Godly Play is a program developed by the Rev. Dr. Jerome Berryman which places the stories, parables and liturgical actions of the church into circles of children for their engagement. It incorporates many of the foundational practices of The Reggio Emilia and Montessori early-childhood educational methods, which are child-centric and child-directed in design. It recognizes that the worlds of children are full of wonder and questions, and it seeks to give them religious language to help them navigate their spiritual and existential lives, honoring the centrality, competency and capacity of children. The flow of a typical class follows that of worship, including getting ready, listening deeply, responding with questions and work; it includes a small feast. St. Paul’s has already partially incorporated some of the features of this program in its classroom materials and sacred story telling. Our hope is to fully implement this way of being with our children, building on the wonderful community of connection and love they already experience in our Christian Education classrooms. Our classes begin at 9 a.m. so the children and their teachers will still be able to participate in 10 a.m. Sunday worship. If you are interested in learning more about the program or think you might be called to this ministry as a teacher or teacher’s helper, please contact our Associate, Heidi J.A. Carter.