Advent Club Week 3

In der 3.Adventswoche haben wir eine Geschichte gehört, die das Weihnachtsbaby erzählt hat, als es Erwachsen geworden ist, nämlich ein Gleichnis von Jesu. Meine Freundin, Jessica, die neulich angefangen hat, Godly Play-Geschichten zu erzählen, kam um uns das Gleichnis vom Barmherzigen Samariter zu zeigen. Dieses Gleichnis passt perfekt in der Adventszeit, da es um die Nächstenliebe handelt. This week in Advent Club we heard a story that the baby we're waiting for told when he grew up - one of Jesus' parables, of course. My friend, Jessica, who is at the beginning of her Godly Play journey, came to share the Parable of the Good Samaritan with us. This is a great story for the Christmas season, because it deals with the theme of love for one another and asks the question, "Who is our neighbor?"

In der Kreativephase ging's weiter mit den Linöldruckerei:

We worked more on our linocuts during Response Time:

Die Kinder waren sehr kreativ und vielfaltig in ihren Designs. 

The children showed much creativity and diversity in their designs.

Einige Kinder machten ihre Türanhängern fertig. Other children finished their Christmas mobiles.

Andere haben die Tonfiguren in Schmuck für den Weihnachtsbaum verwandelt. 

And some transformed their clay pieces into decorations for the Christmas tree.

Und wir machten den Tannenbaum für das Spiel im Seniorenheim fertig. 

And we worked on the poster for a game at the Senior Center next week.

Am Montag geht's los ins Seniorenheim! 

On Monday, we're off for an afternoon of fun at the Senior Center!

Advent Club 2014 Week 2

Diese Woche hörten wir Teile der Weihnachtsgeschichte, die nicht immer erzählt werden, aber trotzdem wichtig sind. "Das Geheimnis der Weihnacht" verwendet Bilder von Giotto aus dem 14.Jahrhundert, die in der Scrovegni-Kapelle in Italien zu sehen sind. This week we heard parts of the Christmas story that don't always get told, but that are still important. "The Mystery of Christmas" uses the frescoes of the 14th century artist, Giotto, that can be seen in the Scrovegni Chapel in Italy.

1. Die Verkündigung / The Annunciation
2. Maria Besuch bei Elisabeth und die Geburt Johannes des Täufers / Mary's Visits Elizabeth
3. Die Geburt Christi / Christ's Birth
4. Die Darstellung Jesu im Tempel / Presentation in the Temple
5. Der Besuch der 3 Könige / The Visit of the Magi
6. Kindermord in Bethlehem (ein sehr trauriger Teil der Geschichte!) / The Massacre in Bethlehem (a very sad part of the story!)
7. Der Fluch der heiligen Familie nach Ägypten / The Flight to Egypt

Ich geniesse immer das Ergründungsgespräch mit den Kindern, wo sie erzählen, was ihre lieblings Teil der Geschichte ist; was ihnen am wichtigsten ist; oder was man weglassen könnte, aber trotzdem alles haben, was wir brauchen. My favorite part is after the story, where we wonder together about the story. The children have a chance to tell what their favorite part of the story is, or what the most important part is, or even what could be left out of the story. 

In der Kreativphase arbeiteten wir an den Projekten von letzter Woche. In the Response Time, we worked more on the projects from last week.

Hier ein gut gelungener Linoschnittdruck:
Here is a finished linocut print:

In Vorbereitung auf unseren Besuch im Seniorenheim, haben wir eine neue Station angeboten. Hier gestalten die Kinder einen Weihnachtsbaum. Beim Seniorenheim wird ein Spiel daraus gemacht, wo die Augen eines Kindes verbunden werden, und das Kind wird von einem Senioren an den Baum geführt. Das Kind muss versuchen den Weihnachtsstern auf den richtigen Platz zu kriegen. In preparation for our visit to the senior center next week, we started making a Christmas tree that will be used for "Pin the tail on the donkey" type of game. We'll cover a child's eyes and have a senior lead the child to the tree, where he or she will have to try to place the star in the right place. 

