Children's Spirituality
Spiritual Development
Psalm 118:24 of the Bible
“This is the day the Lord has made; we shall rejoice and be glad in it.”
As a church school we are concerned with the development of people’s mind, body and soul. We believe that spirituality should influence all areas of education and life. Therefore, we aim that all areas of the curriculum contribute to pupils’ spiritual development. Spiritual development relates to fundamental questions about the meaning and purpose of life which affect everyone, and is not dependent on a religious affiliation.
Spiritual development is not about becoming more spiritual, it is about realising or becoming more and more aware of one’s natural, innate spirituality. This is sometimes a slow and gradual process, at other times there might be significant stages of realisation, which are part of the ongoing ‘developing’ process. People don’t reach a finished state of spiritual development, but participate in the ongoing process of spiritual realisation.
How we provide children with openings for spiritual development:
WINDOWS: giving children opportunities to become aware of the world in new ways; to wonder about life’s ‘WOWs’ (things that are amazing) and ‘OWs’ (things that bring us up short). In this children are learning about ‘life in all its fullness.'
MIRRORS: giving children opportunities to reflect on their experiences; to meditate on life’s big questions and to consider some possible answers. In this they are learning from life by exploring their own insights and perspectives and those of others.
DOORS: giving children opportunities to respond to all of this; to do something creative as a means of expressing, applying and further developing their thoughts and convictions. In this they are learning to live by putting into action what they are coming to believe and value.
Therefore, our Egerton curriculum has strands permeating it, like in a stick of rock - Christian Values and opportunities for spiritual development. We seek to provide occasions for people of all spiritual styles – word, symbol, emotion and action. This encourages children and adults to develop an understanding of the spiritual character of themselves and others. This is why we offer the range we do. For example, Creative Prayer Days, Peace Garden, Active Church and Traditional Church.
Prayer
Prayer
Psalm 17:6 of the Bible
“I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray”
Christians believe that prayer is a spiritual communication process that allows them to talk directly to God, whilst spending time listening to what God has to say to them. It is a two-way process of talking to their best friend.
The disciples asked Jesus how to pray and he taught them the Lord’s Prayer, which covers everything asked of Christians when they pray. It is made up of seven prayers, three addressing God and four related to our concerns and needs. It also sets a model for prayer.
At Egerton there are many occasions for children and adults to pray and write their own prayers if they wish. Besides the prayer opportunities in Collective Worship, Church, Creative Prayer Days and Pilgrimage, each class has a prayer table. We also have a whole school prayer station in the main corridor and the children are currently creating an outdoor peace garden. Of course, prayer is not limited to these areas and we like to think that everyone is able to find a peaceful place to pray or reflect somewhere within the school day.
Class Prayer Tables
Each classroom has a Christian prayer table, which are changed and added to regularly in worship in the classroom and at other times according to the needs of the class. They are a place where children can come and ponder, reflect and pray.
The areas have a key Bible verse and cross as its focal point and will include other artefacts, pictures and verses to engage the children in thought and prayer.
They usually follow the same theme as collective worship, or one of our school values, to enable the children to deepen their understanding and thoughts behind each Christian message.
