Our Christian Values

Live, Learn, Thrive; Love God, Love each other

‘Love the Lord you God with all your heart, with all your mind and with all your strength. Love your neighbour as yourself.’

Luke 10:27

At Skerton St Luke’s CE School we are a family that works to ensure everyone thrives, with the love of learning and Jesus’ teachings at the heart of all we do.  From a curriculum that encourages pupils to ask questions and find answers, to a community that is bravely making the world a better place; together we show each other how to love God, love ourselves and love each other.

Our school uses two resource called ‘Values for Life’ and ‘Roots and Fruits’ as a basis for our Collective Worship. These Values are shared with children following a termly basis, and reinforced through our teaching. Most of these Values can be said to be ‘human Values’ and inclusive for people with different or diverse faiths, and also for those with no faith.

As a Church of England school, however, we have rooted these Values in the Bible. We have established 12 Values that are particularly important to members of our school family. Please scroll down to find out more about the Value we explore each half term and a linked Bible story that illustrates the Value well and is particularly memorable for the children.

GENEROSITY 

God’s generosity is best described as ‘grace’, love given freely without limit or conditions.  Feeling this love without limits can release a generous spirit towards other people.

Courageous Advocacy

Bravely making the world better

We reflect on the following questions as we make the world a better place:

• Do you give without wanting something in return?
• How do we encourage you to be generous in both words and actions?
• When do we consider the importance of being generous?
• Can we be generous with things that are not material e.g. time, spirit, talents?
• In what ways do we encourage people in our school to show kindness and respect to one another?
• How do we foster links with charities for the homeless or those in need?  Do we have links with elderly people in our locality?
• How are new members of the school community nurtured and supported in their first term?
• How do we help, and encourage people to understand and empathise with members of our community who have suffered traumatic experiences?

Our main Bible text is The Widow’s Offering Luke 21:1-4 

Jesus looked around and saw rich people dropping their gifts in the Temple treasury, and he also saw a very poor widow dropping in two little copper coins. He said, “I tell you that this poor widow put in more than all the others. For the others offered their gifts from what they had to spare of their riches; but she, poor as she is, gave all she had to live on.”

COMPASSION

Christians believe that their attitudes and actions must reflect the kindness, mercy and compassion of Jesus and the love of God for everyone.

Courageous Advocacy

Bravely making the world better

We reflect on the following questions as we make the world a better place:

Our main Bible text is Jesus feeds the 5,000 Luke 9:10-17 

Follow the QR to read the story

He took the Disciples and went away privately to a town called Bethsaida. When the crowds discovered, they followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and he healed those who needed it.

As the day wore on, the Twelve came to Jesus.

‘Send the crowd away,’ they said, ‘so that they can go into the villages and countryside nearby, find somewhere to stay, and get something to eat. We’re in quite a lonely spot here.’

‘You give them something to eat,’ he replied.

‘All we’ve got here’, they said, ‘is five loaves and a couple of fishes – unless you mean we should go ourselves and buy food for all these people?’

 ‘Get them to sit down’, Jesus said to them, ‘in groups of around fifty each.’

They did so, and everyone sat down. Then Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish. He looked up to heaven, blessed the food, divided it, and gave it to the disciples to pass around the crowd. Everyone ate, and was satisfied. They took up twelve baskets of broken bits left over.

Courage 

For Christians 'having courage' or 'strength to carry on' is linked to faith in God's promises - promises of God's presence, protection and power.

Courageous Advocacy

Bravely making the world a better place.

We reflect on the following questions:

• What helps you to be brave?
• Where do you find your courage?
• Who inspires you with courage?
• If you are facing danger, what objects would you want with you to give you courage?
• Is there a special song or piece of music that helps you feel brave?

Our main Bible text is Moses and The Burning Bush Exodus 3: 1-22 

 follow the QR Code to read the story

The fire was so bright Moses covered his face, yet as he peered through his fingers he could still see the leaves and the branches and even the tiny red berries that were his favourite snack.  The fire was scorching, so hot, yet…

He took a step forward to look more closely, then another, then another and another, until out of the bush a voice boomed, ‘Moses, Moses’.

Moses was frozen with fear.

He could take no more steps, forward or back.

The voice came again, ‘I am our people’s God, and I have seen how they suffer as slaves in Egypt.  Moses, you are the man I have chosen to go and lead my people out of that land and into a new land of their own.’

Moses took a step back, then another and another.

There was a long silence before he summoned the strength to speak. ‘I can’t, they won’t listen, no way!’  The burning bush shot a burst of flame into the sky, sending Moses sprawling to the ground.  ‘Tell them ‘I AM’ has sent you.  I AM the one God who is GOD! I AM the one who gave you a voice, and I will give you words to speak.  I AM your God and I will always be.’

Moses knew he had to go but he didn’t’ know how.  And then, out of the bush, ‘I AM’ shocked him once more.  ‘Look!  Here comes your brother Aaron.  He will go with you, he will speak for you, and together you will take my message to the people.’

Moses stood up, turned around and took a step away from the bush.

A courageous sort of step, then another and another…

Until he walked whit his brother, his wife and his entire family all the way to the land of Egypt, just as the Lord had commanded him.

Forgiveness 

This is the way that upsets can be fixed.  Forgiveness is a choice made out of love.  For Christians Jesus’ death on the cross shows us why we should forgive, no matter what the cost.

Courageous Advocacy

Bravely making the world a better place.

We reflect on the following questions:

• How do we help each other when we make mistakes?
• How do we help people make up for their mistakes?
• How does our school help us to know that forgiveness is always possible?
• How do we show forgiveness and acceptance of everyone?
• What do we do to encourage each other to forgive?

Our main Bible text is Zacchaeus the Tax Collector Luke 19:1-10 

follow the QR Code to read the story 

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.  A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.  He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short, he could not see over the crowd.  So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-Figtree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Friendship 

Christians believe they can call God their friend because of the relationship made possible through Jesus.

Courageous Advocacy

Bravely making the world a better place.

We reflect on the following questions: 

• How do we support and encourage friendship bonds in our school?
• How do we find ways to support and include pupils who might be left out?
• How do we help each other to restore broken friendships and become friends again?
• How do we help people who might need advice and support?

Our main Bible Text is Jesus Chooses His Apostles Luke 6:12-16

 Follow the QR code to read the story 

At that time Jesus went off to a mountain to pray. He stayed there all night, praying to God. The next morning, Jesus called his followers to him. He chose 12 of them, whom he named “apostles.” They were Simon (Jesus named him Peter) and Andrew, Peter’s brother; James and John, Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon (called the Zealot), Judas son of James and Judas Iscariot. This Judas was the one who gave Jesus to his enemies.

Respect 

Christians believe that God gives all people a choice.  Those who show respect are acknowledging God’s greatness, authority and involvement in the world.

Courageous Advocacy

Bravely making the world a better place.

We should consider the following questions:

• How do we experience feelings of awe, wonder and mystery in school?
• Do we have places around school where you can think about the nature of God?
• How do we show respect for each other in our school?
• How do we value and respect our own and other people’s belongings?

Our main Bible Text is The Parable of the Good Samaritan Luke 10:25-37

 Follow the QR code to read the story 

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?”

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 

A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  But a Samaritan, as he travelled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 

The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

³⁷ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”