Und wir übten Weihnachtslieder, die wir mit den Senioren singen können. Da Musik nicht meine Stärke ist, kam mein Mann mit Guitarre um uns zu unterstützen. And we practiced Christmas songs to sing with the seniors. (The good-looking guy with the guitar is my husband.: ) )

Die 3.Woche kommt bald! Week 3 coming soon!

Advent Club 2014 Week 1

Alle Jahre wieder kommt (mit dem Christuskind) die AdventsAG! Wir fingen dieses Jahr mit 14 Kindern aus unserer Grundschule kurz vorm 1.Advent an. Advent is here again and it's time for Advent Club! We started the club this year shortly before First Advent with 14 children from our local elementary school.

Am Anfang jeder AG hören wir eine Geschichte aus der Montessori-inspiriete Religionspädagogik, Godly Play. Natürlich war die Adventsgeschichte diese Woche dran, die den Kindern hilft zu verstehen, warum es die 4 Adventswochen vor Weihnachten überhaupt gibt, und woran wir in dieser Zeit denken:  
Each week we begin by hearing a Godly Play story, and this week it was the Advent story. This story helps children understand why we have Advent and what we can think about and ponder during these 4 weeks: 

1.Sonntag - die Propheten zeigen den Weg nach Bethlehem / First Sunday - the prophets, who pointed towards Bethelehem
2.Sonntag - Maria & Josef unterwegs nach Bethlehem / Second Sunday - Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem
3.Sonntag - die Hirten / Third Sunday - the shepherds
4.Sonntag - die 3 Könige / Fourth Sunday - the wise men
Weihnachten - Alles ändert sich, auch die Farbe, und das lang erwartete Baby kommt!
Christmas - Everything changes, including the color, and our long-awaited Baby is born!

Nach der Geschichte gibt es eine Kreativphase, wo die Kinder ihre Gedanken durch Spiel und Kunst weiter verarbeiten können. Es gibt bei uns selten "traditionelles Weihnachtsbasteln"; wir bieten eher Möglichkeiten mit offenem Ende an, damit die Kinder selber die Weihnachtsgeschichte für sich entdecken können. Jedem Kind ist etwas anderes wichtig und die Kinder dürfen für sich in der Geschichte aussuchen, was ihm am wichtigsten ist. After the story we have a Response Time where the children can explore what they have heard through art and play. There are seldom "traditional" Christmas crafts in our clubs, because we offer open-ended activities so that the children can discover the Christmas story for themselves.

Es gab die folgenden Stationen und die Kinder dürften sich dazwischen bewegen:
The children could move between the following "stations":

1. Linölschnitte - Hier gestalten die Kinder ein Bild, das dann später gedrückt wird. Linocuts - the children cut pictures out of linoleum plates that will be used to make a print in the following weeks.

2. Weihnachtswandschmuck - Hier gestalten die Kinder Figuren mit Ton, die an einem Baumzweig verbunden werden, die an die Tür oder an die Wand aufgehängt werden können. Tree Branch Mobile - The idea here is make figures out of clay that will be hung on a tree branch to make a Christmas Mobile. 

3. Stempeln und Buntstifte - Vielen Kindern ist es wichtig mit Wortern sich auszudrücken. Hier können die Kinder schreiben oder malen, je nachdem sie sich am besten ausdrücken möchten. Stamps and Colored Pencils - Sometimes the simplest materials allow the most creativity. And for some children, it is also important to be able to write out their thoughts.

4. Spielen mit Holzklötzen - Hier bringt man die Phantasie in die Weihnachtsgeschichte. Wooden Blocks - this is an opportunity for imaginative play. 

Ganz am Ende feiern wir ein kleines Fest mit Essen u. Trinken. Heute gab's Brownies und Trauben.: ) We always have a small feast each week before we leave. This week we had brownies and grapes!

Bis zum nächstes Mal! See you next time!

