Assemblies for KS3/4 / Spring Term Assembly Plans / Lent Assembly

Lent Assembly

The Lent assembly resource is a good way of informing students about the importance of Lent and its religious connotations and foundation. The assembly plan includes an assembly script for teachers and an accompanying PowerPoint presentation, which both can be altered to suit the teacher’s needs.

The assembly on Lent incorporates the theme of temptation, and relates to the students of the temptations of alcohol, smoking and drugs. This is the route that is taken to introduce Jesus and Christianity, and what temptations he faced during his life. The assembly script includes the story of Jesus’ 40 days and 40 nights, the fast that he imposed upon himself to prepare for his public life. The assembly notes, however, that he will have been physically weak and frail because of his extended period without food. It documents what kind of temptations that Jesus faced when the Devil appeared to him in the desert. Each of these temptations is explained in the PowerPoint presentation, with quotes from the Bible to complement the story.

Once the story is told, the Lent assembly goes on to discuss what this time in the calendar means to people today. The assembly highlights Shrove Tuesday as the last day before Lent starts, in which people use up their leftover ingredients, which formed ‘Pancake Day.’ The historical meaning of Shrove Tuesday is also conveyed to the students.

This assembly resource for Lent is a good way of getting the students to think of what they over indulge in, or what they take for granted. By encouraging them to give something up for Lent, it will make them see how lucky they are. The assembly also takes other religions into account, in terms of fasting and being grateful. It provides links to topics in the RE programme of study, and encourages students to be less selfish.