Exploring Godly PlayJackie Clarke |
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St Andrew’s, Woodford Green, EssexThe number of children in our Sunday group has in the last two years grown again, since three families with 4 or 5 children each have become regular and valued members of our church. The result is that on a Sunday our group can be as many as 18, whereas not long ago we were on average two or three! In addition the age range is wide (3-12) and the space limited. For a while we experimented with a rota of mums to lead the group and sometimes the age groups were split. Everyone however is so busy that the result was often too great a variety in style and approach that sometimes unsettled the children. Since February a regular member of the congregation, who used to lead the children's group, has returned to take up the work again and has offered to anchor the teaching most weeks with the others as helpers on a sort of rota depending on whose children may need particular support. Following discussions with our minister, we have decided to organise our sessions on the lines of the approach advocated by 'Godly Play' – a style of Sunday group work that lays emphasis as much on helping the children gain the tools for their own spiritual discovery as on a particular curriculum content. The stories are all biblical and the materials – to a large extent home-produced – simple, 3 D and attractive. (For more information on Godly Play see the books on this by Jerome Berryman.) One great advantage of this approach for us is that it allows children of different ages and abilities to connect with the same story. The response time is also a change in pattern, since, rather than a set craft, children decide for themselves what they will do to show what they feel about the story they have heard. It means a whole tableful of materials has to be available and indeed some – particularly the older ones – also choose to respond by creating a short piece of drama. It has been liberating though not to be on the craft hunt every week! The final element in Godly Play to which some of the children have really responded is the creating of a special place each week for them to be. A large mat is placed centrally for us all to sit in a circle and this is surrounded by shelves or low tables for the story materials (Old and New Testament stories and the Parables in gold boxes); there's also a focal table – or sort of 'altar' – with a nativity set, cross, a picture of the risen Jesus, a candle and a good shepherd model. It is good that the children are now getting to know the shape of each session and can feel safe. Within that framework they can find the freedom to 'play with' the stories of God for themselves. We've made a slow start – only covering a few stories so far but the response has been good. Some families even say they've ended up talking about the lesson during the week following! Other members of the congregation are also intrigued and interested in what is going on. Settling into a circle to hear the story has been a new experience for some, who have been used to a more lively approach in the past; however as the children at our church do also have a short time in the service first, which includes at least one lively song, it has proved a useful balance to their overall experience of God's love. The hall used is also the place for coffee afterwards, so everything has to be stored away and our ‘sacred space’ packed up. This sometimes makes for rather a messy end, which isn't good. We are working on this. It is however surprising what previously unacknowledged storage space can be found when you really look. The next challenge is to see how the principles and practice of this approach can help shape what happens in our monthly all-age time in church. But as we've hinted, best to go one step at a time.
Jackie Clarke
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