Godly Play and "Church-out-of-a Box"

At the beginning of this school year, I was given a new position with a larger church in Berlin that is planting a new congregation in the area where I live. The new congregation has a weekly children's service as well as the original congregation, and I was asked to help both congregations implement Godly Play into their services. 

I was very excited about this new opportunity, because, for one thing, I needed a new challenge at this point in life and sensed that God had something new for me. Also, as a Godly Play Trainer, I consult other churches about how to implement GP, but I had never actually had the hands-on experience of doing it myself!  

The interesting thing about this church situation is that both congregations meet in theatres on Sunday rather than owning their own buildings. As a result, we do "church-out-of-a-box" each Sunday, where we literally set up the service, including the children's services, by unpacking boxes and rearranging furniture. (Nothing new to me, as you regular readers know from the after-school clubs.) Aside from the effort it takes to set-up each Sunday, the big drawback is that it makes it impossible to have a permanent Godly Play room. 

I have a team of 20 volunteers. They are gifted people who are 100% committed to the children. In many ways they are a dream team for me! I am also lucky to have a few people within the team who have professional experience with children. But here is the challenge: some of my teachers are open to Godly Play and others are skeptical that it can really work. I walk a tightrope at times of encouraging them to at least try GP, but also trying to value the way things have been done in the past. 

I've had a relationship with this church for years, so I had been in their children's services many times. One problem that I noticed from the get-go was that with different teachers on each week, there were no overarching rituals from Sunday to Sunday. Each children's service was very different from the week before, and the children never knew what to expect.  Consequently, there were a lot of behavioural issues among the children and some burned-out teachers. 

As a result, our first step in introducing GP has been to implement the structure and principles: getting ready, building the circle, the story, Wondering, response time, the feast and the blessing. So as not to manipulate or force people into something, we have given the teachers the freedom to either tell the story using whatever method or manner they choose. 

After 4 months, here is where we stand: it's been a rollercoaster ride of highs and lows. We have good days and bad days. Some are becoming more open to GP, and others are really frustrated. 

I keep reminding everyone that most of the time God works in processes. He can do things overnight, but most often He chooses not to. The process of Godly Play is important, because it changes us, the children, and the parents. 

The parables of the Mustard Seed and Leaven have become very important images for us: the Kingdom of God takes time to grow and become visible. It may be two years, before we see real change, and in our instant society where we want everything quickly, that can be frustrating. However, I think it will all be worth the wait. : )

Room to think and explore

One of our goals in Godly Play is to give children room to move around in and explore the biblical stories that they hear. Often in church settings, children are presented with a biblical story and are led to focus on a certain aspect of the story. This is not necessarily bad, and there is room for this in children's ministry. However, what if a particular child is interested in another part of the story? A part of the story that is different from the aspect being highlighted? How can that child explore or play with the part of the story that is important to her?

Let's take the classic story of Abraham and Sarah. Usually when this story is told, the activities that reinforce the learning are usually based on Abraham and Sarah. But what if a child identifies more with Rebekah, or Isaac or even the three strangers who come out of the desert?

The "Wondering" and Response Time in the Godly Play structure are designed to help the child go where he likes in the story and discover whatever God may be pointing out. 

Today, I told the story of Joseph from the Old Testament. It was fascinating during our "Wondering" to see where the children focused their attention. Several children found themselves in the bickering amongst siblings. Another child was absorbed with how Joseph was able to forgive his siblings for selling him into slavery. And still others were interested in how Joseph's suffering and life in a foreign land ultimately saved the entire family during the famine. 

These children all went in different "directions" within this story, but they might not have done this had I presented the story with an emphasis on one or two points. 

I'll never get tired of seeing the children explore and bring God's story into their own story!

Taking care of your own spiritual needs

One of the things we were reminded of at the European Trainers' Conference was to continue to look after our own spiritual needs and help others on their Godly Play journey to do the same.  Gemma Simmonds, one of our speakers, said that " . . . you need more than just you to sustain such a big ministry [as Godly Play]". 

