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WHAT YOU WILL NEED
A prepared list of questions for the game, a video projector and the right cables., a computer or device to play a video and a sound system.
Address the students and greet them with a countdown from ten, encouraging them to join in with the count (you could project this onto the screen). When the count reaches zero, shout ‘Happy New Year’ and let off a party popper to illustrate welcoming in a new year. Explain that this scene is probably familiar to most of them, and they will have all heard or said the words ‘Happy New Year’ recently. Announce that for this assembly you will be looking at how to actually make the New Year a happy one!
Would you rather…?
Invite the students to play a quick game of ‘Would you rather…?’ where you ask a question with two possible answers to choose from. Examples could include:
• Would you rather eat a spider or a fly?
• Would you rather appear on Strictly Come Dancing or The X Factor?
• Would you rather have super-strength or super-speed?
• Would you rather have (replenishing) pizza for hands or wheels for feet?
You could choose two students to play at the front of the assembly, or if possible, get everyone involved by standing up or sitting down to indicate their answer. The key is to ensure everyone makes a snap decision, by only allowing three seconds for them to answer. (Getting all the students involved will only work in a well-controlled setting and you should check with the school as to whether it is appropriate for their assembly.) Ask a few questions, perhaps making them more absurd or abstract towards the end. If you have time you might want to ask participants to explain their choices at the end. Afterwards, thank the students and explain that the game forces you to make a firm decision. The word ‘resolution’ means a firm decision to do or not to do something.
Resolutions
At the beginning of a new year it is traditional for people to make resolutions for the year ahead. You could ask the students if they made any resolutions by a show of hands. Explain that a poll conducted last year asked 2,000 people what their aims for 2013 were. You might like to get students to guess the responses. There were a wide variety of answers, but the top ten were:
1. Read more books
2. Save money
3. Lose weight
4. Redecorate
5. Take better photos
6. Go travelling
7. Sell old, unwanted stuff on eBay
8. Buy a tablet (computer)
9. Organise existing photos
10. Do something for charity
Ask if anybody had similar aims. Explain that many of these resolutions are about improving our lives in some way, but surveys show most New Year resolutions are broken within the first few weeks, often because there is not enough incentive to keep them, or because they seem too difficult to achieve. Psychologists tell us that the key to fulfilling resolutions is to break them into small, achievable steps and celebrate those achievements.
Happiness
Say: so what about happiness? How can we make good resolutions that we keep? Scientific research shows that our genetic makeup influences about 50 per cent of our personal happiness, but surprisingly our circumstances (like income and environment) affect only about 10 per cent. As much as 40 per cent is accounted for by our daily activities and the choices we make. (You may wish to illustrate using the pie chart in the links section of the Youthwork website.) Therefore our decisions and actions can make a big difference to our own happiness, and the happiness of those around us. According to the research, doing good is one of the best ways to feel good. People who care more about others are actually happier than those who care less about others! There are so many ways that you can do good things to others, and there are whole organisations dedicated to helping people to do so.
Video: Kindness 101
Show the video ‘Kindness 101’ by The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation (available on the links section of the Youthwork website). It is 2 minutes 47 seconds long and features some US college students doing kind things for strangers, before explaining why they do it.
After showing the video, tell them that what those students are describing is ancient wisdom that people have known about for a very long time!
Love in action
Explain that the Bible talks a lot about doing good for others. As followers of Jesus, Christians are instructed to love (or care for) one another in all circumstances. One passage in Romans 12 reads like a checklist of how to show kindness to others. It includes, ‘Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves’ (Romans 12:10).
Tell the students that choosing to act like this with others, even when you don’t want to, will help to share a little happiness and can make you happy too. That’s why your decisions and actions can make a big difference to your own happiness. Maybe Jesus was onto something!
REFLECTION
To end the assembly, ask the students to quietly take a moment to think about the following questions:
• What decisions could you make right now that would make a positive difference to you?
• What opportunities do you have to make someone else a little bit happier?
• Consider what it might be like to put others first. What small ways could you do this each day? What impact might it have?
Summary
End the assembly by saying: as you begin this new year, challenge yourself to make some achievable resolutions that bring happiness to others. You might even find that you become happier too! I pray that you all have a Happy New Year.
READY-TO-USE SCHOOLS WORK RESOURCES For more ideas, resources and guidance about schools work, visit www.schoolswork.co.uk
