The Open the Book Bible Stories for Term 6 at St Nicholas School

                                                                      June-July 2021

Week 1 and 2 - Prayer Space led by Rev Alec

This term starts with a prayer space, which Rev Alec will lead virtually in school. Many of you will have experienced prayer spaces held in church in previous years. A prayer space gives you the opportunity to be quiet and do an activity while thinking about a certain topic. Unfortunately, we cannot be in church this year but I hope you will enjoy what Rev Alec has prepared. Remember that if we are directing our thoughts to God, we call this a prayer. We may want to thank Him for something or asking Him to help us in some way or just listen to us as we pray.

For the rest of the term the members of the Open the Book team will be reading stories from the Lion Storyteller Bible and will be continuing with stories from the New Testament about the life and work of Jesus.

Week 3  -  The Big Spender   Read by Jenny Penfold   https://youtu.be/P4Et5VEasN8

Jesus told this story because he knew that some people did not like him. They were always complaining.  Jesus wanted to teach them that God is like a father to everyone. He does not have favourites and wants to forgive and help everyone when they make mistakes and do wrong things, which we all do. The father in this story has two sons. He is behaving in the same way as God behaves to us. He has no favourites and he always loves us.

Week 4  -  Jesus and the Children    Read by Peter Rumsey   https://youtu.be/lRqx9wm-kaA

Have you ever been stuck at the back of a big crowd and unable to see what is going on? Sometimes you feel the grown-ups around you are too busy and to make time for children like you. This story teaches us that Jesus was a special friend to children and was never too busy to talk with them and listen to them.

Week 5  -  Jesus and the Taxman     Read by Mary Mann  https://youtu.be/bKwuYEu_AGg

The story today is about a tax collector called Zacchaeus. Everyone has to pay taxes to pay for things like roads, hospitals and schools. In the time of Jesus, many of the tax collectors were dishonest and therefore not liked by most people. When they collected a person’s tax, they would add a little bit more to the person’s bill and keep the extra for themselves. In this story, Zacchaeus decides to make big changes in his life after he spoke to Jesus.  

Week 6  -  Goodbye at Last!    Read by Linda Hopkins  https://youtu.be/t4Jhszf31bw

We told you just before the Easter holidays about how Jesus died on the cross on Good Friday and on Easter Day, he rose from the dead, coming back to life. He appeared to his friends several times in different places, to show them that he really had come back from the dead.

Today’s story tells us about three different occasions when Jesus’ special friends saw him alive again. Then he had to finally say goodbye to them and return to his Father in heaven.

During the last week of the this term, there will be a Leavers’ service to say goodbye to the year 6 pupils who will not be returning to St Nicholas School in September because they will be starting their new secondary school. The Open the Book team want to wish them a happy and successful time at their new school and in the future. Thank you for all the help you have given us with our stories when we were able to visit you at school and we hope you remember some of the stories you have heard.

Finally, the Open the Book team would like to wish all staff and pupils a very happy summer holiday. Stay safe, have fun and we hope to see most of you all in September.