Honestly, I needed to hear this, because I haven't always been really great at looking after myself, so to speak. And because Godly Play doesn't usually lead to burn-out through its understanding of us being co-learners with the children, I sometimes forget that I need outside input in my life.

One of the things that I am doing right now to look after my soul is an Ignatian on-line spiritual retreat. I am drawn to Ignatian methods, because they combine Scripture with imagination. Imaginative play was and is my favorite form of play, so it is a natural way for me to relate to God. 

If anyone else happens to be interested, here is the link to the retreat:

I am also seeking some "live" mentors. I have had wonderful women in the past who have fulfilled this role for me, and I think the time has come to have some more in my life.

What are some ways that  you look after your own spiritual needs?

What effect does childhood play have on our future?

I've just finished my first week of the "Exploring Play" on-line course offered by the University of Sheffield. I've already learned a lot and some real-life and Godly Play friends from all over the world have joined in!

One of our first assignments asked the question, "How does our childhood play affect our future choice of profession as adults?" It was incredible to read all of the "Aha! moments" from my virtual classmates as they realized how much their choices of play in childhood played a role in choosing their future jobs. 

I myself have vivid memories of pretending to be a schoolteacher with my dolls and stuffed animals. I also played school with other kids and always wanted to be the teacher! I also remember making art, creating things, and telling stories. 

I, of course, still do all of these things with children in my roles as Godly Play and English teacher.: )

Did your childhood play choices have an impact on your future profession? 

Exploring Play

At the Godly Play European Trainers' Conference, some of the UK trainers let me know about a free on-line course from the University of Sheffield called "Exploring Play: The Role of Play in Everyday Life". 

In Godly Play circles, we spend a lot of time talking about exactly what play is and why it is important. There are philosophers, most notably Johann Huizinga of the Netherlands, who have argued that the ability to play is what sets human beings apart from all other forms of life. Indeed, we begin to play as infants and continue to do so in one form or another for the rest of our lives. And "play" looks different for each person.

One of my first assignments in the class was to define "play". I wrote that play is something that we do voluntarily and enjoy. We'll see if the professors there and my virtual "classmates" agree. 

Although the course started yesterday, I was still able to sign up today. So if any of you are interested in joining in as well, click here to do so.

How would you define "play"?

Godly Play European Trainers' Conference

After a rather long blogging hiatus . . .  I'm back! We spent part of our summer holidays in the U.S. visiting family and friends, attended a conference in the Czech Republic, and then started back to work.  I have taken on a new position as the children's minister for a larger church in the area, that our church plant partners with, in order to help them slowly implement Godly Play. (More on that project later!) All of these things have been a great adventure, but haven't left much time for blogging.: )

I have also just returned from the Godly Play European Trainers' Conference in Ely, England. What an inspiring time it was! Trainers from all over Europe (and one Australian!) came together to exchange ideas and discuss the progress and future of Godly Play on our continent.

European trainers wondering together about how to support Godly Play mentors
on their journey beyond Core Training that our countries offer. 

The theme of our time together was "The Spiritual Guidance of Children". Over the years, Jerome Berryman has gradually shifted the language of Godly Play from a type of religious education to the spiritual mentoring of children. While the idea of spiritual guidance has always been intuitively present, the new language, especially in Volume 8, brings this idea to the forefront.

One of our workshops focused on the newer Volume 8body of stories. Here are three different versions of the materials from "Knowing Jesus in a New Way" by Godly Play Resources, Godly Play Finland, and Peter Privett of GP UK.

Our speaker was a Jesuit nun named Gemma Simmonds who you can read about here and here. (If you ever have the chance to hear her, I'd highly recommend it! And you might recognize her voice if you watch the BBC.) Although Gemma doesn't explicitly work with children, she spoke to us about how to give spiritual guidance and reminded us that we as mentors need spiritual guidance as well. 

The conference took place in the small village of Ely, which has a massive gothic cathedral right in the middle of it! We spent a lot of time exploring this beautiful place of worship.

