What is Godly Play?

Godly Play is a method of Christian education and spiritual formation designed especially for children. It presents the awe, immensity and mystery of God through three types of stories: sacred ones of the Old and New Testament, parables and liturgical stories (Easter, Baptism, Communion, etc.). 

Stories are told using the “discovery method” which encourages children to think and wonder about God rather than be “talked to” about God. It also uses Montessori teaching methods and encourages child-directed activities. 

Godly Play was developed by Episcopal priest, author, and teacher Jerome W. Berryman. Its methods are based on Berryman’s years of study, research and work in “laboratory” classrooms focused on how children learn and experience “God,” the “Holy” or the divine.

Godly Play is unique. It does not tell our children “how to do it” or what the story means or exactly what they should believe. It gives them instead a way to discover how to come close to the mystery of God’s presence in their lives. It gives them a way to understand that they are on a great journey, and it gives them a way to delight in that journey. It invites their imaginations.

Some components to our Godly Play program are the following:

Take –home Scripture Verse: When you pick up your child after worship, they will be bringing home a scripture verse to learn. The verse will be related to the story they learned. We appreciate your support of this activity at home.

Offering: We will be asking children to bring in a weekly offering. It will be collected each week and each room will decide on what project they will use the offering for. 

Using Godly Play Parent Pages
A Godly Play doorkeeper gives a “Parent Page” to each parent when they pick up their child. Using the Parent Page helps children recall--in a sense relive--the Godly Play presentation at home. Each Parent Page offers a condensed retelling of the Godly Play lesson. It includes suggestions for how to use the page at home. It also gives parents information to help them understand Godly Play’s methods and purpose.