People ask me a lot if they can download the Godly Play stories, or if they can take the Core Training on-line. That's a reasonable question, because you can find or learn most anything on-line these days. But the only story that you will find on the net is the Parable of the Good Shepherd. And while there are a few You Tube demonstrational videos of stories out there, it is not possible to be certified as a storyteller on-line.
Why? Well, here are a few reasons . . .
1. Godly Play is an art form as well as religious education, and it is best learned from someone live and in person. Because GP started as a grass-roots movement in the States, the only quality-control out there is good training. The best way to begin is to get a book and start experimenting. Then, find a Core Training to attend on one of the Godly Play websites.
2. We invest time and money into the things we value. Godly Play is less likely to be a fad that we throw aside when something new comes along if we have spent the money to buy the books and actually read them. Attending a training requires financial sacrifices and possibly taking time off from work as well, so it is not something that you just do on the fly.: )
3. Safety reasons. In order to safeguard children, Godly Play wants to know the people who are being certified as storytellers. We wouldn't want someone with dubious intentions to use Godly Play for their own purposes to the detriment of children. (I know of at least one case in Europe where a person attended a training and the trainers had serious concerns that the person should not be working with children. The trainers then got in touch with the local church that the person was from and shared their observations.)
This is not an exhaustive (or official) list of reasons, but just a few off the top of my head. Feel free to add more in the comments if you think of something!
Why? Well, here are a few reasons . . .
1. Godly Play is an art form as well as religious education, and it is best learned from someone live and in person. Because GP started as a grass-roots movement in the States, the only quality-control out there is good training. The best way to begin is to get a book and start experimenting. Then, find a Core Training to attend on one of the Godly Play websites.
2. We invest time and money into the things we value. Godly Play is less likely to be a fad that we throw aside when something new comes along if we have spent the money to buy the books and actually read them. Attending a training requires financial sacrifices and possibly taking time off from work as well, so it is not something that you just do on the fly.: )
3. Safety reasons. In order to safeguard children, Godly Play wants to know the people who are being certified as storytellers. We wouldn't want someone with dubious intentions to use Godly Play for their own purposes to the detriment of children. (I know of at least one case in Europe where a person attended a training and the trainers had serious concerns that the person should not be working with children. The trainers then got in touch with the local church that the person was from and shared their observations.)
This is not an exhaustive (or official) list of reasons, but just a few off the top of my head. Feel free to add more in the comments if you think of something!
Actually you can find some English versions on the Internet if you try, but unfortunately that then stops godly play creators getting financial recognition for their many years of developing the process and slows down any future developments
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting, because the things that I have found are watered-down stories that call themselves Godly Play, but are not the real text. But you are right, any real versions out there are tantamount to robbing the Godly Play Foundation.
DeleteI would also add that if you know of specific links, please let the Godly Play Foundation know, because they are an infringement of copyright. We had a case in Germany where an ethics education group started something called "Goodly Play" and we successfully persuaded them to change the name based on copyright laws.
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