The Ely Cathedral

This is a piece of modern art entitled "Way to the Cross". As one nears the cross, the path becomes lighter. The distance is also exactly the same as one would walk inside the prayer labyrinth below. 

This is one of the few medieval prayer labyrinths left in Europe. It was
a beautiful experience to pray with it in the mornings.

Heidi, one of my colleagues from Germany, and I on top of the cathedral's Octagon Tower.

A view from on top of the Octagon Tower. 

What would a trip to England be without a spot of tea?
With Rachel, another of our trainers in Germany.

I'm so thankful to have been with such inspiring people who are passionate about children in such a beautiful place!

YCW: John's Vision of a new Heaven, a new Earth, and a new Jerusalem

This is the companion story to "John, Follower of Jesus, Teaches throughout the World". You can read about the first story here and as well as view the story materials, which are exactly the same for the companion story. 

Both of these stories are about John the Apostle and his exile on the isle of Patmos. They are almost identical, except that each one deals with a different passage that John wrote from the book of Revelation.

The stories come from Young Children & Worship, another Montessori-inspired curriculum whose creator, Sonja Stewart, drew heavily upon the work of Godly Play creator, Jerome Berryman. One plus of YWC is that it has some interesting New Testament stories not contained in the Godly Play curriculum. A big minus, however, is that the stories can be too simple for children over 7 years of age. 

Last year, when I told Part 1, the children complained that it was too short and a little boring. This time I carefully thought through how to elaborate to make it more interesting for older children.  I started by explaining more about the geography and pointed that the part of the earth we were looking at is now modern-day Turkey and the Middle East. I also explained that Patmos had been enlarged so that we could see it better, and in reality it is quite tiny. 

I also added more historical details about the city of Ephesus, how it was a center of worship for the goddess Artemis, and how many people earned their living from selling articles related to worship her temple. This helped the children to grasp the larger picture of why John's teaching about Jesus might have made people angry enough to have him arrested and sent into exile. 

The story ends with the focus on a passage in Revelation about the new heaven and earth from Revelation 22 that John wrote to his friends in Ephesus while he was in exile. 

The underlay that depicts Asia Minor and the Mediterranean Sea is quite lovely, and the children were drawn to the geography during the Response Time. 

One child carefully copied the map and John's journey. Then, she fashioned a boat, John, and a ball and chain to represent his captivity out of modeling clay.

Another child re-created the entire map in miniature with modeling clay.

Sometimes, when our group is smaller, I also choose an activity during Response Time. (I find as a mentor that it is important to myself continue to wonder and create.) I chose to wonder about John's chains with modeling clay and how it would have felt to be in chains because of my faith. Then, I turned the links into a "prayer chain" and used it as a rosary of sorts to quietly pray as the children continued their work.

Have Godly Play, Will Travel

Although most of the Godly Play training that I do is in Berlin, occasionally I get to travel to new places. Recently, I got to visit Brussels, Belgium when some friends and colleagues at an international church asked me to come and do an introductory Godly Play seminar. 

Since Godly Play is all about community and ecumenical connectedness, I immediately contacted my Godly Play colleagues in Belgium to see if they wanted to join in the fun. To my delight, Katie, a trainer in Flanders whom I knew from our Trainers' Training in Holland in 2012, agreed to come and co-lead the seminar with me. 

Our time together began on Friday evening where we wondered together about children - what we can learn from them, how they are perceived culturally, their history with the church and theologians, how to encourage their spirituality and cultivate faith, and what their role within the church could be today. Being an international church, the participants were from all over the world, so this added to the discussion.

Then, on Saturday, we got into the nuts and bolts of what Godly Play is and how to do it. In the picture below, the participants experienced a full Godly Play session with a Response Time. Katie, the Storyteller, sat near the story materials and observed. I was her Door Person (Co-Teacher) and assisted anyone who needed help. 

Katie and I told stories from the Sacred and Parable genres and then explained the theory and practicals of Godly Play. The participants will need further training at some point, should they decide to fully implement Godly Play, but our seminar was enough to get them started. 

