Reflections from Zoe Hill – Family & Children’s Ministry lead for Holy Trinity Rathmines
Last June, as the school year drew towards a close the 6th Class pupils from a local primary school prepared to take their next steps into secondary school, I invited the class to join us in our parish church to spend some time at our School Transition Prayer Space. It was our first time to incorporate a Prayer Space like this into their Graduation Service celebration.
Recognising that this was a threshold moment in the lives of the pupils, we invited them to take some time to pause, reflect and pray. Drawing on John O’Donohue’s beautiful understanding of “thresholds”, we focused on giving thanks for what has been, noticing where they are now, and looking forward with hope to what lies ahead.
The Big Questions board was slow to take off, but seeing that others had questions too seemed to encourage pupils to share their own. It soon became filled with honest concerns like: “Will I make friends in secondary school?”, “Will French be hard?” and, alongside these, the equally big question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”
At the Empty Chair station, the children reflected on friendship and change. After eight years together, some of their closest friends will be moving on to different secondary schools. The empty chair became a simple symbol of the people and relationships they may have to say goodbye to, while also making space for the new friendships that are still to come.
Using Transition Butterflies, the children considered how much they themselves had grown and changed over their primary school years. They were encouraged to recognise that, just as a butterfly changes, they too are becoming something new.
The Wonder Wall was a lovely opportunity to remember all the good times that they shared, like the school play, as well as personal achievements or funny memories.
At the Letting Go station, children used aquabeads to represent their worries, taking handfuls and allowing them to slip through their fingers as they reflected on the words of 1 Peter 5:7: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” This was by far the most popular station, and while it was a bit of fun, there was also something profound about hearing the children say, ‘Look at all my worries falling through my fingers!’
The response was overwhelmingly positive. Pupils and their teachers appreciated having this quiet opportunity to be still, reflect and pray during what was an emotional season for everyone. And when parents arrived for the Graduation Service the following day, they were also able to observe and engage with the different stations.
It was a simple space, but it tied in perfectly with the particular season of life that the children were in – it gave them a meaningful place to pause and process this threshold moment in their lives, acknowledge the mixture of emotions that they were holding, and step forward in hope.
