Reviewed by Susie Mapledoram, a schools based youth officer in the Diocese of Blackburn.

Ta…daaa! A book of assemblies which are great. Many a time I’ve trawled through assembly books in search of something a little groovy, a nugget of gospel truth wrapped up in a brilliant application wrapper, only to find very little that grabs my attention, however this book is truly a collection of some of the best material I’ve come across. Get past the uninspiring cover and you’ll find a load of brilliant assembly ideas. Sometimes the introductions to these kinds of books can be a little patronising to say the least, but Burt gets the tone just right, especially with chapters on planning and preparation and building links with schools. Its written humorously, accessibly and there is no compromising when it comes to drawing out biblical themes. Every assembly has a bible passage linked to it and a point of application which clearly directs the theme of the assembly to God. And these aren’t tentative links to nice, moral thoughts but clear insights into what God thinks about issues justice, third world, recycling, bulling and materialism.

The layout is superb; each assembly is coded with icons identifying ‘key stages’, whether the assembly needs volunteers or has a ‘slightly whacky’ element, and if the assemblies are controversial. Even though all of the assemblies in this book are worth a read, this coding system makes it a very easy book to use when you are after something specific. 

With Burt’s experience in writing drama books and working with Riding Lights, you won’t be surprised to discover that the sketches and monologues in this book are excellent. We’ve all been in the presence of Christian dramas that have made us cringe severely, and look for the exit, but these are really good.  

There is no doubt in my mind that this is a fantastic resource for anyone who has the privilege of doing assemblies in both primary and secondary schools – you might even want to consider buying a copy for your local schools too to keep on their bookshelf - but the quality and nature of the material in this book would make it useful to anyone who is passionate about communicating God to children and young people clearly, effectively, biblically and who enjoy the odd Pot Noodle now and again!