KS1 - Reception

Key Stage 1 Reception

A Fertile Heart Receiving & Giving Creative Love

Love is creative.

To have a fertile heart is to love, grow and make a positive difference.

A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love Panda Press Publishing would like to thank the following contributors to A Fertile Heart: Kathryn Lycett, John Cook, Mary Dickenson, Maryanne Dowle, Bernadette Eakin, Christopher Hancox, Louise Kirk, Gavin McAleer and Rebecca Surman Thanks also to Dr Charlie O’Donnell, Joe Smiles, Michael H. Barton, Mary Flynn, Rev Dr Stephen Morgan and Fr Wayne Coughlin for their kind support.

ISBN: 978-0-9930555-7-7 A Fertile Heart KS1 - Reception Scripture quotations taken from various authorised translations.

Every effort has been made to locate copyright holders and to obtain permission to reproduce sources.

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Design © 2021 Panda Press Publishing Limited Illustrations and Images: Shutterstock All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Publisher who can be contacted at hello@fertileheart.org.uk British Library Catalogue Publication Data.

A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library.

Printed and bound in the UK and published under licence by Panda Press Publishing Ltd, 1 Newcastle Street, Stone, Staffordshire, ST15 8JU Company Number 11786188 Printed, bound and distributed in Australia by Createl Publishing, 98 Logistics Street, Keilor Park, Victoria 3042, t: 03 9336 0800, f: 03 9336 0900, www.createl.com.au Keep in touch Facebook @afertileheart Linkedin.com/company/a-fertile-heart Twitter @afertileheart visit A Fertile Heart at www.fertileheart.org.uk Version 7, September 2021

Imprimatur:

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Nihil Obstat for KS2, 3 & 4: Reverend Jonathan Veasey.

Bernard Longley, Archbishop of Birmingham, 30th November 2020.

A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love

04/07/2018

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Coat_of_arms_of_George_Stack.svg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Coat_of_arms_of_George_Stack.svg

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Foreword His Grace George Stack, Archbishop of Cardiff Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel “The Glory of God is humanity fully alive”. Thus wrote St. Irenaeus in the 3rd century. His words remain true to this day. They mean that God is the creator of the gift of life. In that gift, each human person receives a share in His own creative love. His revelation in life and love, as well as through creation, is pure gift. This is the ‘grace’ of which we speak, in order that “we may have life and have it to the full” (Gospel of St. John 10:10).

This truth lies at the heart of the Gospel. It is what it means to be truly human. The gift of life is bestowed

by God in order that we may flourish and thrive. We do this in the first place simply by living with gratitude.

We do it by responding to His love in a life of joyful communion with Him. We express it by actively engaging in the good of others so that mutual ‘flourishing’ may take place. The more we give, the more we receive.

The ‘Gospel of Life’ outlined above is, indeed, ‘Good News’. It is revealed in every aspect of human nature and creation itself. This is the life-giving teaching we seek to hand on to our children who are “the messages we send to tomorrow”. The Rite of Baptism reminds us that parents are the first and best teachers of their children. The Catholic school exists primarily to educate children to receive and respond to God’s love for each one of them and for all. Our schools are designed to help parents fulfil their God given task of caring for their children in the school of love. The Catholic school is not just a place for professional education – existing for improvement in learning - important though that is. It is a place of formation, a place in which ‘lessons for life’ are imparted, received and shared. The whole school community teaches and learns these lessons in a truly Catholic environment.

Human relationships are obviously at the heart of life and flourishing. We are made to relate to each other, body, mind and spirit. The physical, emotional and spiritual reality of our being are part and parcel of the ‘holy trinity’ of each one of us. Thus affective sexuality education is a crucial part of human formation.

A Fertile Heart is the culmination of several years work of dedicated individuals [teachers, theologians, education advisers and parents] from within the dioceses of Birmingham, Cardiff, Clifton, Arundel and Brighton and Shrewsbury. They have worked tirelessly to create a resource which puts the human person and the flourishing of our pupils at the heart of the Catholic school. It is offered as an important aid to pupils, parents, teachers, governors and clergy to remind us all that “We are God’s work of art, created in Christ Jesus to live the good life as from the beginning God had meant us to live it” (Ephesians 2:10).

