Education - Children - "Godly Play"

Touch of God

4 Years Old through 5^th Grade            11:00 AM

Meets in the Lowest Level of the church.

Curriculum and Teachers

Godly Play® is a religious formation curriculum created by Jerome W. Berryman*.  The curriculum is modeled after the Montessori approach to education and is based on years of intensive research and empirical study.  At The Church In Aurora, we strive to maintain the integrity of the program as it was originally conceived.  Classroom leaders Betsey Poe and Becky Catalucci are Accredited Godly Play® Teachers, having been fully trained in this discovery model of Christian formation.   Their permanent assistants (doorkeepers) help to provide a loving and consistent presence in the classroom. 

We gratefully acknowledge Women’s Guild for purchasing all of the story materials and curriculum necessary for a complete Godly Play® classroom.

Below are the goals, objectives and procedures of our Godly Play® classroom:

Goal:   

To provide an environment that fosters discovery learning in which children feel safe and welcomed; where they can learn the art of using religious language to encounter the elusive mystery of God and find meaning in their lives.

Objectives (The Heart of Godly Play®):

·         To create sacred space

·         To build and work in community

·         To learn religious language

·         To use religious language to make meaning

How:

·         By using religious language—sacred stories, parables, liturgical action and silence. (The Stories)

·         By modeling how to wonder using the religious language, so that children can “enter” the language rather than merely repeat or talk about it. (The Wondering)

·         By allowing the children to choose their work so that they can confront their own issues rather than work on issues determined by others. (The Response Time)

·         By organizing the time to follow the pattern of worship that the Christian tradition has found to be the best way to be with God in community. (The Structure of Time)

·         By modeling for the children how to work together as a community by supporting and respecting each other and one another’s work. (Building Community)

·         By organizing the space so that the whole system of Christian language is present in the room. (The Sacred Space)

*Jerome W. Berryman is an Episcopal priest who studied at The Center for Advanced Montessori Studies in Bergamo, Italy.  He is a nationally recognized lecturer, consultant and workshop leader in the religious education and pastoral care of children.