Prayer Service for the Beginning of Year  

Good afternoon & welcome.

We are all here today in the hall with new friends

and old friends

and our kind teachers

and helpers.

We know that Jesus is our friend too.

 

Now we will say the Sign of the Cross

in the three ways we know how

(1. In the name of the Father…

2. As Gaeilge…

and finally;

3. God came down from heaven to earth,

to remind us to love people on this side and this side

and not to forget ourselves. Amen)

 

Candle Prayer; ‘

Chase away the darkness.

Fill the world with light,

be a little candle flame and shine out bright’.

 

Why do we light a candle?

To remind us that God our Father in Heaven is always with us.

 

Song: This little light of mine

 

The best way we can make a

good beginning to this school year is

to let our little light shine.

 

How can we ‘let our light shine’?

Look for suggestions from students.

 
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Now it is time to say HELLO

to God our Father in Heaven.

Father in Heaven, you love me,

you  are with me night and day,

I want to love you always

in all I do and say.

I’ll try to please you Father,

please help me through the day,

Amen.

 

I’ll try to please you Father.

That is not easy.

But if we are truly sorry in our hearts,

then God our Father in Heaven will always forgive us.

Photo Credit: °Florian via Compfight

So let’s say SORRY to God

O my God I thank you for loving me.

I am sorry for all my sins,

for not loving others and not loving you.

Help me to live like Jesus and not sin again. Amen

 

Let’s sing a sorry song; Forgive and forget

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And now it is time to say

THANKS to God

 

God our Father I come to say,

thank you for your love today.

Thank you for my family

and all the friends you give to me.

Guard me in the dark of night

and in the morning, please send your light.

Amen

 

And now we’re going to sing

Thank you to God

If I were a butterfly

 

Yes today we are praying for the beginning of the school year.

For some children it has been the beginning of going to school.

There are some children who are new to the school … and some grown ups too.

 

As we begin today, let us make our beginning special

by going to the very beginning of the Bible,

where we read about the beginning of the world!

 

This story is adapted from a wonderful resource

‘Bible Stories to Draw and Tell by Julie A. Petras’

if you click on the book in this link you will see

the unique and clever way, this story is presented.

 

A long, long, long, long, long time ago

there was nothing

– nothing except GOD.

One day God said to Himself

I think I’ll create some things.

 

On the first day God said, ‘Let there be LIGHT’

and there was and God said it was good.

 

On the second day God said, ‘Let there be a SKY’

and there was and God said it was good

 

On the third day God said,

‘Let the LAND be here and let the SEA be there’

and God said it was g…..

Then God put PLANTS and TREES all over the land

and God said it was ……

 

On the fourth day God said,

‘Let there be lights in the sky’

and God created the SUN and the MOON

and God said it was …….

 

On the fifth day God said,

Let there be fish in the SEA

and BIRDS in the air’

and there were and God said ……..

 

On the sixth day God said

‘Let there be ANIMALS all over the land’

and there were and God said …

 

Then God said ‘I want to create some thing really special.

Something more like me’. So God created again.

 

What do you think God made?

(People)

And God said they were

‘Great!’

 

On the seventh day God took a rest.

 

Let’s sing out the Good News;

God made our beautiful world

& God is everywhere:

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If I go climbing x 3,

If I go climbing, God is there.

If I go climbing on the highest mountain,

God is there cos,

He is everywhere.

 

If I go rowing … on the widest river …

If I go swimming … to the bottom of the ocean …

If I go driving … far away …

If I go flying … on the biggest aeroplane …

If I go sleeping … on the darkest night …

 

Lord God,

Thank you for this new beginning.

Help us to make the best of it

so that we will do good growing and learning this year.

Photo Credit: Khalid Al-khater If you love someone, set them free. If they come back they’re yours” via Compfight

So we are going to sing our last song for today now;

We have heard the Good News.

That makes us happy, so we are going to sing;

I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.