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Contents: Reception Reception, Y1 & 2 all have six modules comprising of three lessons. Each module focuses on a Bible story, and also uses a contemporary children’s story to help with learning - aided by songs and various activities.

The first lesson in each module focuses on learning the relevant Bible story, and the other two lessons draw out what we can learn from it about who I am, and about relationships.

1 & 2) Genesis 1 and 2 - the stories of creation: These provide us with a whole wealth of truth in understanding who we are, and our relationship with God, each other and the world. They teach the children that we are made by God, out of love and for a purpose; that all creation is good and that we make it very good; that we are uniquely made in the image of God, as man and woman in close relationship; that we are stewards of creation and that we all belong to the human family; that relationship and friendship are important to us; that God wants us to be happy, thankful and kind. All this helps each child to appreciate ‘the wonder of my being’ (Psalm 139), and the importance of belonging and being thankful for all our blessings. These lead us to be kind to each other.

The lessons in these stories last us a lifetime, and are an excellent way to introduce these important themes to our children.

3) The Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31-32): This simple parable helps the children understand that they are growing - and that growing makes us happy. We are all like tiny seeds that are called to grow into something beautiful. The Bible often uses plants and trees in helping us understand ourselves and our growth - and this will be a regular theme up to Year 3, so much so that we encourage the children to plant some seeds, nurture them and watch them grow. This will teach them that, as they are helped to grow, so they should help creation and each other grow. When we help each other grow in love we are living as God’s family, as his loving gardeners, as the kingdom of heaven.

4) Jesus speaks of the birds and the lilies (Matthew 6:25-34): Jesus teaches us to not be afraid, but to trust in God. He looks after the lilies and the birds, and each of us is much more important than them. This personal love of God for each of us help us admit our worries, and be reassured in love. Part of his love for us is that he gives us the very gifts we need to grow into the persons we were created to be. So, we do not need to compare ourselves to others. I am unique and my gifts are unique - and suit perfectly who I am: and it is the same for you.

5) The feeding of the 5,000 (Matthew 14:13-21): In this module the children will hear how Jesus miraculously fed five thousand people. In the last module, they learnt how we can trust God with our lives; in this story they learn how we can trust him each today - he will give us ‘our daily bread’. We should always be thankful for this and ask him to bless our food. All this leads us to think about eating sensibly so we can grow big and strong and healthy. We will then look at how God also feeds us with truth and love, so that our minds and hearts can grow big and strong and healthy too. Other people help us in all these - and we can help ourselves too.

6) Noah’s Ark (Genesis 6-9): In this module the children are taught about God saving us and that our good and bad choices have consequences. This includes the truth that our good choices make God, others and ourselves happier, and our bad choices make everyone sadder. Everyone else was behaving badly, but Noah was a good man: he listened to God, he cared for people and for creation. He and his family became a new start for the world.

The olive branch, the dove and the rainbow are all signs that God wants us to be happy and live in peace - and if we live like Noah and his family, we can - and we help others to do the same. Noah is a reflection of Jesus, but what Noah does for his family, Jesus does for the whole world. The waters of the flood reflect the waters of Baptism which don’t destroy people, but destroy evil. This leads us to a simple exploration of Baptism, life, happiness and peace as God’s family.

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Modern Texts Julia Donaldson - Monkey Puzzle Publisher - Macmillan Publishers ISBN 13 - 9781509812493 Sally Lloyd-Jones - Just Because You’re Mine Publisher- Harper Collins ISBN 13 - 9780062014764 Eric Carle - The Tiny Seed Publisher - Little Simon ISBN 13 - 9781416979173 Sally Lloyd - Jones Baby Wren and the Great Gift Publisher - Zonderkidz ISBN 13 - 9780310733898 Eric Carle - The Very Hungry Caterpillar Publisher - Hamish Hamilton ISBN 13 - 9780140569322

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A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love

Introduction Welcome! It’s such a privilege to help a young child grow in understanding anything; doubly so when it means them understanding themselves. We are all created in love, to live and grow - but maybe that’s particularly obvious though the wonder of a child’s eyes.

Content In Reception, we focused on being loved, happy, beautiful children of God - whom God calls to grow in body, mind and heart, and invites us to cooperate in this. Year 1 is structured by the Hail Mary separated into three parts: helping us to receive God’s love so that we can love ourselves, each other and the whole human family, respectively.

