What Spirituality means at White Waltham C of E Academy

Spiritual Development for some is about the development of a relationship with God, while for others it is about the development of the human spirit, and for others, a continual quest after truth.  It is vital for spiritual development that children and adults alike are allowed space to develop their own faith, beliefs and values.

Roots and Fruits

'A tree is known by its fruit'

Matthew 12.33

We use Roots and Fruits as the main focus for our collective worship.

Roots and Fruits provides creative collective worship for primary schools based on Christian values themes over a period of two years. Rooted in Bible teaching, twelve Christian values represent the fruit that grows as the teaching is lived out in everyday life.

The value for Autumn Term 1 is Generosity and for Autumn Term 2 is Compassion.

A prayer of welcome

We light three candles in the name of: 

God the Father whose promises are true, 

God the Son who trusted his Father’s promises and 

God the Holy Spirit who gives us faith to trust God today. 

Working Together Prayer 

Generous God 

Make our hearts like yours, 

always ready to give. 

Help us to see opportunities to give our time, 

so we can achieve amazing things together. 

Amen.

Acrostic Poem 

Generosity is… 

Encouraging the best in each other 

Never selfish 

Enjoying helping others 

Raising support for a good cause 

Offering what we can 

Sharing our time and talents 

Inviting someone to join in 

Taking care of God’s creation for future generations 

You first, me last. 

Welcome Words 

This day may our lives reflect: 

the compassion of God the Father, 

the humility of God the Son, and 

the gentleness of God the Holy Spirit. 

Acrostic Poem 

Compassion is… 

Costly caring 

Offering help 

Making a difference 

Putting others first 

Always listening 

Sensitive to suffering 

Service in action 

Interested in others 

Offering care and concern 

Noticing a need. 

School Prayer

Dear Lord,

We look for your guidance and you show us the way

We learn to show kindness and cherish the day

Through your service we love the world that you hold

And you give us the tools to be great and be bold

We encourage one another and build each other up

In the name of Jesus and in the love of God

Amen

Space Makers

Space Makers is a resource for schools and churches from the Diocese of Oxford. Accessible to pupils of all faiths and worldviews, five contemplative practices help schools to embrace some of the ancient wisdom of the Christian tradition and, in doing so, assist children to navigate the world around them. Climate anxiety and the vast increase in screen time and exposure to social media seem to be causes of deteriorating mental health in young people.

The ancient contemplative traditions of Christianity, like its secular cousin ‘mindfulness’, have a lot to offer at this time. Space Makers brings five contemplative practices into the life of our schools.

St Mary's Church - White Waltham