Advent Club 2017 Week 3

Die Adventszeit läuft dieses Jahr besonders schnell vorbei! Diese Woche hörten wir Teil 2 der Geschichte, "Das Geheimnis der Weihnacht". It seems as if Advent Club is flying by this year! This week, we finished Part 2 of "The Mystery of Christmas". 

Nach einer kurzen Wiederholung von letzter Woche, gabe es:
After a quick review of last week's stories, we heard:

5. Der Besuch der Drei Königen - The Visit of the Magi
6. Das Kindermord in Bethlehem (ein trauriger, aber wichtiger Teil der Weihnachtsgeschichte)
The Slaughter of the Innocents (a very sad, but important part of the Christmas story)
7. Die Flucht der Heiligen Familie nach Ägypten - The Flight of the Holy Family to Egypt



Danach stellte ich die folgenden Fragen:  Was hat euch am besten gefallen? Welcher Teil ist wohl der wichtigste? Welcher Teil erzählt etwas von deinem Leben? Die Kinder hatten viel darüber zu sagen und das Gespräch ging recht lang. Afterwards, we wondered about the whole story, all seven "episodes" together. What did each child like best? Which part is the most important? Which part of the Christmas story tells something about their life? The children were very engaged and shared many thoughtful comments. 

Frau Kreß, eine Lehrerin aus unserer Schule, half uns die Lieder zu üben, die wir nächste Woche im Pflegeheim vorsingen werden. Mrs. Kress, a teacher from our school, came to help us rehearse the songs that we will sing next week at the skilled nursing facility. 

Dann wollten die Kinder unbedingt los in die Kreativphase! Das neue Projekt diese Woche waren Bienenwachkerzen zu basteln und passende Ständer aus Ton zu gestalten. Then, the children were eager to play and create. Our new project this week was making beeswax candles and candle holders from clay.

Wir haben auch an die vorherigen Projekten gearbeitet . . . 
We worked on projects from last week . . . 

Und es gab viel Zeit fürs Freie Spiel . . . 

And there was plenty of time for unstructured play . . . 

Unser "Fest" bestand aus Äpfeln und Weintrauben. 

Our "feast" this week consisted of apples and grapes. 

Am Ende gab es ein Adventsgebet und Segen. 

We ended our time with a special Advent prayer and blessing. 

Advent Club 2017 Week 2

Wir zünden die Christuskerze an . . . 

Lighting the Christ candle  . . . 

Die AdventsAG ging weiter mit Teil 1 von der Geschichte, "Das Geheimnis der Weihnacht". Diese Einheit betont den Wunder der Menschwerdung Gottes und erzählt dazu manche Teile der Weihnachtsgeschichte, die man selten hört. Our Advent journey continued with "The Mystery of Christmas",  a lesson that emphasises the miracle of the incarnation of Christ and tells parts of the Christmas story that are often left out.

Im Teil 1 haben wir folgendes erlebt:
Part 1: 
1. Die Verkündigung des Engels Gabriel an Maria (The Annunication)
2. Marias Besuch bei Elisabeth und die Geburt Johannes des Täufers (Mary visits Elizabeth)
3. Die Geburt in Bethlehem (The Birth of Christ)
4. Die Darstellung Baby Jesu im Tempel (The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple)

Dabei haben wir Bilder aus dem 13.Jahrhundert von dem italienischen Maler Giotto verwendet, die heute in der Arena-Kapelle in Padua zu sehen sind. We used pictures from the 13th century Italian painter, Giotto, that can be seen in the Arena Chapel in Padua. 

Meistens nach einer Geschichte stelle ich offene Fragen um die Geschichte zu ergründen. Heute haben wir das Gespräch bisschen anders gemacht. Jedes Kind dürfte nach einem Gegenstand im Raum suchen, der uns hilft, mehr von der Geschichte zu erzählen, und ihn neben ein Bild hinzulegen(unten). Usually, we wonder about a story together by asking open-ended questions. Today, we wondered together in a different way. Each child was invited to look around the room and find an object that might tell something more about the story. 

Dann ging's los in die Kreativ- und Spielphase. Then, the children chose activities to help them think more about what they had heard.

Station 1: "Buntglass-Bilder" mit Ölkreide malen. ("Stained glass" pictures with oil pastels.) The idea for this came from Art Projects for Kids.

Station 2: Krippe mit Holz- und Naturmaterial bauen (Build a nativity with natural materials.)