Through the Annunciation, backed up by the parable of the Good Shepherd, we deepen the children’s understanding of God’s personal love for them, encouraging them both to see their gifts as an expression of that love, and to give God thanks by courageously using them to help others. All this helps them understand that everyone is special - we are all important because we are all loved, all belong and all have something to offer.

The Visitation, supported by the story of Zacchaeus, helps the children see that being loved by God helps us love ourselves, and both of these help us love each other, with God’s love. We think through the many people who help them grow, and the small ways they can help others.

The parable of the Forgiving Father/Prodigal Son helps the children see the whole of humanity as God’s forgiven family, encouraging them to love everyone as brothers and sisters in Jesus. Finally, the Last Supper helps the children understand that they are on a journey from now to heaven - a journey we are all on together. This sensitively brings up the subject of dying in the context of meeting Jesus face to face, and how all this is connected with the Mass and loving service. It also opens up some very simple lessons on safeguarding. Lessons 1f1 and 1f2 are the deepest lessons of the year.

The great strength of all this is that it communicates - in a joyful, life-giving way - the truth behind healthy living and good relationships and firmly links it all to our faith, so that the children don’t only learn the externals of good practice, but gradually understand and own the reasons behind it.

Structure and Methodology The general structure of the year is 6 modules - perhaps one every half term - each with three lessons. Each module focuses on a Bible story, with a modern story to help us understand its truth. Please, as a school, buy these contemporary books - the course is impoverished without them, and the authors etc. have a right to just remuneration. Each lesson has an Introduction, a Respond and Teach element - as reflective Circle Time, example activities and a mission. There is a lot of music used - normally two songs per lesson, sometimes repeated - that helps immerse the children in the beauty and joy of the message. All lessons can easily be delivered in smaller chunks to suit your class and timetable.

After a lot of reflection and discussion, we decided to write down nearly every word of the lessons. There are several reasons for this: to save you the spade work; because we found it easier to write down a set of questions and answers than try and explain in abstract what they are trying to achieve; and because doing it this way really allows the important strands of A Fertile Heart to be gradually built up. We hope the fuller text gives you confidence in the lessons, and allows you to focus on what you do best - teach the children! Included in this, we haven’t added so many ‘mindmap’ and ‘discuss’ pointers as in Reception modules, due to space - trusting that you know the best way to make the lessons dynamic and interactive. We are firm believers that you are the best resource you have in the classroom and we want our course and colourful powerpoints to help you as much as possible.

Truth and Love We are in a culture where many of our children do not experience the traditional family structure. This is important to acknowledge, while still presenting Jesus’ vision of what family is called to be. As well as this, many of our children sadly carry wounds that need great sensitivity. We have tried to allow these truths to shape how we communicate Christ’s life-giving message of love, without it preventing us talking of God as Father, family life, forgiveness, trust, etc. - in a spirit of equality, tolerance, compassion and dignity. We can only help you in this with our words and prayers; you are the one who will best know how to deal with anything that arises. Sensitive issues need to be dealt with sensitively, not ignored.

The RHE themes at the start of each module relate to England and Wales CES’s given themes, based on Department for Education guidance and agreed with them.

A Fertile Heart is so called, because we all long to be fertile in the deepest sense - to grow, to help others grow, to make a difference: and ultimately it is love that achieves this. So we invite you to add your fertile heart to ours, and to Jesus’ and Mary’s - so that we can all help our children’s fertile hearts grow too.

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God helps me to grow Lesson Objectives Lesson 1: To understand the parable of the Mustard Seed.

Lesson 2: To understand that we grow in our bodies and in love.

Lesson 3: To understand that God helps us to grow and change.

Teacher Notes In this module the children learn that they are like tiny seeds that God creates out of his love, and helps to grow. This helps us to be at peace about who we are, how we grow, and any differences we have, because we know God is guiding our growth.

Once more, we see a similarity between us and the rest of creation, but we also see a difference: we don’t just grow in our bodies, we grow in love, too. This is what the kingdom of heaven is about - helping each other grow in love. From this the children will understand that all people and all living things should be loved and cared for, right from the very beginning, just like the tiny seed. Then we will be living as God’s family, as his loving gardeners, as the kingdom of heaven.

