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About Us

Godly Play

Welcome to Godly Play!

Godly Play aims to:

Make God’s Word come alive for families
Assist in spiritual development
Help Christianity become a part of daily life
Make the language of the Bible familiar

Godly Play Assumes:

Children are individuals with different needs and have a variety of ways of learning.
Play is an important way of learning for all children
God’s Word is meant to be walked out in daily life.

Godly Play Comes From:

The Montessori tradition of education
Sofia Cavalletti’s work on religious formation of the child
A U.S. group called Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Twenty years of experience in churches in the U.S. and Canada

What is godly play?

An imaginative approach to guiding children on a spiritual journey.
A way to discover God through stories, silence, and parables.
If focuses on the language of God and making meaning of the gospel.
Children will discover a respect for scripture while also having fun.
A special environment is prepared for children and their work.

How did Godly Play come about?

With the opening of her first "children's house" in 1907, Maria Montessori initiated what has become a worldwide movement. This tradition honors the child's natural sense of the sacred and seeks to provide a richly structured environment in which the religious potential of a child may freely develop.
Inspired by his advanced Montessori studies with Sofia Cavaletti in 1971, Dr. Jerome Berryman returned to Houston to develop a comprehensive religious education curriculum based on the pioneering work of Montessori and Cavaletti. This approach to religious education has come to be known as, “Godly Play.”

What do the parents in Winona say?

s a place where children see god not only in stories, but in everything.” -Laurie Huff
We have learned to relax while beautiful worship music is played.”
We enjoy learning about God, family, and friendship.”
We have gained a better understanding about Bible stories and Christian values like confidence, teamwork, and respect for others and God.”
Keep up the great work-
Your services are much needed in the secular world.”

What the kids in Winona say.

“I like it! I love it! It is cool. It makes learning about God more fun.”

What is your favorite thing to do at Godly Play?

Play with clay, make costumes, listen to stories, and draw pictures.”
“It’s peaceful. It’s fun. I like the snacks, music, drawing pictures and the stories.” -Emma

What Else?

“I learned a lot from Godly Play, and I also had a blast with all the fun things we did.”