Wednesday, February 1, 2017
GODLY PLAY
Part of the Godly Play sounded familiar, so is there something from your childhood or current time in life that is similar to Godly Play? In what ways can we take Godly Play and apply it to older people, whether youth, young adults, or elders? Lastly, what would you say is most valuable about Godly Play, as in, what have you learned from most or seen others learn from?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Oftentimes my Pastor will tell stories for the message along with a piece of Scripture to give the congregation more guidance. I think in this way and by putting up thought provoking pictures and decorations that people can observe in their own timing can be a way to apply Godly Play to youth, young adults, and elders. What I see as most valuable about Godly Play is leaving room for people to apply the story to their own life and giving room for the Holy Spirit to work.
ReplyDeleteWhen I attended Sunday School and Bible study Godly Play was always incorporated in some way. When I was younger my group leader would conduct games that we would relate back to the Scripture we were talking about that. When applying it to various ages it I think it depends on the environment. All in all to incorporate Godly Play to various ages, the church I feel should work on generation integration, allowing play to take place between children through elders. Together, as a community. The most value coming from Godly Play I would say, probably in the interaction and feeling God's love from people younger, the same age, and older.
ReplyDeleteGodly play is definitely important because it helps the child or adult to remember the lesson better so instead of lectures and possibly losing people there is an effective way to get people's attention. The most important part of Godly play is that kids are learning by having fun, the style of learning is making a stronger connection for them and it makes them want to come to church and learn more.
ReplyDeleteGodly plays involves every way of learning. Seeing, hearing and doing. Each time a child participates in Godly play they are experiencing some kind of lesson. Lectures only get someone so far, even as an adult I will lose focus on a dry and long lecture. Kids want to have fun but they also need to start learning some lessons early and Godly play is a great way to do just that. We can apply it to older people the same way we do the kids, find out what kind of activities said group likes to do and apply a lesson to it. I have been able to observe many youth events that involve Godly play and I would say the best part that comes from this is the friendships kids form with each other. This surrounds them with an accountability buddy and hopefully a Godly environment as well.
ReplyDeleteGodly play allows for the Holy Spirit to do his work of teaching and instructing. This is part of the contemplative/reflective model of teaching. Godly play seems to be the best way for the church as a whole to move forward in ministry because of the post modern world we live in today. Perhaps churches need to rethink the typical Sunday morning. Everything from the building to the sermon to the decor. If churches are not reaching the lost and if they are losing members it may indicate that God is doing a radically different thing and the church needs to follow Gods direction and not continue the status quo. Perhaps this new thing is Godly play.
ReplyDeleteGodly Play is one of my most favorite ways of engaging students with a story. I learned it in two of my Jane Kennard classes and since then I have tried to structure my lessons more around this model. I love that it requires the students to participate with the story. It also encourages a learner towards a lesson nugget rather than just coming right out and telling them what they need to know. I have found that this method sticks and leads to true discipleship. I believe Godly Play truly is for all ages, if it is adopted. In an adult setting I imagine a leader reading the passages aloud as the adults close their eyes and try to imagine the setting. Undistracted by life they would be able to absorb the words. At times the leader would bring up “I wonder” questions in an age appropriate way. I imagine the adults wrestling with the answer together. I understand the individualization to be the most valuable element of Godly Play. Unfortunately, most ministries have taken the group approach to discipleship despite the fact that it is truly an individualized experience. Godly Play allows for individualization while in a group setting, meaning that with a few tweaks it could become the main way we encounter the text.
ReplyDeleteWithout Godly play, we struggle to understand the presence of God in our lives and this is why it is so important. We see it work in young children and how through story telling and demonstrations they can make connections. Sometimes Godly play seems childish, but I believe we must apply Godly play to everyone. A lot of times it can be hard to understand a lecture when there is nothing you can find to connect that lecture with to your own personal life. Godly play reveals so much to us, in a way that is easy to understand.
ReplyDelete