Godly Play/Sunday School

Godly Play/Sunday School

What is Godly Play?

Godly Play is the Sunday School program at St. Augustine. The goal of Godly Play is to teach children the art of using religious language, parables, sacred stories, silence and liturgical action to help them become more fully aware of the mystery of God’s presence in their lives.

Developed by Episcopalian priest, author and teacher, Jerome W. Berryman, Godly Play is designed for children ages 2 - 12 and has been classroom tested since 1972. Deeply spiritual and highly creative, Godly Play is also used in schools, hospitals, homeless shelters, and retirement centers. Internationally, Godly Play classrooms are found in the United Kingdom, Finland, Germany, Canada, Tanzania, Australia, and in Spanish-speaking countries.

Educational Theory

The use of Montessori’s approach to education has been adapted to Godly Play in order to stimulate children’s active participation in story and to awaken their creativity for the learning of the language, sacred stories, parables, liturgical action and silences of the Christian tradition. This is the most appropriate kind of language to cope with the existential limits to our being and knowing.

The above combination of factors enables children (and adults) to become playfully orthodox. They become rooted in their own tradition and at the same time open to others, to new ideas and the future in creative ways.

Contact Information

For more information about Godly Play and the Youth Programs at St. Augustine, please contact Fr. Mark Selvey:

frmark@sainta.net

402.289.4058 (office phone)

Godly Play/Sunday School Schedule

Classes will be held every Sunday at 9:45 am in the loft above the social hall.

We will offer separate classes for pre-school, grades 1 and 2, and grades 3-5. This will allow us to serve our children in smaller groups.

Wednesday evening instruction will be held to serve our middle school and high school students. Please visit the Youth page for more information.

Safeguarding God's Children

Our staff and volunteers are all trained in "Safeguarding God's Children". This is a mandatory requirement for anyone who works directly with the youth in our parish. Safeguarding provides participants with the information they need to protect the children they know and care for in their personal lives and the ministries in which they serve.

The program is based on the philosophy that if every adult can protect just one child, they will forever change one life. If we can all change one life, together we will make a difference in this generation of children.

Contact Information

For more information about Youth Programs at St. Augustine, please contact Fr. Mark Selvey:

frmark@sainta.net

402.289.4058 (office phone)