Religious Education News

 Hello Families,

One of the main goals this year in Religious Education was to increase the prayer  opportunities for children.  We have had professional learning throughout the year with a focus on this goal.  

Prayer is an integral part of our faith and connection with God. There are many ways to pray and purposes of prayer, but ultimately it brings you closer to God the creator who loves us infinitely and desires us to be in communion with him. 

We have introduced a few prayer practises as a whole school. We have Meditation Mondays where all classes begin the day in silent meditation for a few minutes. We pray before we eat lunch and also at the end of the day. Classes have their own morning prayer routines and have explored both formal and informal types of prayer.

This week staff learned about another a style of prayer called C.H.A.T.

It is a simple, 4-step prayer template for when you don’t know how or what to pray. This may be because you are new to prayer or simply that you are overwhelmed and feel like you don’t know where to start.  The acronym C.H.A.T. helps primary school aged children learn more about prayer. It reminds them that it is not a scary thing—it’s a chat with God!

It’s important to remember that there is no “right” or “wrong” way to pray. God simply wants to hear what is in our hearts—whether it’s good, bad, joyful, or difficult. Children especially can grow in prayer and build a meaningful relationship with God when they are given examples of different things they might pray about.

One simple way to pray is by using the CHAT prayer template:

• C – Confess: Say sorry to God for the wrong things we have done.
• H – Honour: Praise God for who He is and thank Him for His greatness.
• A – Ask: Bring our needs and the needs of others to God in prayer.
• T – Thank: Thank God for the blessings, big and small, in our lives.

Why not try using the CHAT prayer template yourself? It’s a simple way to get closer to God and to notice His presence in your everyday life.

       Vicky Pejic

       Religious Education Leader