Assembly Objective:

• This assembly explores the theme of hope and affirms the Bible’s positive response to the question: Is there hope for the world?

Film:

• The Lego Movie 2 (Warner Bros, 2019) certificate U, click here to buy the DVD online.

Bible:

• Jeremiah 29:11-13  (The Good News Bible)

Supporting Values Education:

• Democracy: Although the characters in The Lego Movie 2 arrive at the conclusion that ‘everything is not awesome’, they express the view that through solidarity and co-operation, the world can be improved. This sentiment links with a belief in the democratic process.

---

OPENING ACTIVITY

Fortunately/Unfortunately: (Activity)

• Beginning with the starter, players build a story one sentence at a time alternating between fortunately or unfortunately as the first word. The game can be played by a pair or a group of volunteers or by the assembly leader with responses provided by the audience. The game finishes when the story comes to a natural end.

---

FILM CLIP 1

• From The Lego Movie 2 (Warner Bros, 2019) certificate U.
  • Start time: 00:04:00 (The caption, ‘Five Years Later’ appears on the screen.)
  • End time: 00:10:04 (Lucy sees the spaceship and says, ‘Oh, no!’)
  • Clip length: 6 minutes and 4 seconds.
• If you cannot play this clip from the DVD, instead say, ‘It is now five years since the events in the original Lego Movie and everything has changed. The beautiful city of Bricksburg has now become a hellish place known as Apocalypseburg. Its citizens have also changed from being peaceful and optimistic to aggressive and miserable. Only Emmet, the hero of the first movie, has stayed the same. He is as cheerful and positive as ever. He walks through the city of Apocalypseburg seemingly blind to the violence and aggression all around him. He has bought a cup of coffee for himself and his girlfriend, Lucy. He shares with her a dream that he had the previous night in which everyone and everything in the Lego universe disappeared into a black hole. She despairs for the future but Emmet shows her the ‘awesome’ house that he has built for them. He takes Lucy on a tour. Afterwards, she tells Emmet that the awesome world they knew has changed forever and it is time for him to grow up. Just then, Emmet is excited by what he believes to be a shooting star in the sky but Lucy identifies it as an alien spaceship. She dreads what might happen next.

FILM CLIP 2

• From The Lego Movie 2 (Warner Bros, 2019) certificate U.
  • Start time: 01:31:57 (Finn and Bianca’s mum descends the stairs.)
  • End time: 01:33:50 (The end credits begin.)
  • Clip length: 1 minute and 53 seconds.
• If you cannot play this clip from the DVD, instead say, ‘As in the original movie, the events in The Lego Movie 2 are the creation of a boy called Finn playing with his Lego collection. In The Lego Movie 2, however, he has to learn to play with his little sister, Bianca. They do not play well together and their mum orders them to put all the Lego away in storage boxes. However, Finn and Bianca make up and the original awesome Lego universe is restored. Emmet and Lucy go for a walk in the re-built city of Bricksburg. Lucy shows Emmet that their house has also been rebuilt. He is awestruck.

---

TALK

Scripted Talk

Download The Lego Movie 2 PowerPoint for use with this talk.

