what? Bad habits and complacency slip in and before long, friendship with Jesus can feel cold and distant.

That’s why we need Lent.

In the Prophet Joel, God says ‘Return to me with all your heart.’ God knows us better than we know ourselves. God knows that, even though Christians try so hard to be faithful, sin and laziness can get in the way. So Lent, the forty days that lead up to Easter, is the time to return to Him. It is a precious and beautiful season when Christians can mend their relationship with Jesus and start all over again on the Christian journey.

Over the forty days of Lent, many Christians will make a rule so that they can focus their lives back on Jesus Christ. That will include extra time for prayer. It may include living more simply by fasting or giving something up. It may include being more generous with time or money. It may include making space to read about the Christian faith or study the Scriptures. It will certainly include calling to mind sin and asking God for forgiveness.

And all of this is done with joy. Because it is a beautiful thing to return to the Lord and discover anew the amazing depths of his love for us. So why not set a rule for Lent for yourself?

A great new resource is an app produced by the Diocese of Blackburn called Fruitful. You can download it very easily for free and it is packed full of resources and ideas for Lent.

Return to the Lord this Lent. Then at Easter you can experience with ever greater joy the good news that he has set us free to be in his presence for ever.

Please find below a statement from The Bishop of Blackburn, Rt Rev. Philip North in response to the news regarding the health of His Majesty the King.

STATEMENT FROM THE BISHOP OF BLACKBURN, RT REV. PHILIP NORTH

"Many across Lancashire and the whole country will have been shocked to hear the news about the health His Majesty the King this evening.

"Since King Charles III succeeded Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to the throne less than two years ago the affection and love in which he is held by the nation has been evident for all to see and has only grown further.

"On behalf of the entire Church of England in Lancashire - our many parishes and schools - I send my prayers and very best wishes to the King at this difficult time.

"We give thanks that the discovery of the cancer, during recent medical treatment, has allowed swift intervention by doctors.

"And, as The King now embarks on his course of treatment, we also pray for the whole Royal Family and particularly Her Majesty Queen Camilla.

"May they find comfort and healing in Jesus and may His Majesty swiftly return to the life of service at which he so excels."

Please join us as we pray for the King and his family.

A Prayer for Ukraine

God of peace and justice,
we pray for the people of Ukraine today.
We pray for peace and the laying down of weapons.
We pray for all those who fear for tomorrow,
that your Spirit of comfort would draw near to them.
We pray for those with power over war or peace,
for wisdom, discernment and compassion to guide their decisions.
Above all, we pray for all your precious children, at risk and in fear,
that you would hold and protect them.
We pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
Amen

At times like this we wonder just exactly what we can do that can make a difference and of course the answer to that question is to pray. As people who believe in an almighty, loving God who can do the impossible, we can pray with confidence that we will be heard.  

On the Christian Aid and Tearfund web sites there are also ways in which we can give practical help.

‘Please pray for peace for Ukraine’: the Church of England congregation which meets in Kyiv | The Church of England

A Prayer for Ukraine | The Archbishop of York

Praying for the Peace of the World | The Church of England

Ukraine crisis: How Psalm 31 is bringing comfort - News - Bible Society

Ukraine Crisis Appeal - Christian Aid

Ukraine Crisis - Tearfund

Daily Worship - COVID-19

Although we are unable to meet together as a whole school, we are still holding daily collective worship in each class. This term we are focusing on ‘The Words of Jesus’. As part of a structured recovery curriculum, we have created a less formal experience that provide pupils with

• an opportunity to talk about their experiences, positive and negative, during lockdown.
• space to express the emotions and feelings they have encountered during lockdown and on their return to school.
• time to reflect and ask questions about the events of 2020.

All of which will be underpinned by Biblical teaching and Christian values.  Pupils of different faith backgrounds are encouraged to make their own connections as appropriate and share them with their peers.

Charity 2020-2021

 In Autumn 2, we supported the BBC Children in Need appeal. Children in all classes enjoyed fun activities and raised an outstanding £140.20!

