What would you do?

Teacher’s Notes
Read through the following scenarios together, drawing attention to and explaining the meaning of the words in bold.

After brief discussion, divide the class into groups/pairs and ask them to decide how they would deal with one of the situations. Who would they ask to help them and how?

Provide the class with the following list of attributes and some dictionaries. What skills would be needed in each situation?
compassionate trustworthy patient efficient reliable healthy organised honest strong good-looking intelligent discreet

Setting the scene
You are the vicar of a church with a large congregation, made up of old and young, rich and poor. Your church employs a youth minister, who also works part time as a chaplain of a local football club. You also have a team of volunteers - men and women who are available to help organise and run your busy church. The church building is quite old and needs a lot of looking after.

Scene 1
Your church holds various youth clubs during the week. Few of the young people that come to the clubs are from church families. One boy has been very badly behaved recently and has damaged church property. When you speak to him alone he tells you that he feels angry and upset because his parents have just split up.

Scene 2
You have received a phone call to tell you that an elderly couple from your church are both very ill with ‘flu.

Scene 3
You hear that a player from your local football team has had an accident and broken his leg. He is in hospital and probably will not be able to play in matches for several weeks.

Scene 4
The leader of your playgroup is worried about the family of one of the playgroup children. The father has lost his job and the mother is very worried and depressed. They have three other children and there are lots of bills to pay.

Scene 5
A local school has phoned the church office, asking if anyone could take some school assemblies. The head also tells you that he is looking for somewhere to hold the school carol concert.

Scene 6
Some of the younger people in your church want to introduce new modern songs in the Sunday morning service. You know that many of the older members prefer to sing old hymns.

Scene 7
A young couple who live nearby want to get married in your church on the first Saturday of your summer holiday. They are not Christians and so do not go to church.

Scene 8
An elderly member of your church has died in hospital. His family are all very upset and need to arrange a funeral.