Assembly Objective:
- In a stressful situation can the people around us be trusted? Good team-mates put each other’s needs before their own comfort and help us to discover that we are capable of extraordinary courage. This assembly explores the Bible’s teaching on selflessness, trust and courage.
Film:
- Deepwater Horizon (Summit, 2016, certificate 12). Click here to buy the DVD online.
Bible:
- Isaiah 43:1-2 (New Living Translation)
Supporting Values Education:
- The value of Individual Liberty affirms each person’s right to self-determination, but the values of Democracy, Respect and Tolerance call us to live with the wellbeing of others at heart. This assembly encourages pupils to consider how an act of selflessness can bring about a rescue, and change the life of another person.
- The value of Individual Liberty is based on the notion that we are free and responsible for our own actions. But the values of Democracy and Rule of Law recognise that we are part of a society whereby we receive support from others. This assembly encourages pupils to consider how we can face new challenges, knowing that we are not alone.
OPENING ACTIVITY
Would You Rather… (quiz)
- Use the Would You Rather PowerPoint slides to offer a series of suggestions to the group. For each suggestion allow students thirty seconds to discuss with their neighbour before voting on which suggestion they would rather do.
- Suggestions – would you rather?
- Sit in a bath of ice cubes wearing a swimsuit…or
- Stand in a desert wearing a snowsuit?
- Travel back in time to meet your ancestors…or
- Travel forward in time to meet your descendants?
- Eat a horse…or
- Be eaten by a horse?
- Run one mile in wellington boots…or
- Walk ten miles in flip flops?
- Live in a world without problems…or
- Live in a world where you ruled?
- Be the bravest person…or
- Be the cleverest person?
- Jump into the freezing cold sea…or
- Run through a wall of fire?
- Risk your life to save someone else…or
- Save your life by risking someone else’s life?
FILM CLIP
- Play the clip from Deepwater Horizon (Summit, 2016, certificate 12)
- Start time: 01:20:11 ‘There’s too much fire, we can’t jump from here.’
- End time: 01:26:35 ‘Thank you.’
- Clip length: 6 minutes 24 seconds
- The film is based on the true events of April 2010 when an explosion on the oil drilling rig, Deepwater Horizon, caused an uncontrollable fire leading to the deaths of eleven crew members and the largest ever oil spill in US waters. The clip begins with a number of crew members escaping the burning rig in a lifeboat. Mike Williams (Mark Wahlberg) and Andrea Fleytas (Gina Rodriguez) are separated from the lifeboat and their only option is to leap off the rig from a height. Fleytas has a panic attack and says she can’t do it. Williams stays with her, asking her questions about her car, then pushing her off the rig into the sea below and leaping after her. The clip ends with the pair arriving in the rescue centre where she whispers her thanks to him.
TALK
Download the In Deep Water PowerPoint for use with this talk.
Scripted Talk
- [PowerPoint slide 1]
- Header slide.
- [PowerPoint slides 2-10]
- What are you afraid of? Everyone experiences fear at some point in their lives. Common fears are darkness, spiders, snakes, cramped spaces, loneliness or heights. Perhaps you are afraid of what other people think of you. Perhaps you’re afraid of getting ill or dying. Experiencing fear is a part of being human, but…
- [PowerPoint slide 11]
- When fear takes over it can stop you making the most of life.
- [PowerPoint slide 12]
- In April 2010 a major disaster occurred off the Louisiana coast in the USA. An explosion aboard the oil rig Deepwater Horizon started a fire that led to the evacuation of the rig and the deaths of eleven crew members. In the clip we’re about to watch, crew members Mike Williams and Andrea Fleytas have been separated from the lifeboats and their only option is to jump off the top of the rig into the sea.
- Watch the clip from Deepwater Horizon.
- Start time: 01:20:11 ‘There’s too much fire, we can’t jump from here.’
- End time: 01:26:35 ‘Thank you.’
- Clip length: 6 minutes 24 seconds.
- The film is based on the true events of April 2010 when an explosion on the oil drilling rig, Deepwater Horizon, caused an uncontrollable fire leading to the deaths of eleven crew members and the largest ever oil spill in US waters. The clip begins with a number of crew members escaping the burning rig in a lifeboat. Mike Williams (Mark Wahlberg) and Andrea Fleytas (Gina Rodriguez) are separated from the lifeboat and their only option is to leap off the rig from a height. Fleytas has a panic attack and says she can’t do it. Williams stays with her, asking her questions about her car, then pushing her off the rig into the sea below and leaping after her. The clip ends with the pair arriving in the rescue centre where she whispers her thanks to him.
- [PowerPoint slide 13]
- I wonder what you would have done in Mike Williams’ situation? Faced with the choice of abandoning or rescuing the panicking Andrea Fleytas, he chose to stay longer on the rig and save her life. It took courage to help her overcome her fear.
- [PowerPoint slide 14]
- C.S. Lewis, the author of the Narnia books, wrote a book called The Problem of Pain. In it he wrote:
- ‘When pain is to be borne, a little courage helps more than much knowledge, a little human sympathy more than much courage, and the least tincture of the love of God more than all.’