We also continued our support for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal. Poppy’s and other accessories were sold in each bubble raising a collective total of £131.00!

Harvest Charity

At this time of year, we traditionally invite our Green Haworth families to join us for our Harvest Service. Sadly, this is another event we will miss out on. However, we would still like to support our local community by bringing Harvest Food Parcels to school; we will accept any packaged, tinned or boxed goods but please check the use by date! To encourage donations, next Wednesday 21 October (the last day of half-term) will be a full non-uniform day.

Please bring goods any time until Wednesday next week. I will deliver the food parcels, following a quarantined period, during half-term.

The Accrington Christians Together Foodbank is still open. They are keen to be able to help families who are struggling to feed children at home or have recently found themselves out of work or furloughed.

“Last year we (Accrington Christians Together Foodbank) were very grateful to receive a huge amount of harvest gifts from many of the local schools which made a big difference to the food bank.  We would be thrilled if you would consider donating your Harvest gifts to us again this year. Every month we give food to between 50 and 60 families and as you can imagine it is a challenge to maintain the food supply.”                        Alison Gabriel, A.C.T. co-ordinator

If you know someone who is need of support, they are operating with a delivery service and food parcels can be booked by ringing The Food Bank on 0751024359.

Bishop of Blackburn's Harvest Appeal

The challenges, sadness's and consequences of the Pandemic have been very dark for some, but there have also been glimmers of light and hope for the future.

In recent months there has been a sabbath rest for the natural world, less pollution, more bird-song, more attention to the garden and the allotment, new exploration of the countryside. A fresh opportunity to engage with the beauty and wonder of the world that God has made.

We’ve also been reminded of the importance of the retail food chain, an extraordinary supply that kept stacking the shelves of our shops, but only because of the dedication of lots of workers behind the scenes here and around the world. Recognition and appreciation of the work others do has increased and that must be a good thing.

One way we can help one another to do that is to respond to this year’s Bishop’s Harvest Appeal. As with previous years, we are supporting two agencies, which are both seeking to bring relief to those most affected by the Covid 19 crisis, Friends of the Holy Land and TEAR Fund. However, there are two changes this year. Instead of dividing the receipts equally between both agencies, we are inviting givers to state their preference for one or the other or both. Secondly, for the first time this year, giving can be done online.

I know that for many personal finances are really stretched. The same is true for many parishes as they seek to fund the costs of ministry and mission around the diocese. In October I am calling for two weeks of prayer, followed by two weeks of appeal for parishes to receive what they need to maintain their work at current levels. It was a challenge before the pandemic. It is now more serious.

But as Christians we look to others before ourselves and a generous response to the Harvest Appeal this year will demonstrate that. It will also prepare the way for the appeal for parish funds.

Let’s respond as a Christian community to the grace and generosity of God, by giving Him and the work of the Gospel access to the funds at our disposal, to further His mission here and around the world. I often quote those words of King David in the Old Testament, where he made a prophetic statement.

May our giving this Autumn express the compassion of Jesus for those most in need of support and help many to come to know and love Him for themselves, both here in this great diocese of Blackburn, but in other places around the world.

May God bless our giving and generosity.

Rt Rev Julian Henderson
Bishop of Blackburn

If you would like to support the Bishop of Blackburn’s Harvest appeal, a message from Bishop Julian: https://www.blackburn.anglican.org/news/449/harvest-appeal-message-from-the-rt-rev-j

I have worked at Green Haworth for over nine years. On countless occasions, I have been astounded by the charitable nature, kindness and unselfishness of our Green Haworth families. I’d like to share this prayer, which I think encapsulates the generosity of spirit amongst you all:

Lord

We are not people of fear

We are people of courage

We are not people who protect our own safety

We are people who protect our neighbours’ safety

We are not people of greed

We are people of generosity

We are your people God

Giving and loving

Wherever we are

Whatever it costs

For as long as it takes

Wherever you call us

Amen