This is Katie, my friend Kristyn who invited us to come, and me.

I also got to see a bit of Brussels! 

Kristyn and I in front of the Notre Dame du Sablon, a lovely Gothic structure. 

Doesn't this food look amazing? 

We had to see the famed statue of "Mannekin Pis", but my picture didn't turn out so well in front of the actual fountain. So I opted for this kitschy replica in front of a waffle shop. He's wearing Belgium's colors in the World Cup and holding a waffle. I have a bag of Neuhaus pralines in my hand, something that Belgium is well-known for. If you have never had real Belgian chocolate, you are missing out!

One thing I realized on this trip is how ignorant I am of Belgium's history and culture. Really, the only things I knew about Belgium were its location on the map and that French and Flemish are two official languages. It was nice on this trip to hear more about the country's history and its impact on Europe and the world. 

In talking to Katie, I learned that interestingly enough, there is no "Godly Play Belgium", so to speak, but rather "Godly Play Dutch" that includes the Flemish speakers in Belgium and the Dutch speakers in the Netherlands. As of yet, there are no French-speaking Godly Players in Belgium, and that is one reason that there is no "Godly Play Belgium".

Fortunately, I am not the only one who is not well-versed in Belgium's history. If you want a laugh, check out Jon Stewart's take on Belgium below.: )

Behavioural Challenges in the GP classroom

(Or why we do the things we do.)

At a recent Godly Play training that I gave for two churches in our area, someone asked me if I ever encountered behavioural challenges in the classroom. The answer is a resounding yes!  Although the "getting ready" methodology of Godly Play greatly decreases the inclination towards unwanted behaviours, there are times when kids test the boundaries and act out.

To be quite honest, negative behaviour was something that I didn't deal very well with in the beginning of my career as a children's pastor. I relied on a system of rewards and punishments and didn't know how to help the children develop self-control. Godly Play and Montessori principles were a lifesaver, so much that I have incorporated them into my English classes at school, and not just at church.

Jerome Berryman has written a great deal about being firm, but gentle with children and giving clear boundaries in the classroom. Over the years, I have also found it helpful to discern a child's motivation as well. Here Montessorian Jane Nelson, who co-authored Positive Discipline in the Classroom, has mentored me from afar. She helped me to learn that there is usually a message behind frustrating behaviours. Because the child can't express his or her needs in words, the message comes out in their actions.

For example, a child who constantly disrupts the teacher or provokes other children may have a natural leadership gifting and may be crying out, "Please involve me!" A recent  example of this was a second grade boy in one of our after-school clubs. On one occasion during Response Time, he deliberately took a clay sculpture that another child was working on and poured glue in it. I gently but firmly told him that he had to wash the glue out, so that the other child could continue to work on his sculpture. Once the boy realized that I was not going to flip out over his behaviour, he complied and fixed the problem that he had created. 

After we discerned that this same boy's behaviour could be redirected in a positive way by letting him help, we came up with other creative ideas. One time, I asked him if he would like to pick some of the story materials and tell me a story. He then happily told me and another child the Parable of the Good Shepherd. At other times, we asked him to help with feast or quietly play the piano (there just happened to be one in the room we were using) to signal that it was time to clean up. 

Another child may be sending the message through her actions that she is hurting and needs to have her feelings acknowledged. Yet another child may be exhibiting the urge to just give up and retreat from everyone. He may be saying, "I need you to look at my baby steps and get excited over them!"

It was a process for me to learn all of this (and I am still learning!), so don't get discouraged if you don't get it right the first time or if you make mistakes. Karen Tyler, who taught my on-line Montessori certification class, said that we all make mistakes once in a while and we just have to forgive ourselves and go on. It's part of the process of change. 

I highly recommend looking at Jane Nelson's website, Positive Discipline, where there are lots of helpful articles for every age group. 

Frohes Pfingstfest / Happy Pentecost!

Happy Pentecost Sunday! 