- What C.S. Lewis is saying is that in any difficult situation, courage is important, having someone else with you is better but even the smallest hint of God’s love will help more than anything else.
- C.S. Lewis, the author of the Narnia books, wrote a book called The Problem of Pain. In it he wrote:
- [PowerPoint slide 15]
- Andrea knew the danger she was facing and it made her panic. She was too afraid to have any courage at all. Having Mike alongside her to help rescued her.
- C.S. Lewis says that knowing that you are loved by God will give you even more courage than a friend’s help. In fact, God’s love drives out fear.
- There are some verses in the Bible written to assure people who were afraid of what was happening to them. The writer, a man called Isaiah, was a prophet who heard God speak to the people.
- [PowerPoint slide 16]
- This is what God said (Isaiah 43:1-2):
- ‘But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.’
- It’s very unlikely that any of you will ever be faced with the choice of jumping off a burning oil rig into the sea, but you may have to face a situation where you have to choose whether or not to allow fear to overcome you. When you do, remember that courage and sympathy are helpful, but that even better than that is knowing that God loves you.
- This is what God said (Isaiah 43:1-2):
- [PowerPoint slide 17]
- The Bible verses say that God knows our names and that he will be with us whatever difficulties we face. They don’t say that we will never face trouble, but they do say that we do not have to be afraid.
Headings and Bullets
Download the In Deep Water PowerPoint for use with this talk.
- [PowerPoint slide 1]
- Header slide.
- [PowerPoint slides 2-10]
- What are you afraid of? Darkness, spiders, snakes, cramped spaces, loneliness, heights, what other people think, getting ill or dying. Experiencing fear is a part of being human.
- [PowerPoint slide 11]
- When fear takes over it can stop you making the most of life.
- [PowerPoint slide 12]
- Introduce the clip. Explosion aboard Deepwater Horizon leading to evacuation of the oil rig and the deaths of eleven crew members.
- Mike Williams and Andrea Fleytas separated from the lifeboats and their only option is to jump off the top of the rig into the sea.
- Watch the clip from Deepwater Horizon.
- Start time: 01:20:11 ‘There’s too much fire, we can’t jump from here.’
- End time: 01:26:35 ‘Thank you.’
- Clip length: 6 minutes 24 seconds
- Williams saves Fleytas’ life by forcing her to jump off the rig. She says she can’t do it, he talks to her about her car then pushes her into the sea. She thanks him for rescuing her.
- [PowerPoint slide 13]
- What would you do? Mike Williams chose to stay longer on the rig and save her life. It took courage to help her overcome her fear.
- [PowerPoint slide 14]
- C.S. Lewis’ quote:
- ‘When pain is to be borne, a little courage helps more than much knowledge, a little human sympathy more than much courage, and the least tincture of the love of God more than all.’ The Problem of Pain
- In any difficult situation, courage is important, having someone else with you is better but even the smallest hint of God’s love will help more than anything else.
- C.S. Lewis’ quote:
- [PowerPoint slide 15]
- Andrea knew the danger.
- Too afraid to have any courage.
- Having Mike alongside her to help rescue her.
- God’s love drives out fear.
- Introduce Bible passage – Isaiah, a prophet.
- [PowerPoint slide 16]
- Isaiah 43:1-2.
- You may have to face a situation where you have to choose whether or not to allow fear to overcome you.
- Remember that courage and sympathy are helpful, but that even better than that is knowing that God loves you.
- [PowerPoint slide 17]
- God knows our names.
- God will be with us.
- We do not have to be afraid.
- They don’t say that we will never face trouble, but they do say that we do not have to be afraid.
Photo copyright for Would You Rather PowerPoint: Slides 1, 2, 4, 5, 8 Pixabay.com / Slide 2 Bienvenido Bones Banez Jr / Slide 3 Public domain / Slides 5 and 6 iStockphoto.com / Slide 7 RIPNROCK and Marcus Obal
Photo copyright for In Deep Water PowerPoint: Slide 1 David Lee – Lionsgate / Slides 2, 6, 8, 10 and 17 iStockphoto.com / Slides 3, 4, 7, 9, 11 and 16 Pixabay.com / Slide 5 Eternalsleeper / Slide 12 Lionsgate / Slide 13 Lionsgate / Slide 14 Wikipedia / Slide 15 Lionsgate
RESPOND
Prayer
- God, you know our names and you promise to be with us. Help us not to be afraid whatever trouble we face. Amen.
Reflection
- Invite the students to close their eyes for a minute and hold their hands in tight fists. Ask them to imagine that they are holding on to something that makes them afraid. Invite them to open their hands and imagine they are letting go of their fears. Before they open their eyes, ask them to think about the people around them and remember that they are not alone. Ask them to open their eyes.
YOU WILL NEED:
- A copy of Deepwater Horizon (Summit, 2016, certificate 12). Click here to buy the DVD online.
- In Deep Water PowerPoint.
- Would You Rather PowerPoint for Opening Activity.
Ethos Education 