Adult Sunday Morning Christian Education
NEW studies are being reviewed for participation by ZOOM...thanks for your patience as we discern what the next Study will be.
Children's Christian Education
Intergenerational Class
The approach to learning in this class is quite different from the traditional model in which the teacher simply tells the children what they need to know and then memorize. The Christian curriculum used is Godly Play and It is not just about learning lessons or keeping children entertained. It is about helping children locate each story in the whole Christian experience.
Some liken Godly Play to the Montessori method of learning. Because children are naturally curious, imaginative, and spiritual, Godly Play strives to engage their creativity and encourage them to connect their own life experiences with their relationship to God. For example, when the Good Shepherd and his sheep are studied, the children "hear" the story, as the observe the teacher simultaneously using visual aids. The teacher literally leads the sheep through a hands-on "desert" wilderness, through green pastures, and beside still waters. Families and individuals are then, offered a variety of "wondering" questions. For example: "I wonder...if the sheep have names?" "I wonder...why the sheep trust the shepherd?" and "I wonder...if you have ever been afraid like the sheep when they were in the wilderness place?" Participants are given time to think about the "wondering" question and then time retell the story as they "heard and saw" it, if they so choose, using the visual aids. Or, they can engage in another activity that allows them to retell the story in their own words. For example - with art, play dough, or music. Godly Play also prepares our children to join in worship and the life of our congregation as they develop a deeper understanding of the biblical stories, church calendar, liturgical colors, sacraments, and symbols of our Christian faith.
Some liken Godly Play to the Montessori method of learning. Because children are naturally curious, imaginative, and spiritual, Godly Play strives to engage their creativity and encourage them to connect their own life experiences with their relationship to God. For example, when the Good Shepherd and his sheep are studied, the children "hear" the story, as the observe the teacher simultaneously using visual aids. The teacher literally leads the sheep through a hands-on "desert" wilderness, through green pastures, and beside still waters. Families and individuals are then, offered a variety of "wondering" questions. For example: "I wonder...if the sheep have names?" "I wonder...why the sheep trust the shepherd?" and "I wonder...if you have ever been afraid like the sheep when they were in the wilderness place?" Participants are given time to think about the "wondering" question and then time retell the story as they "heard and saw" it, if they so choose, using the visual aids. Or, they can engage in another activity that allows them to retell the story in their own words. For example - with art, play dough, or music. Godly Play also prepares our children to join in worship and the life of our congregation as they develop a deeper understanding of the biblical stories, church calendar, liturgical colors, sacraments, and symbols of our Christian faith.