Our church celebrated Pentecost together with a brunch and children's church. And today was the first time that I can remember in several years when I was not in our Godly Play time telling a story. The reason is because we have added another young woman, Jessica, to our teaching team! I am absolutely thrilled that she is beginning her own Godly Play journey.

We only get to use our red liturgical mat once a year, so that makes it extra special for the children, who immediately notice what day it is!

Jessica told the Godly Play story, Paul's Discovery, today. Similar in format to the the Faces of Easter and Advent, pictures of the life of Paul are laid out on a red underlay. 

Today's story, Paul's Discovery.

Jessica and Melinda told me a little about the interesting Wondering time afterwards. The children seemed to agree that the most important part of the story was Paul's dramatic encounter with Jesus in the bright light and his resulting blindness. Without that incident, "he wouldn't have written all those letters to the churches" that we have in the New Testament. 

When asked if there was a part of the story that made them think of something in their own lives, one child answered that something reminded them of Jessica and Melinda's lives.  The part where Paul leaves his parents and goes to live somewhere else made this child think of how it must have been when Jessica and Melinda moved out of the homes they grew up in and began to live separately from their parents. 

At the same time, the children were also troubled that there was no more mention of Paul's parents in the story. Truthfully, history does not tell us what happened to them after Paul went to study with Gamaliel. 

During Response Time, the children drew pictures. A couple of little girls were into drawing native Americans. In the Godly Play classroom, we welcome everything the children create, whether it has something to do with the story that have just heard or not. We want them to learn that they can share all of their lives with God, and that God is indeed interested in the things that interest them.

Because we celebrate the worldwide church's birthday on Pentecost, the children also decorated cupcakes during Response Time. They ate some of them during their feast and then presented the adults in the church with the rest. One of the children led the adults in singing a round of "Happy Birthday" to the church. (Even though we are a German-speaking church, everyone knows this song and many people in Berlin also sing it at birthdays.)

Here in Germany, Pentecost Monday is a national holiday, so I plan to sleep in tomorrow and enjoy the sunshine. Have a wonderful week!

FrühlingsAG / Spring Godly Play Club - Week 3

Die letzte Woche der FrühlingsAG kam fast zu schnell! Als Anfangsritual entzündete ein Kind die Christuskerze an und ein anderes Kind stellte unsere "Kirchenuhr" ein (unten im Foto). The last week of our Spring Godly Play Club came all too soon! As always we began with our ritual of having a child light the Christ Candle and another set our "church clock" to the right color. 

Zunächst hörten wir die Geschicht, "Der Gute Hirten und die weltweite Communion". Diese einfach Geschichte kombiniert das Gleichnis vom Guten Hirten und dem Abendmahlsakrament. Next we heard the story of "The Good Shepherd and the World Communion". This simple story combines the imagery of Jesus as the Good Shepherd with the sacrament of communion.

Der Gute Hirte kennt jedes seiner Schafe mit Namen und zeigt ihnen den Weg. The Good Shepherd knows each of his sheep by name and leads them to green pastures and fresh water. 

Er lädt sie zu seinem Tisch mit Brot und Wein ein. Manchmal kommen Menschen von all der Welt zu diesem Tisch. Und die Kinder kommen natürlich auch! He also leads them to his table with bread and wine. Sometimes people from all over the world come to his table. And the children as welcome as well!

Die Kinder waren von dieser Geschichte ziemlich angetan und spielte eine lange Zeit in der Kreativphase mit dem Material. Ein paar Jungs nahmen auch das Gleichnis vom Guten Hirten und erzählten mir eine Geschichte. Wie schön das war ihre Geschichte hören zu dürfen! This particular story seemed to spark the imagination of the children during our Response Time, and they took turns playing with the materials. A couple of boys pulled out the parable box with the Parable of the Good Shepherd in it and asked to tell me a story. What a delight that was to hear their story!

Hier sieht man, was wir noch gemacht haben:
Here are some glimpses of the other things we did:

Vielen Dank fürs Mitlesen!

Thank you for following along! 

If you missed Part 1 or Part 2, be sure to click on the links to catch up.