Station 3: Memory-Karten für den Besuch im Pflegeheim malen (Make cards to play "Memory" at the nursing facility)

Station 4: Stempeldruck-Bilder mit Schwämmen u. Farbe (Print-making with sponges and paint)

Station 5: Bauen / Spielen mit Kaplan und Geschichte-Material (Creative play with blocks and the story materials)

Bis nächste Woche!

Same time, same place next week!

Advent Club 2017 Week 1

Advent und Weihnachten mit Kindern zu verbringen und erleben ist ein großes Geschenk! Am Montag dürften wir mit 14 Kindern in den 1.-3.Klassen in die Adventszeit einsteigen. Also, ging die AdventsAG 2017 los! Experiencing Advent and Christmas with children is one of the most amazing gifts we can receive in this life. The best Christmas present ever. Last Monday, we began another Advent Club with 14 children in grades 1-3. 

Bevor wir über die Weihnachtsgeschichte reden, erzähle ich gern Geschichten aus den Alten Testament, damit die Kinder verstehen, dass Jesus nicht aus der Luft kam. Die Geschichten und Propheten aus dem AT deuteten schon, dass ein Messias kommt, und sie hatten bestimmte Vorstellungen gehabt, wie er sein sollte.   Before we get to the actual Christmas story,  I usually begin with a story from the Old Testament so that children understand that Jesus didn't just come out of nowhere. The Old Testament stories and prophets showed the way and the people had some very specific ideas of how the Messiah would be. 

Also, wir hörten erstmal die Geschichte vom König David, der König und Hirte für Gottes Volk war. Nach seinem Tod begannen die Menschen auf einen neuen David zu hoffen, der vollenden würde, was David startete, und der König und Hirte für die ganze Welt sein würde. This year, we began with the story of King David, who was both a king and shepherd for God's people. After his death, God promised that another would come, who would complete would David started, and who would be a shepherd and king for the whole world. 

Jede Woche nach der Geschichte suchen die Kinder eine Aktivität aus, die ihnen hilft mehr über die Geschichte zu entdecken oder über für sie wichtige Dinge nachzudenken. Wir haben selten traditionellen Bastelangebote in der AG, weil uns wichtiger ist, dass die Kinder Sinn und Bedeutung aus dem, was sie gehört haben, machen. Each week after the story, the children choose from different activities to help them explore the story (or anything else on their mind) more. We don't have very many traditional Christmas crafts, because we are more concerned that the children be able to make meaning out of what they have experienced and heard. 

Die Kinder bewegen sich frei zwischen diesen unterschiedlichen Stationen:
The children start at one activity and freely move between the stations to explore more: 

1. Weihnachtskrippe von Holz und Naturmaterial bauen
     Nativities from wood and found nature materials  

Ich finde diese Christuskind aus Stein und Eichel Zuckersüß!
I love this Baby Jesus made from a stone and acorn cap!

2. Stempeldruck mit Farbe und Schwamm
    Sponge-print paintings

3. Freies Spiel mit dem Geschichte-Material und Holzklötzen 
    Free play with the story materials and blocks

4. Davids Psalm 23 entdecken
    Exploring more with David's Psalm 23

Als die Kreativzeit vorbei war, feierten wir ein kleines Fest im Kreis zusammen und überlegeten, was wir in 3 Wochen mit den Einwohnern im Pflegeheim machen möchten. After our creative time came to an end, we gathered again in the circle, had a snack and talked about what we might do when we visit the nursing facility in 3 weeks. 

Bis nächste Woche!

See you next week!

New Godly Play Storytellers in Minsk!

The Godly Play family is growing! There are now 14 more certified storytellers in Mink, Belarus. 

Eleven women and three men attended a three-day Core Training May 12-14 led by UK/Germany Trainer, Helen Spencer, and myself. With this group, we did some serious playing! We laughed together quite a bit, and wondered about a great deal of things. Our unofficial motto was "Godly Play, not Godly School"!

Our lively group was made up of children's workers from 5 different churches: 

One of my favourite parts of any training is when the trainees experience a full Godly Play session for themselves as participants, often for the first time. Here Helen shares "The Great Family".

Many people come to Core Training having only assisted children in the Response Time, or never having seen a real Godly Play room.  It is fun to observe and assist them during their first Response Time for themselves.

We wondered about Children's Spirituality, 

the roots and influences on Godly Play, 

and about which of the Montessori principles in Godly Play we liked best. 

