Worship
At Medlar with Wesham Church of England School we join in collective worship every day to explore our Gospel Values and how we can live them out in our daily lives.
Our collective worship is an expression of our school Christian vision of offering a community, with a sense of belonging where everyone is known and loved by God; it is inclusive, invitational and inspiring. It is a time for worship, celebration, prayer, stillness and reflection. It is an opportunity, without compulsion for all pupils and adults to grow spiritually, rejoicing in what makes each one of us and our school special. It is a time for contemplation and for seeking to understand our roles and responsibilities in the school community, it is a time for praising God, for asking for his help and inviting Him to be active in the life of our school.
Worship is both planned and spontaneous. There is dedicated time for daily worship both as a whole school in our hall or in our church, in our year groups teams and classes.
All members of our school community, children and adults, are invited to worship collectively and have the freedom to be present with integrity regardless of their own faith and belief.
We have a variety of Christian worship including music, silence, story and time for prayer and reflection and this enables all children and adults to be actively engaged in worship. A set element to our worship incudes a time of welcome, learning, reflecting and responding.
Themes for collective worship reflect the church calendar as well as global and local events. We teach children the meaning and biblical context of key Christian festivals and reflect on the impact these festivals have on Christians. Through these elements and traditions, we aim to fulfil our vision of providing the whole school community with sense of belonging and the space to develop spiritually.
Prayer is a natural and valued part of the culture of the school, it is not compulsory or forced. All those who wish to do so, have regular opportunities to pray and reflect. Pupils make use of their own prayer and reflection through the school prayer and reflection areas in classrooms. Children’s and adult’s prayers contribute to whole school, phase and class collective worship.
Because of the carefully chosen themes for collective worship, where the teachings of Jesus and other biblical teachings are central, the community appreciates the relevance of faith in today’s world and are inspired into action. Children and adults understand the key messages developed during collective worship and are able to reflect on how these teachings apply to their own lives, behaviour, values and attitudes.
Our vision is that all members of our community both the school and church grow with God together. Christ Church and foundation governors work closely with the headteacher, in serving and supporting the local community. The importance of building quality relationships within our community is an essential aspect of our Christian vision and values.