September 2024

Welcome! Or Welcome back, if you’ve been here before.

Welcome is a funny word. A lot different from hello or hi.

It was first recorded as being used in the 1300’s and is very similar to the way European countries greet their guests. A word made up of ‘a pleasure or joy’ or ‘choose’ and ‘for my guest to arrive’.

At home we may have a welcome mat beside the door, we may offer our guests a seat, a drink and our attention. But how do we do it at school?

Staff welcome children, young people and families at the gates and welcome them inside.

Children welcome visitors to their school or classroom with a cheery Good Morning.

And classes will welcome new people by supporting them with a buddy or friend.

I wonder how parents welcome new parents, or children welcome new children.

Welcome is a powerful thing in the Bible – life-changing sometimes.

Not only do we hear of Abraham and Sarah welcoming God into their tent, or Jesus being welcomed at the house of Zacchaeus, but the disciples are told to go out into the neighbourhoods and bring good news and be welcomed into people’s homes.

As we start a new school year – what will you Welcome? Take pleasure, make a choice to invite into your home, your life, timetable?

How will you welcome the positive things that bring you joy and turn away those things that steal it?

How might you support and pray for our schools that they may continue to be welcoming and that our new starters will feel welcomed by everyone?

Lord God,

We thank you for our schools, homes and communities.

We pray that they may be welcoming to those who need to know they are loved, accepted and valued.

Help us to welcome into our lives the things that bring us joy.

Help us to turn away those things that bring us sadness and doubt.

O God, as you welcomed all people, let us welcome you into lives that we make the world a better place.

Amen.