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Many schools follow a programme of key values throughout the school year. These values can be an important framework for helping to define and validate the work of the school 'beyond the curriculum'. Each value can be used as the theme for collective worship, the focus for classroom reflection and the subject matter for main hall or quiet corner displays.
The Bible has so much to offer in this area of positive personal, relational and community values, and its timeless wisdom can help all schools pass on to the next generation the qualities of life that are most valuable and which, as Christians, we believe are not only God-given but also can be God-energised in our lives.
What follows is a series of ideas linked to the value of 'Reliability'.
It includes: key themes to explore, a key Bible verse to use, key concepts to unpack, ideas for displays and reflective corners, as well as Bible story links with further connections to material on the Barnabas websites.
1. Key themes to
explore
What sort of person am I going to become? Trustworthy, honest, reliable, loyal, consistent?
What sort things do I say? Sincere words, trustworthy promises, helpful comments?
What sort of friendship do I offer? A firm shoulder to lean on, an opinion others can trust, a safe pair of hands for those who give me responsibility, someone who doesn't give up quickly?
What sort of help will I offer? Time, lasting help, hard work, steadfast, faithful?
2. Key Bible verses
James 5:12:
'Let your "yes" mean yes, and your "no" mean no' (my paraphrase).
See Hebrews 13:5 and 8: 'The Lord has promised he will not leave us or deserts us... Jesus Christ never changes! He is the same yesterday, today and forever' (CEV).
Reliability as part of God's character is described as faithfulness and steadfastness - see Psalm 103:8: 'The Lord is a merciful! He is kind and patient and his love never fails.'
See Psalm 136 with the following phrase coming 26 times: 'God's love never fails'.
See 1 Corinthians 13, where love is described in various ways, for example, verses 7-8: 'Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful and trusting. Love never fails!'
3. Key concepts to
unpack
Being reliable means being someone to whom others can turn, knowing that that person will not let them down, for example:
To be reliable is a key value in teamwork. Reliability enables a team to function well. Each person in a team relies on the other.
To become a reliable person leads to good relationships between people, and this helps things to work smoothly for the good of all.
Children are introduced to the idea of reliability:
Christians say that having faith is believing that God is reliable and that God keeps his word.
4. Ideas for display
or a reflective corner
Use pictures of ropes secured by strong knots (or use real ropes and different types of knots. You could demonstrate how to tie these in an assembly). Use appointment cards, use any picture of an advert that includes the word 'reliable' in it, a picture of a reliable watch, a strong rock, some sort of guarantee card, acrobats balancing on each other (i.e. relying on each other).
You could also use pictures of a trust game between children, where all are holding hands in a circle and then leaning outwards, trusting each other for support, so that they will to fall over, or a class in a circle, each sitting on each other's laps. Could a class demonstrate either of these ideas?
Key questions to
include in the display:
Who do I rely on? Who relies on me? How reliable am I? Can I keep a secret? Can I keep a promise? Can I follow instructions? Can I be on time? Am I someone on whom others can lean for support?
A possible symbol for 'reliability' could be the trapeze artists' hand-hold, i. e. holding each other by the wrists. Will you hold on, even if the other person lets go? This is a good image of God's reliability for Christians - a firm hold that will never let go.
Have a Bible story open at Matthew 7:24-27, 'The house on the rock' story, which Jesus told to help his hearers understand that they could rely on God's words to be a firm foundation for their lives.
5. Bible story links
1. Abraham relies on God to lead him to a new land as he sets out into the unknown - see Genesis 12.
2. Moses discovers that he can rely only on Joshua and Caleb among the twelve spies he sends into the Promised Land - see Numbers 13 and 14:1-10.
3. David knows that he can rely on God in the face of a huge enemy but he cannot rely on the outsize armour of Saul and the weapons he was offered - see 1 Samuel 17 (the David and Goliath story).
4. The paralysed man depended on four friends to bring him to Jesus through the roof - see Mark 2:1-12.
5. Paul mentions friends at the end of some of his letters. They had been reliable supporters, witnesses and travelling companions - see Romans 16: 3-16 and Colossians 4:10-17. What would you say about your friends in a similar way? How do they show you that they are reliable?
6. Ideas for
Collective Worship and the classroom
Abraham's story - classroom session
Possible classroom ideas for the story of the paralysed man let down through the roof
