MWOL learn

Primary School age

Why is this important?

Every healthy human keeps on learning, but it isn’t always easy. Following Jesus is about learning more about him and how we can be the best we can be, inspired by his life and his love. Learning can feel difficult and uncomfortable, it can make our body ache with unfamiliar feelings, it can make us feel insecure or scared because it’s so new and different. It’s really human to try and avoid those feelings.

Question

What was the last new thing that you learnt? How did it feel?

Suggestion

All We Can are learning how to help people differently, to help them in a way that really helps!

Go to our website and read some of the stories about how we’re doing that - allwecan.org.uk.

We don’t like to see people suffer and sometimes we’ve wanted to help and make other people’s pain or fear go away quickly by doing it all ourselves and trying to offer what we think the quick and easy fixes are.

Of course we did - poverty is horrible!

But, we learned that doing it that way doesn’t work. What the All We Can stories show is that when people are supported to work out what their different problems are it is then that they can start to say what they think the solutions are too and can tell us how they want to be helped.

Prayer Prompt

Pick one of the people from one of the stories you have read on the All We Can website.
Read their story again, look at their pictures, and write down or draw what they might have been feeling at different parts of the story.

As you are drawing, say ‘help’ to God.

Secondary School age

Why is this important?

Jesus calls us to be disciples, which is like being an apprentice. All of our lives we continue to learn, grow, change, and be surprised by God. This doesn’t have to mean studying theology at university, or listening to lots of clever people on podcasts. We learn everyday through our experiences, and from our encounters with other people - particularly when they think differently to us, and have different life experiences. Learning doesn’t always provide us with answers; sometimes it just creates more questions. So stay open-minded!

Question

Think of someone who has different ideas about life and spirituality than you. It could be an author, podcaster or TikTok influencer; someone at school, a family member, or a neighbour. What could you learn from them? What could they learn from you?

Suggestion

If you’re on social media, post a different Bible story or question you have about life or spirituality every day for a week. Ask other people for their reflections, then give your thoughts in response.

If you’re not on social media, you could ask your friends questions during lunch, on the bus, or at a youth club. Or ask them what questions they have. You might be surprised by the things they’re interested in talking about.

Remember: You don’t need to have all the answers. Most people are more interested in having the conversation than in how it ends.

Prayer Prompt

Prayers don’t have to include words. Choose three colours that reflect how you feel today, and three that reflect what God seems to be like to you today. Doodle, scribble or paint with those colours and see what emerges

Youth Leaders

Why is this important?

Discipleship is like a journey, and on a journey you will often need new information to keep moving forward. You might be able to get so far with what you already know, but sometimes you will need to learn more to enable you to serve and encounter God in new ways.

Question

Who or what has taught you the most about your faith? A friend or family member? A Minister? Reading the bible yourself?

Suggestion

Ask the people in your group to identify how they best learn (perhaps they could do a learning styles quiz like this one:

Once they have identified their learning style, ask them to think about how they might learn more about their faith in a way that is best suited to them (e.g. reading books, listening to podcasts, asking questions of people they know and respect)

Prayer Prompt

Just as we learn in different ways, we also pray in different ways. Do a teaspoon prayer (Tsp - thank you, sorry, please) using different methods of praying. For example:

Say aloud something you are thankful for this week.
Write down something you are sorry for.
Act out something you want to ask God for.

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