RHE themes Theme 1: Created and Loved by God 1.1.1.3, 1.1.2.3, 1.1.3.1, 1.1.3.2, 1.1.3.6, 1.1.4.5 Theme 2: Created to love others 1.2.1.1, 1.2.1.2, 1.2.1.3, 1.2.1.4, 1.2.1.6, 1.2.2.1, 1.2.2.2, 1.2.2.5, 1.2.3.1 1.2.3.2 Theme 3: Created to live in community 1.3.1.1, 1.3.1.2, 1.3.3.2, 1.3.3.3

Bible Text Matthew 13:31-32 – The Parable of the Mustard Seed The children will hear Jesus’ Parable of the Mustard Seed. They will discover the beauty of their lives from the very moment that God created them. They will learn what it means to grow and change as children of God, and that they each belong to God’s family.

Modern Text Eric Carle - The Tiny Seed Follow the journey of the tiny seed as it makes its way in the world. Where did it come from? How does it grow? Where will it end up? We are just like the tiny seed, created out of the Father’s love for us, and made for a very special purpose.

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Rc1 To understand the Parable of the Mustard Seed

The activity is within the Respond & Teach section, and would probably work better Lesson in the hall. Objectives Introduction Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifKH0-y7O_I The Parable of the Mustard Seed (1:11).

This is a very simple, short parable. It introduces ‘kingdom of heaven’ which we will explore, but obviously, firstly we focus on thinking through how a mustard seed grows.

“Remember that nothing is small in the eyes of God. Do all that you do with love.”

St Thérèse of Lisieux.

Read Mt. 13:31-32. If you have got a seed - even better a mustard seed - to show the children, it would be good.

Discuss the story to draw out the meaning and check the children’s understanding.

Use the following questions to guide the discussion: • How big is this seed/the seed in the story? Tiny.

• What happens to the tiny mustard seed over time? It grows really big.

• What/who helps the tiny mustard seed to grow? God helps it to grow by sending the sun and the rain.

• Why do you think the birds come to perch in the tree? It was a nice place to rest and shelter.

• What might happen if the seed or plant stops growing? It might die.

• Isn’t it amazing that something so small can turn into something so big and helpful?!

Yes! • Does it matter that the seed is so tiny at the beginning? No. Little things often grow into big things - it’s the growing that is important.

The parable of the mustard seed.

A tiny mustard seed.

Respond and teach Explain: Jesus used the story to help us understand how ‘the kingdom of heaven’ grows. The kingdom of heaven is all of us growing to be like Jesus so that we can, one day, all be happy forever in heaven.

But it starts with you and me growing - just like the mustard seed did - just like every living thing does! Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTQuEZNp5Ds Grow Little Seed, Grow! (3:26).

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A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love

A tiny baby.

Stretching and growing.

Activity (probably best in the hall): Obviously adapt as you see fit, but the central part of the activity is for the children to curl up into a ball, making themselves as tiny as possible - and then gradually for them to uncurl, stand up, and stretch out. We ask them to do this twice: firstly pretending to be a mustard seed growing into a tree, and then as themselves growing from being ‘a seed’ to a 4/5 year old, to an adult.

It might help to have one or two children demonstrate the uncurling first. The music is picked because it starts off slowly and gradually builds to a crescendo - try and get the children to coordinate with this! It might be fun to finish off the whole activity with the children pretending to be the ‘birds of the air’ flying around the hall, flapping their wings!

“Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”

Mt:13:31-32

Mission Thank God at the end of the day for something that made you happy.

Suggested music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKlX2NgM3Ro Morning from Peer Gynt by Grieg (stop it at 1:58).

Class discussion about how we reflect the mustard seed growing.

Explain: Earlier we answered questions about how a mustard seed grows. Let’s ask those same questions about ourselves: Ask: • How big were we as babies? Tiny.

• What happens to us over time? We all grow - into children, and then into grown-ups (that’s why we call them ‘grown - ups’ - because they have grown up, like the mustard plants!).

• What/who helps us to grow? God - and lots of people - by giving us all we need.

• How are we like the tree that helped the birds find rest and shelter? The more we grow, the more helpful we will be, too.