Of course, there was time to learn and practice our stories, 

and to share them with our peers. Depending on the person, this can be a lot more challenging than sharing the stories with children! 

Pictured below, Helen and I are with Sveta, Irena, and Alesya, who did all of the legwork for us, and without whom we could not have offered this training. (There is one other Sveta not pictured, who also went above and beyond the call of duty to serve us!)

Core Trainings go all day and involve lots of sitting. Sometimes it wears me out, because I don't get enough exercise. There was nothing to fear at this training, because Alesya walked me an extra 8-10 km each evening after the training ended to make sure that I saw all of Minsk. (This was my third trip here, but the first time that I actually saw the city!) 

Here I am at "Ploshad Pobedi" (Victory Square). 

Alesya and I on top of the city library building, one of the most excellent views town.

.

And I had some amazing food while I was there as well! Here are some "draniki", a type of Belarussian hash brown with lots of sour cream and smoked salmon. Yum! Yum!

So privileged to have shared this time with such special people!

Aufbaukurs in Halle / Godly Play Training & Retreat in Halle

Godly Play Germany offers Taster Days and Core Trainings all over Germany as well as a bi-annual conference. Over the years, though, the Godly Play community has expressed a need for other things like further training, community with other storytellers, and spiritual retreats. Because of this, the trainers have developed something called an "Aufbaukurs", a weekend that includes a new aspect of Godly Play to explore, some training, and many elements of a spiritual retreat. 

Villa Jühling in Halle, Germany, where we stayed. 

In March, my friend Heidi, who is a trainer in Wittenberg, and I led such a weekend in the city of Halle with 10 other women from Saxony, Berlin, and the Black Forest. Together we explored the Old Testament enrichment stories that deal with suffering and conflict: The Garden of Eden, Ruth and Job, and some Godly Play-inspired stories about the teachings of Jesus: The Lord's Prayer, The Sermon on the Mount, Blessing the Children, and the Emmaus Disciples. 

I'd like to tell you about some of the highlights. One was the community aspect. While some religious movements divide people over doctrine and other issues, Godly Play really brings people together. The twelve of us were from different backgrounds and confessions, but each woman came with a genuine openness that quickly established a trusting, sharing atmosphere. 

Our Wondering conversations after each story were thought-provoking and uplifting. Most of the time, I wonder with children and people that are new to Godly Play. I learn so much from these two groups of people, but it was really different to wonder together with a group of diverse, mature women who practiced Godly Play themselves. 

We also experienced two full Response Times sessions, where each of us could creatively explore however we wished. For some of the women, this was challenging, because they are usually accompanying children, and the children are the ones doing the creating. For others, it was pure joy to be able to sit for a longer period of time and creatively respond to the stories  without being interrupted. It was freeing for me, because I realized that I don't often regularly make time for a creative response to Scripture. One of the things that I am "bringing home" from this weekend is to make time for that on a weekly basis in response to Lectio Divina.

Our time ended on Sunday morning with an interactive, ecumenical worship service centered around the Lord's Prayer. Each of us then made our way home with our spiritual tanks filled and excited about our further path with God and the children in our lives. 



  

Easter Club 2017 Week 4

In der letzten Woche vor Ostern haben wir "Das leere Grab" gehört. Diese Geschichte ging natürlich um die Auferstehung Jesus, aber auch darum wie die Jünger u. Jüngerinnen erstmal nicht glauben können, was ihre Freunde über Jesus erzählt haben. Wie sie als Community langsam gelernt haben zu trauen, was sie gesehen, gehört und gespürt haben.  Our last story in Easter Club was "The Empty Grave" about the miracle of Jesus' resurrection and how the followers of Jesus had a difficult time at first believing the reports of their friends having seen Jesus. 

Danach haben die Kinder fleißig Projekte fertig gemacht und neue angefangen. The children were especially productive in this last week, making and finishing all kinds of projects.

Nähprojekte . . . 

Sewing projects . . . 

Osterbaum-Anhänger . . . 

Easter ornaments . . . 

und noch gespielt . . . 

and playing . . . 

Die armen Eltern müssten dann einen Weg finden, alles nach Hause zu transportieren! The parents had quite a time figuring out how to get it all home!

Als Abschiedsgeschenk hat Melinda, meine Co-Begleiterin, eine Osterüberraschung an jedes Kind gereicht. My co-leader, Melinda, prepared a special Easter treat for each child as a parting gift.