Godly Play Canada
GETTING STARTED
Getting started with Godly Play can feel intimidating, especially when it comes to getting your church or community on board. We would like to share some tips to get you started and the basics of what you need to know.
The Spirit is at work in Godly Play through the gathering of the circle of children and the relationships nurtured there. In your local worshipping community, seek out adult education, parent circles, or the Godly Play guild that will help you find your place of meaning. Get in touch with a Godly Play Trainer to find out how they could help you introduce Godly Play to your community. Talk to your Minister, elders, or church members who are passionate about children's spirituality and may support giving Godly Play a go.
Getting Others
On Board
Consider:
Who in my community would make a great doorperson or storyteller?
What spaces could we transform into a Godly Play room?
How might we fundraise to get this ministry started?
Setting Up Your Room
Each Godly Play room should be set up with a few core elements:
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Focal shelf: Sits behind the storyteller and is the focal point of the room. This shelf has the liturgical action stories on it as well as other materials the storyteller may use often like a Christ candle.
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Sacred Stories: These Old Testament stories should be together and kept together on the left of the circle.
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Parables: This shelf should hold all the parables in the gold boxes and kept to the right of the circle.
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Other key stories to highlight: The focal shelf should be connected to the other shelves by the stories of Christmas and the stories of easter. You may also have a shelf with key stories from after the resurrection or the Pentecost shelf.
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Response materials: Godly play rooms also have a shelf with response materials that often include art supplies and tactile objects to work with.
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Do not include: Decorations or space to display the children's work. Keep the focus on the stories. Don't have too many books unless they are specifically selected and align with the Godly Play Method.
Here are some examples of Godly Play rooms around the world.
Materials
We realize not all faith communities have the budget to go all out and buy the entire Godly Play material library at once. In fact, you may not be able to buy any at all. We don't want that to stop you from bringing Godly Play to your church.
We encourage churches to make their own materials until they can afford to purchase some. Having a material-making workshop could be one of your church's first introductions to Godly Play - and what a playful way to do it!
When making materials, ensure they are high enough quality that the children can use them during your work.
If you can buy a few stories, we recommend The Circle of the Church Year, The Holy Family, The Good Shepard and the Holy Communion, and The Great Family. These are core stories that will be a real investment into your Godly Play room.
Try Godly Play Big
Sometimes, adults need to see it for themself. Bring Godly Play into your church service so the whole congregation can experience what Godly Play is like.
