Pencil Windmills Pentecost Assembly

Posted on March 11, 2016 by Amy Tolmie
Categories: Primary, SEN,

Assembly plan to use during Pentecost in Primary Schools from schools worker John Prockter who is based in Bridgnorth


To communicate the Christian belief that we were created to respond to God

Key words

Pentecost. Holy Spirit. Disciple. Windmill

To make a paper windmill, you need:

  • 2 small sheets of square origami paper in 2 shades
  • Decorative sticker or sticky tape
  • Flat-ended drawing pin
  • A pencil

Step 1) Choose 2 pieces of origami paper, one in each colour. Place one sheet on top of the other. Matching edges all round, fold the paper in half diagonally and open out. Fold diagonally again, this time on the opposite diagonal and open out.

Step 2) Cut from one corner along the diagonal fold stopping around 3cm from the centre. Repeat along the remaining diagonal folds.

Step 3) Fold four alternate corner sections down to the centre of the paper, holding each section under your thumb at the centre as you work. Place a sticker or tape centrally on the windmill so that it holds the four blades in position.

Step 4) Take a drawing pin and push it through the centre of the sticker and out the back of the windmill. Push it into the top of the pencil so that it firmly secures the windmill in place, but still allows the windmill to turn.

Assembly Overview

1.     Make a windmill

2.     Read acts 2: 1-4

3.     The disciples are not very special

4.     The Holy Spirit shows us who we are

5.     You’re not a pencil, you’re a windmill

Assembly Script

1. First of all make a windmill yourself to show how it is done.

2. Choose 1 volunteer to make a second windmill. (Use scissors and pin yourself)

3. Ask: "Can anyone tell me what Pentecost is?" (Take answers. They may not know)

4. Read Acts 2: 1-4

5. Say: The day of Pentecost was a Jewish tradition and on Pentecost that day the disciples were sat together when suddenly there was a noise like a mighty wind. There are two things that I think we should talk about today.

  • Who were the disciples?
  • What difference did the Holy Spirit turning up like a mighty wind make to them?

Let’s start with the 1st question:

Ask: Who were the disciples? (Take answers: Jesus Friends / followers)

Say: The disciples were normal people who did jobs the same as their own parents did. They weren’t really special or significant in any way.

Ask: Who can tell me what jobs your parents do? (Take answers)

Say: "In Jesus day you would have done what your parents did. Normal, ordinary jobs. And the disciples were the same. They did normal ordinary jobs… And… they were followers of Jesus.

Now, how about that second question? (What difference did the Holy Spirit turning up like a mighty wind make to them?). Here’s where this story gets really interesting!

On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came like a mighty wind and like flames. The Holy Spirit was showing the disciples that they were connected to God in a way that they could never have understood before. (Pick up pencil windmill)

The disciples were just normal people… just like us in a lot of ways. They had normal jobs just like our parents and just like we will… In a way, they’re as normal as this pencil. For me, there’s nothing more ordinary than a pencil.

But on the day of Pentecost, God showed the disciples that they weren’t normal at all. They couldn’t really fully understand it before this day, even though they believed that God had created them. Now, at Pentecost they were experiencing the way that we’re all designed to respond to Him, to be moved by Him (blow pencil windmill).

The disciples were sat together probably thinking they were as normal as normal can be and suddenly the Holy Spirit blew in and showed them that they’re really not normal at all, and nothing like pencils…. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit showed the disciples that they were really more like windmills (blow pencil windmill).

No matter what we feel like, none of you are normal… or remotely pencil like.

You were made by God who loves you, to respond to Him when he speaks and moves.

You may want to finish with a prayer if appropriate, and invite pupils to join in if they want to, by saying 'Amen' at the end. 

With thanks to John Prockter for this assembly plan.