Workshops (in alphabetical order of the workshop-leaders)
Loraine d’Andiran: Come close to one another: ecumenism and Godly Play
Godly Play is deeply ecumenical, both because of its biblical roots and because it can be adapted to the liturgical differences of each context. Let’s explore this aspect to bring us closer together and work towards various forms of inclusion.
Alesia Ausiyevich: Methods for creating materials for Godly Play stories from wool and felt
Alternative ways to create storytelling materials. I can teach workshop participants how to create storytelling materials with their own hands. Specifically, how to felt a dove for the story of Baptism or a fish for the story of Jonah. Or a snake for the story of the second creation. Also, rivers for sand stories.
Amy Crawford: Coming close to my childhood spirituality
It will be a reflective exploration of one’s own early experience of God and what may have been helpful or a hindrance, positive or confusing/difficult about your experience. We will then consider how our own stories might impact our work with children and what we need to do as leaders to create the space and ensure that we provide positive and helpful guidance for children in our practice of Godly Play.
Heather Ingersoll, Jorge A. Sierra: Translating Godly Play stories
Are you working on a translation or hoping to translate stories? Join a panel of others who’ve translated Godly Play stories to discuss tools, resources, and best practices.
Kira Iufereva: Slowly, gently, surely: Godly Play in the circle of the vulnerable
Every person, regardless of cognitive ability, has a spiritual language. For three years, we have been discovering that language through Godly Play. This workshop shares practical experience, theological reflections, and concrete tools from three years of leading Godly Play with young adults with mental disabilities (including autism, Down syndrome, intellectual disability). Participants will learn how to adapt the classic Godly Play model while preserving its contemplative heart.
Hilary Lacroix: Godly Play for all
Come and wonder about circles that include children or adults with additional support needs such as autism or learning. Hilary will share some of her experiences and practices – and hopes to learn from yours. There will be an opportunity to make a GP visual timetable.
Alex Mackenzie: Godly Play with older people
In this workshop Alex shares her experience of using Godly Play in care homes, and how she uses Godly Play to support the spiritual care and nurture of older people, especially those living with the advanced stages of dementia.
Alex Mackenzie: Stories in the style of Godly Play
No matter how hard you look, the story you need simply isn’t in any of the Godly Play volumes. Jerome Berryman didn’t write it. So, what do you do—write it yourself? Easy, surely? In this workshop, Alex shares her experience of writing stories in the style of Godly Play and takes you through the process she uses. She’ll even share one of those stories. And no, it isn’t easy.
Valters Pranks: Colouring „Jesus and the women” material
This workshop includes Jesus and the woman DIY material and paint.
This workshop costs 20 euro.
Ruth Cardinal Seawell: Wondering in unlikely soil: Navigating Godly Play in answer-oriented cultures
This roundtable workshop invites Godly Play practitioners to explore the unique tensions that arise when introducing wondering as a sacred practice within faith communities and cultures where questions are traditionally expected to yield a single, correct answer. Participants will be encouraged to share firsthand experiences from their Godly Play circles — reflecting on how children respond to open-ended wondering, as well as the challenges of forming mentors who may themselves be unaccustomed to sitting with unanswered questions. Together, we will listen, learn, and discover how others are creating space for wondering to take root, even in the most answer-certain of soils.
Andrew Sheldon: Coming close to Jerome Berryman: An imagined conversation with our founder
Using his writing and recordings I have of conversations I had with Jerome we would explore what was important to him, what he may want his legacy to be.
Jorge A. Sierra, Martin Steinhäuser: Stories on Jesus and the Christology „within” Godly Play
A comparison between Jerome Berryman’s approach (esp. in Vol.8) and the German Jesusgeschichten, looking especially at the „Jesus and the children„-versions.
Jorge A. Sierra: „Mere Christianity”: Some insights from the stories in Godly Play
„Mere Christianity” is a well-known book and an expression used by C. S. Lewis to offer a rational defence of the Christian faith. To this end, he focuses on what makes us truly Christian „without labels”. Can Godly Play be seen as a path to finding this „mere Christianity”? Drawing on some ideas from J. Berryman’s beloved stories, we will engage in theology and „wondering” in an interactive way (and by discussing things together).
Rev Bridget Steenkamp, Stan Truby, Hunde Wondafrash Leta: Making meaningful materials
Godly Play storytellers in some countries and some communities cannot buy materials for storytelling but need to make them. We will have a display showing different ways the Jonah story, St Patrick and Creation story can be made. Each participant will be able to make their own full size St Patrick story, mini Jonah story and creation story to take home to use in their Godly Play circle or with their family or for one-to-one storytelling sessions.
Joy Studer, Aimee Rose Formo: Supporting parents and caregivers in your circle
Strategies and resources for helping parents and caregivers of children in your circle, to extend the circle by nurturing their children’s spirituality at home through wonder, story, and play.
Joan Truby: Understanding personal response time: a play therapy approach
This interactive workshop will aim to deepen insight into the Personal Response Time of the Godly Play session and how this can be of value to the children. Using play therapy concepts as guidelines, we will explore how to create a space for children’s spiritual and emotional expression, and discuss tools for the story-teller to support the children’s work.
Joke Vermeire: The Christian language system through Godly Play
The workshop is about the Christian language system and how children acquire it. It takes its starting point from the three (actually four) languages of Godly Play. We will explore this development using the Godly Play approach and then share our thoughts.
Workshop Schedule
August 19. 16.30-18.00
- Loraine d’Andiran: Come close to one another: ecumenism and Godly Play
- Amy Crawford: Coming close to my childhood spirituality
- Kira Iufereva: Slowly, gently, surely: Godly Play in the circle of the vulnerable
- Jorge A. Sierra, Martin Steinhäuser: Stories on Jesus and the Christology „within” Godly Play
August 21. 14.30-16.00
- Alesia Ausiyevich: Methods for creating materials for Godly Play stories from wool and felt
- Kira Iufereva: Slowly, gently, surely: Godly Play in the circle of the vulnerable
- Alex Mackenzie: Stories in the style of Godly Play
- Andrew Sheldon: Coming close to Jerome Berryman: An imagined conversation with our founder
- Joke Vermeire: The Christian language system through Godly Play
August 21. 16.30-18.00
- Hilary Lacroix: Godly Play for all
- Ruth Cardinal Seawell: Wondering in unlikely soil: Navigating Godly Play in answer-oriented cultures
- Jorge A. Sierra: „Mere Christianity”: Some insights from the stories in Godly Play
- Rev Bridget Steenkamp, Stan Truby, Hunde Wondafrash Leta: Making meaningful materials
- Joy Studer, Aimee Rose Formo: Supporting parents and caregivers in your circle
August 22. 12.00-13.00
- Loraine d’Andiran: Come close to one another: ecumenism and Godly Play
- Heather Ingersoll, Jorge A. Sierra: Translating Godly Play stories
- Alex Mackenzie: Godly Play with older people
- Valters Pranks: Colouring „Jesus and the women” material
- Joan Truby: Understanding personal response time: a play therapy approach
August 23. 9.00-10.30
- Amy Crawford: Coming close to my childhood spirituality
- Hilary Lacroix: Godly Play for all
- Ruth Cardinal Seawell: Wondering in unlikely soil: Navigating Godly Play in answer-oriented cultures
- Rev Bridget Steenkamp, Stan Truby, Hunde Wondafrash Leta: Making meaningful materials
- Joke Vermeire: The Christian language system through Godly Play