• Do we like growing? Yes, we feel happy when we can see we are growing - in lots of ways.

• What might happen if we stopped growing? We would become sad if we stopped growing at all. (But slowly growing is very different from not growing!)

• Isn’t it amazing that someone as small as a baby can turn into a big helpful grownup?! Yes! • Does it matter that we are so tiny in the beginning? No. Little things often grow into big things - it’s the growing that is important.

Teacher note: in the following lessons we will look a little at the different ways the children grow, and some more on how the kingdom of heaven grows.

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Rc2 To understand that we grow in our bodies and in love

The activity here - planting seeds - is again in the middle of the lesson.

Lesson Objectives Introduction

Recap on the last lesson - of how the mustard seed is the tiniest seed but grows into a big shrub, which is helpful to the birds.

Explain: we are now going to hear a similar story of a tiny seed.

Read the story of The Tiny Seed, by Eric Carle.

“He created everything so that it might continue to exist, and everything he created is wholesome and good.”

Wisdom 1:14

Discuss the story to draw out the meaning and check the children’s understanding.

Use the following questions to guide the discussion: • What makes the seed different to all of the other seeds in the story? It was the tiniest.

• Can you remember what happened to the bigger seeds? See below.

• Does it matter that one seed was tinier than the rest? No, they are all special.

Planting seeds.

Growing up!

Respond and teach Explain: One of the seeds is burned up by the hot sun; one stuck on an icy mountain; one drowns in the ocean; one gets dried up in the desert; one pecked up by a bird; one eaten up by a mouse. This tells us that seeds need to be protected, and helped, to grow. But rather than just hearing about that, why don’t we do it ourselves, and see?

Activity: Planting plant seeds. Maybe one table group at a time for the actual planting? Show the children a packet of seeds. Show them how tiny they are.

Have ‘pots’ of soil ready.

Explain: We are going to plant these seeds and take care of them. It will be very exciting to watch them grow, but we’ll have to be patient because it might take quite a long time!

Ask: what will we have to make sure the seeds get, for them to grow and be healthy?

Water and sunlight (They also needed good soil to grow in).

Explain: It is the same for us. The seed being planted is like us being born. But then we need help in growing and being healthy.

Ask: What do we need to help us grow and be healthy? We need food and water to help our bodies grow.

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A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love

Food and love.

“For if man exists it is because God has created him through love, and through love continues to hold him in existence.”

Catechism of the Catholic Church, 27.

Mission Caring for nature.

Care for all living things for God gave us the responsibility to do so.

Explain: we also need to look after parts of our bodies that grow differently: we need to have our hair cut, because it grows; we need to clean our teeth, so they stay healthy, we need to cut our nails because they grow too!

Explain: All living things are the same - in that they need care in helping them grow and be healthy. God cares for everything he has made, but remember, we are special to him, because we are made in the image of God. Watch and join in with ‘God made me’ (1:30), with which the children are now familiar.

Explain: so we are the same as plants and animals in our bodies growing. But we have something extra special. God wants us to grow ‘inside’ as well, in ways we can’t see - he wants us to grow in love, to grow to be as loving as Jesus! Then we can help others grow too!

Ask (These may need extra help): • How do we grow to be like Jesus? We grow in love.

• For our bodies to grow we need food and water: what do we need to help us grow in love? We need to know what is right, and we need help to do it! (we call these ‘truth’ and ‘love’).

• We also grow by practising! What can we do, to practise love, and grow? Be kind, be helpful, say sorry, forgive, be polite, etc.

Explain: The best bit is that, the more we learn to love, the more we grow and the more we help each other grow. This is what Jesus meant when he talked about the kingdom of God. (Note to teacher: which we will look at next lesson.)

Explain: So, all life grows, and gives life.

Love gives life. God is love - and his love gives life to everything. And so many people love us too, helping us grow in our bodies, and in love.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hohD7WSRxIs Grow | Mooseclumps (2:45).

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To understand that God helps us to grow

Introduction

Lesson Objectives Recap: it will be good, to start with, to recap a lot of the first two lessons.

Watch: The Parable of the Mustard Seed (1:11) from lesson 1.

Revisit lesson 1 activity (maybe in the hall again, or a more simple version in the classroom):

“Humanity still has the ability to work together in building our common home.”

