Are you looking for exciting, new ideas for collective worship? Do you want to make your collective worship inspiring and thought provoking? Do you want to move beyond simply complying with legal requirements?

Be Bold! is packed full of ideas, inspiration, visual resources and training materials to help you plan and lead an interesting and varied primary school worship programme. It contains a wealth of practical suggestions for schools wishing to reflect the richness of the Christian tradition in collective worship.

The book is separated into chapter themes encouraging you, for example,  to ‘be bold’, ‘be creative’, ‘be humorous’, ‘be thoughtful’ or ‘be Anglican’ in collective worship.  Each chapter follows a clear structure giving you:

Background information – offering an exploration of the theme with background information, facts and explanations.

Ways of using the theme – giving practical suggestions and a springboard for ideas to develop the theme.

Three ready-to-use acts of worship – outlining objectives, giving suggestions for preparation, ideas for props, readings, music and prayers as well as full advice, step-by-step stages and ways of getting pupils involved. Each act of worship has a photocopiable OHT and can be used for a range of occasions throughout the school and church year.

Something to think about – suggesting a framework for staff meetings or INSET days on collective worship including questions and discussion starters, ways to develop a shared understanding of collective worship and the practicalities of implementing a collective worship programme.

Extensive photocopiable illustrations and Christian symbols suitable for use during collective worship or for staff training.

Be Bold! will help you  feel confident in offering collective worship that has its roots in the Christian tradition. The material will enable pupils to reflect creatively on the worship themes and make meaningful connections within their own lives and the life of the wider community.

Read a sample chapter from Be Bold

'Collective worship is an important opportunity to help children develop their powers of reflection and spiritual awareness. Be Bold! is an excellent new resource, bringing together a flexible and attractive variety of materials to help make collective worship an enjoyable, uplifting experience. Its high quality reflects many years of tried and tested experience, and it will be an invaluable aid, especially to those working in Church Schools.'
Kenneth Stephens, Bishop of Portsmouth.

‘This book should be in the library of everyone who plans primary school worship. It is a bold publication that encourages us to be imaginative and creative as we seek to make Christian worship a positive experience for children . . .The authors have produced a resource which inspires a resounding WOW – Worship Of Worth.’
Neville Norcross, Headteacher, Trinity and St Michael’s Primary School and Section 23 Inspector

‘So much more than just a book of assembly themes! This book may well become one of those well-used and dog-eared volumes that is always in use in schools.’
Rosemary Privett, Headteacher, Napton St Lawrence Primary School and Section 23 Inspector

About the authors

Paulette Bissell has been a primary and secondary school teacher and is now Schools Religious Education Advisor for the Diocese of Lincoln, as well as being involved in a number of working groups supporting religious and spiritual development in schools.

Lisa Fenton was a primary school teacher and is now Senior Advisor to Schools for Religious Education and Collective Worship for the Diocese of Blackburn. She also lectures and writes on religious education issues.
 
Lizzie McWhirter has wide experience as a primary school teacher and lecturer. She is now an advisor and inspector of Church schools for the Diocese of Coventry. She has also written numerous resources for school worship, religious education and spiritual development.

Alison Seaman was previously head of the National Society’s Religious Education Centre. She is the author of a range of books and support materials on religious education and spiritual development for pupils and teachers, including the Encounter Christianity series (also from Church House Publishing). She is now an education consultant.

A review of Be Bold is available on the Association of Christian Teachers website.