Sacred Spaces
Spending time with God in worship, prayer and devotion should feel set apart and special, a time to bring our burdens to God and receive his blessings.
There are many ways to help create a sense of sacred space in our learning communities.
Sacred Spaces for Devotions
Teachers are encouraged to create a worship space/altar for class devotions, to signal that devotions are a special time, set apart from the rest of the school day.
On a small table or other surface, you may like to set up:
- a cross,
- a Bible (appropriate for the year level).
- a candle
There are lots of things you might like to add to this basic combination:
- a cloth to cover the table, to make it look special. This could change to reflect the seasons of the church year.
- fresh flowers or a nature display.
- student artwork may surround the altar to
show that this is a special space. - symbols or objects connected to the Bible story/passage you are reading (like a rainbow for Noah’s Ark, or a fishing net for Jesus calling the disciples).
- seasonal displays such as nativity sets or symbols for Lent and Holy Week.
- a selection of Bible storybooks, devotion books, tracts and prayer resources so students can help choose material for devotions.
- a prayer or discussion pot – label large pop sticks with different prayers, table graces or discussion starters, so students can choose different options.
Links to useful resources for classroom altars
Lutheran Tract Mission
LTM have a wide range of resources which could add to your classroom altar.
These include some great pop-up cards which would be perfect for display on an altar – click here to view and order.
They also have an extensive collection of bookmarks, cardboard stand-up nativity figures, chatterboxes, leaflets, magnets, postcards, stickers and Bible text cards.
Australian Christian Resources
ACR carry a large range of resources including Bibles and Bible storybooks, candles with Bible verses/Biblical images, plaques and wooden toys, which you may like to include in your space.
Sacred Space for Worship
Some schools are blessed to have a purpose-built chapel, whilst others use a multi-function space such as a gym or hall.
Wherever you worship, it is important to create an environment which helps the community to receive and respond to everything God is doing in worship. It is good for a worship space to have:
- a cross
- an altar
- candles
- a lectern to read from
The worship space could also include:
- a screen for sharing the words to readings. songs and prayers.
- a font or visual elements linking us to our baptism.
- banners, altar cloths and dressings for the lectern to beautify the space and make it easier for people to connect to the season of the church year. The colours change according to the season or Sunday of the year.
- Paintings, drawing, photography and other fine arts can add to the worship environment. Images from a range of time periods and cultures can draw people of different cultural backgrounds into the worship space.
- Flowers, candles and other temporary installations. At particular times of the church year, traditional displays such as Advent wreaths or Jesse trees may be used to help mark the development of the season or emphasise its significance.
- Directional and coloured lighting can make a big impact.
Temporary or Flexible Sacred Spaces
Worship in multi-function spaces
If possible include as many of the elements suggested for a worship space as you can, even if they need to be packed away or stored between worship services.
Consider leaving up some artwork or the cross all the time as a reminder of the sacred aspect of school life.
Consider having a large crate with everything you need to dress the altar (even if the altar is a folding table or theatre blocks). Students could share the responsibility of collecting the box from storage each week and setting up the worship space.
Flexible Devotion Spaces
It can be challenging in some schools to have a designated class altar area, especially if home group/pastoral care group rooms are also in use as classrooms during the day.
- Consider having a small plastic crate for each care group with those objects in them, which can be easily pulled out and set up wherever you are.
- A great idea in one school was creating seasonal packs to go in these devotion crates, with a seasonal coloured cloth, special display items and some devotional resources to suit the season and support staff.
- Go vertical – have a cross and relevant images, prayers etc on a display board or noticeboard in the space. Consider moving chairs, changing the lighting in the room or playing some soft worship music in the background to create a more sacred environment. Display student work connected to the story or Bible passage you are reading.
- Consider involving students in designing and setting up your devotional space/kit.
Outdoor Sacred Spaces
Your learning community may choose to worship outdoors sometimes. This could be for a special occasion like Easter services around an empty tomb or standing crosses, or on camps. Larger schools may struggle to find a big enough indoor space for whole school worship.
Some schools may have access to a labyrinth or outdoor prayer stations for devotional use. When the weather is good, classroom devotions could be held outside. See Creative Devotion Ideas for more inspiration.
You can still create a sense of the sacred by the way seating is arranged around a central cross or by setting up an altar. A worship crate could be very helpful for these situations.
If outdoor worship is likely to be a regular or long term activity, you may consider organising some portable decorations such as flags or banners which can mark the entrance to the worship area or flank the altar space.