Pope Francis, Laudato si’ n. 13.

Get the children to curl up into a ball, making themselves as tiny as possible - and then gradually uncurl, stand up, and stretch out - firstly pretending to be a mustard seed growing into a tree, and then as themselves growing from being ‘a seed’ to a 4/5 year old, to an adult.

Recap: Remember, we have learnt that all life grows, and gives life.

Love gives life. God is love - and his love gives life to everything. And so many people love us too, helping us grow in our bodies, and in love.

Watch: Grow | Mooseclumps (2:45) from lesson 2.

Respond and teach Circle Time: Create atmosphere by playing relaxing music, and make a prayer focus/ table using objects such as a globe. Welcome God into the space in which you sit.

(Take time to listen and respond after each question – model being calm.)

Jesus’ love makes me grow.

Ask: • Let’s remind ourselves: what do plants need to grow?

Sunlight and water (and good soil).

• Can the plants water themselves? No! • So who provides sunlight for the plants? God. • And who provides water for the plants?

God - through the rain - or us - through watering the soil.

• But who made us? God! So God provides the water - either from the clouds or through us.

When we help God, we are being gardeners, like Adam and Eve. God loves it when we help him in making things grow.

He likes working as a team with us.

Explain: Let’s think about us now.

Ask: • Can anyone remember the two ways that we grow? In our bodies and in love.

• What do we need, to grow in our bodies? Food and water, and lots of other things!

• Do we provide these for ourselves? No. Just like the plants we need help to grow.

• Who helps us with food and water? God, mum, dad, school cooks, farmers, delivery drivers, shop assistants, etc. - lots and lots of people!

All these people are like ‘God’s gardeners’ - helping you to grow.

• What do we need, to grow in love?

We need to know what is right, and we need help to do it.

• Who helps us to grow in love? God, mum, dad, family, teachers, priest, friends, etc. - lots of people.

All these people are like God’s gardeners - helping you grow in love.

• But you have to help in your growth. How can you help grow in your bodies?

Eat healthy food, drink water, not just fizzy pop, exercise, clean your teeth, go to bed when you should to rest, don’t watch too much TV, etc.

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A Fertile Heart | Receiving & Giving Creative Love

Being God’s loving gardeners together.

“Jesus said, “Unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven”.

Matthew 18:3

United to God and creation.

And you have to help in your growing in love. How can you help in this? Listening and learning how to love, trying your best, saying sorry, being thankful for all the help you get, not wanting your way.

Explain: So, God, others and you are a team in helping you to grow. And you are part of the team in helping everyone else to grow. Let’s all be God’s loving gardeners!

Going back to Jesus’ parable - or story - he told us the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed.

Ask: So, what is the kingdom of heaven? It’s when we all love like Jesus - together as one family with God as our Father.

Explain: So, when we are being God’s loving gardeners for each other and for creation, we are building up the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of the Lord.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q3E0OQUBCU Building Up The Kingdom Sing-Along (3:10 - though stop when you feel you need to!) This song is lively, and is immediately followed by quiet prayer. You might play some calming music after this video, to help the transition!

Helping each other grow.

Mission To be God’s loving gardeners - to each other and to creation - including the seeds we planted.

Activity: prayer. Make the Sign of the Cross.

Let’s be still, and thank God who lives in the hearts of us all.

Let’s quietly think of ways God helps us grow - and thank him. (Pause.)

Now, let’s quietly think of ways other people work with God to help us grow - and thank him for them. (Pause.)

Now, let’s think of ways we can be God’s loving gardeners to each other… and to creation - and ask him to help us be good gardeners.

Ask the children to repeat every line of the prayer: God our Father you have made us out of love and you help us to grow out of love.

Thank you for loving us thank you for making us grow and thank you for all the people who help us grow.

Please help us to join in our own growth and to help each other grow.

Through Jesus our Lord.

Amen.

Finish with the Sign of the Cross.

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A Fertile Heart Receiving & Giving Creative Love

Want to know more?

Give us a call, email us or complete the form on the website, see details below.

1 Newcastle Street, Stone, Staffordshire STl 5 8JU Phone: +44 (0) 1785 815110 Email: hello@fertileheart.org.uk Contact: www.fertileheart.org.uk/contact