• [PowerPoint slide 1]
  • Welcome everyone to our assembly this morning. It is based on The Lego Movie 2.
• [PowerPoint slide 2]
  • The two main characters of the film are the same as in the original Lego movie – Lucy and Emmet.
• [PowerPoint slide 3]
  • Though boyfriend and girlfriend, Lucy and Emmet are quite different people. Emmet is always positive and optimistic whilst Lucy is quite negative about life. To help us think about this difference in attitude, we are going to play a game called Fortunately / Unfortunately. (Explain the rules of the game according to how you think it is best organised in your current situation.)
• [PowerPoint slides 4 – 6]
  • (Use the story starters to play up to three rounds of the game. After the final round, thank volunteers / audience members for taking part.)
• [PowerPoint slide 7]
  • If you have ever seen the original Lego Movie, you will remember that the story is made up by a boy called Finn playing with his father’s Lego collection. At the end of the film, he is told that his little sister, Bianca, is also now allowed to play with their father’s Lego. (Ask children about their experiences of playing games with their younger siblings if they have them.) Five years later and the arguments between Finn and Bianca have brought devastation to the city of Bricksburg.)
  • Play film clip one from The Lego Movie 2 (Warner Bros, 2019) certificate U.
    • Start time: 00:04:00 (The caption, ‘Five Years Later’ appears on the screen.)
    • End time: 00:10:04 (Lucy sees the spaceship and says, ‘Oh, no!’)
    • Clip length: 6 minutes and 4 seconds.
  • If you cannot play this clip from the DVD, instead say, ‘It is now five years since the events in the original Lego Movie and everything has changed. The beautiful city of Bricksburg has now become a hellish place known as Apocalypseburg. Its citizens have also changed from being peaceful and optimistic to aggressive and miserable. Only Emmet, the hero of the first movie, has stayed the same. He is as cheerful and positive as ever. He walks through the city of Apocalypseburg seemingly blind to the violence and aggression all around him. He has bought a cup of coffee for himself and his girlfriend, Lucy. He shares with her a dream that he had the previous night in which everyone and everything in the Lego universe disappeared into a black hole. She despairs for the future but Emmet shows her the ‘awesome’ house that he has built for them. He takes Lucy on a tour. Afterwards, she tells Emmet that the awesome world they knew has changed forever and it is time for him to grow up. Just then, Emmet is excited by what he believes to be a shooting star in the sky but Lucy identifies it as an alien spaceship. She dreads what might happen next.
  • (Allow children time to reflect upon the clip. What has happened in the five years since the last movie? Why is Lucy so annoyed with Emmet? What do you think is going to happen to the house that Emmet has built for them? Is it better to think like Lucy or like Emmet?)
• [PowerPoint slide 8]
  • In the original Lego movie, Emmet sang the song, ‘Everything is Awesome’, but in the Lego Movie 2, the characters come to realise that everything is not awesome. What is true about the Lego world, is also true about our own world. (Ask the children to identify the things in the world that are not awesome.) When you watch the news and every story seems to start with the word ‘unfortunately’, it is easy to feel that there is no hope for the world. In the Bible, the Jewish people often felt this way. Several times throughout history, they witnessed the destruction of their homes and they were all taken away as prisoners to other countries. The world must have seemed like a terrible place but God always gave them hope.
• [PowerPoint slide 9]
  • Here’s what He told them during a particularly difficult time. (Share the Bible verses with the children.) How must the people have felt when they heard these words?
• [PowerPoint slide 10]
  • In The Lego Movie 2, the characters also experience difficulties and are close to giving up after they come to realise that everything’s not awesome. But then Lucy sings a song that inspires them to keep going and restore the Lego world. (Share with the children some of the lines from the song, ‘Everything’s Not Awesome’. Do they agree with the ideas expressed in the song?) This commitment to work together to make things better comes from the human characters, Finn and Bianca, who, in the course of the movie, learn to play together without always arguing.
    • Play film clip two from The Lego Movie 2 (Warner Bros, 2019) certificate U.
    • Start time: 01:31:57 (Finn and Bianca’s mum descends the stairs.)
    • End time: 01:33:50 (The end credits begin.)
    • Clip length: 1 minute and 53 seconds.
  • If you cannot play this clip from the DVD, instead say, ‘As in the original movie, the events in The Lego Movie 2 are the creation of a boy called Finn playing with his Lego collection. In The Lego Movie 2, however, he has to learn to play with his little sister, Bianca. They do not play well together and their mum orders them to put all the Lego away in storage boxes. However, Finn and Bianca make up and the original awesome Lego universe is restored. Emmet and Lucy go for a walk in the re-built city of Bricksburg. Lucy shows Emmet that their house has also been rebuilt. He is awestruck.
• [PowerPoint slide 11]
  • The last book of the Bible ends with a vision of a beautiful city created by God where everyone lives together in harmony. Many Christians hope that the work they do to make the world a better place will be used by God to create this awesome city.

Headings and bullets

• [PowerPoint slide 1]
  • Welcome.
• [PowerPoint slide 2]
  • Lucy and Emmet.
• [PowerPoint slide 3]
  • Fortunately / Unfortunately.
• [PowerPoint slide 4]
  • Story starter 1.
• [PowerPoint slide 5]
  • Story starter 2.
• [PowerPoint slide 6]
  • Story starter 3.
• [PowerPoint slide 7]
  • The Lego Movie.
  • Film clip one.
• [PowerPoint slide 8]
  • Everything’s not awesome.
• [PowerPoint slide 9]
  • Jeremiah 29:11-13.
• [PowerPoint slide 10]
  • Everything’s not awesome (lyrics).
  • Film clip two.
• [PowerPoint slide 11]
  • The Heavenly city.

Photo Copyright for Lego Movie 2 PowerPoint: Slide 1 Warner Bros / Slide 2 and 3 Warner Bros / Slide 4 Pixabay.com / Slide 5 Pixabay.com / Slide 6 Pixabay.com / Slide 7 Warner Bros / Slide 8 Pixabay.com / Slide 9 iStockphoto.com / Slide 10 Warner Bros / Slide 11 freeimages.com 

---

RESPOND

Reflection

• What gives you hope?
• What things in the world are not awesome?
• What is the best way to resolve an argument with a friend or a sibling?
• Is it better to think like Lucy or like Emmet?
• How can you bring hope to other people?
• Read the next verse of the song ‘Everything’s Not Awesome’, do you agree or disagree with Lucy?
• What are your hopes and ambitions for yourself and for the world?

Prayer

• Dear God, we praise you giving hope to your people throughout history and for giving us a vision of a beautiful future. Help us to bring hope to other people and to work together with others to make the world a better place. Amen.

---

YOU WILL NEED:

• The Lego Movie 2 PowerPoint.
• The Lego Movie 2 (Warner Bros, 2019) certificate U, click here to buy the DVD online.