love
This term, our Christian Value is LOVE.
God the Father loves us and he sent his son Jesus, to show us how to care for each other. Love is a core Christian value for our schools, because in the Bible we learn that God is Love and that God showed how much he loves us and how to love others, when he sent his son Jesus to live on earth.
“Let all that you do be done in love” 1 Corinthians 16:14
In our Federation and our wider school community, love forms the basis of all that we do.
We share a love of learning, love for one another and love for the world that God made.
We show love to each other through small acts of kindness and through encouraging others with kind words, remembering that God loves us and we can love ourselves and others. We will let our love shine every day.
‘A New Commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another’ John 13:34
Bible stories that help us to understand love include: The Feeding of the 5000, The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin, The Lost Son.
What might love look like in school?
Through whole school worship, class worship, relationships and discussion, we use bible stories to provide examples of love and also explicitly give examples of how children can show and recognise examples of love within school. This includes saying prayers for others, showing love in our choice of words – such as saying please and thank you. We show kindness to others without being asked and help each other to make our Federation a kind and loving place to be. Each week, one child within our school will be celebrated for being a great role model for showing love and kindness and will be rewarded with Kind Kanga/Kind Zebra.
What makes love a distinctively Christian value?
At Prestbury St Mary's C of E Federation, we recognise that God is love, and love comes from God (1John 4:7). Whilst love is important in almost every culture and religion, the Bible tells us that God loved us first. We are therefore able to love in the true sense of the word because God loves us. As we receive and experience God’s love, which is unconditional and for everyone, we can then love others. Christians believe that it is by understanding God’s love for us that we truly love others.
Click here for the Church Of England Faith At Home Resources