Today was a fairly typical Monday in that I darted around every unit at the hospital where I proudly serve as a pediatric chaplain. Due to a visit with a patient’s mom Friday afternoon while the patient napped, I knew one goal for the day was to tell a Godly Play story to a young girl on our Acute Care floor. It took a few visits before she and I got some time together. She was either asleep, in the playroom, or working with Occupational Therapy each time I stopped by in the morning. After lunch, the timing was right.
I grabbed a pillow case from the cart of clean linens on my way to her room, and then we chatted while we cleared off her hospital tray. The tray was between us, and I laid the pillow case on her tray before bringing the metallic gold box out of my “Chaplain Jessica” monogrammed L.L. Bean tote. I placed it on the pillow case to keep Infectious Disease and me happy, and we began “The Parable of the Good Shepherd.” Continue reading
The pressures of the world make it harder and harder to set aside time–at least regularly–for spiritual nurture. But, many families, including parents and grandparents, are looking for ways to nurture their child’s spiritual life. Into this yearning drops this new resource: Stories of God at Home: A Godly Play Approach.
Over the past 40 years, Godly Play has found its way into churches, hospitals, and care facilities across the globe, and Godly Play circles gather in over 40 countries! From Jerome Berryman offering us a new way of forming children in the Christian tradition to a widely practiced methodology with supporting theological and pedagogical research and publications, the spread of Godly Play has always been primarily organic in nature. It is astounding to consider all that has happened from stories told at just the right time in just the right place. It is an aspect of our Godly Play culture—that growth happens through relationship—which we endeavor to foster and support.
Along these lines, the Godly Play Foundation Board of Directors, staff, and Trainers are excited to announce a new pilot program in the United States: Godly Play Missioners. The goal for Missioners is to bring Godly Play to the world and to bring the world to Godly Play. Through gatherings, introductory sessions, stories in “outside the box” locations, and concentrated work with existing programs including reaching out to people who we have trained, we are hopeful that these volunteer Missioners will work to change the world through Godly Play. We envision Missioners becoming the bridge for programs needing support before or after attending Core or Advanced Training.