Hi Ursus - I considered doing a GP training once, but didnt'.  It has been recommended to me by a few people I admire. 

My SS uses Whole People of God, and it is good.  I like the rotational model of Sunday School a lot too though for being interesting and leaving room for fun stuff.

Main challenges - counting on teachers and finding engaged, spiritually-interested teachers; 

Original/successful... come from the rotational model -building an ark of the convenant; drama with video cameras & costumes, buying a parachute and using it with bible stories as a tent, or a river or wind;  building a scarecrow, etc

PLAY PLAY PLAY!

Children learn best through playing, so whatever you choose to do, whatever you want to teach them, make sure it's full of games and fun projects. Kids can learn a lot of spiritual and moral messages through hands-on learning. Talk talk talk does not and will not keep them interested in what God's message is.

Anyways, good luck with that.

My church started Godly Play 3 years ago. We use GP as a childrens church program but most churches use it as a SS program. It is about play but a different kind of play not about games and entertainment to fill up time and space. It is about playfullness with God.

The children are presented with a story ( props are used) and "I wonder" questions are asked afterward. I wonder what the most important part of the story is? I wonder were you are in the story or   what  part of the story is about you? You never give the answers to them. Godly play is not a program to program children into looking and talking like a Christian. Goldy Play gives them the basic religious language skills to use so that they can understand and grow the realationship that they already have with God. After the wondering questions and the children have  finished wondering they can respond to the story in art, writting, clay or work with another story that they have heard before. this is not a planned art project it is their own work, what they want to do and it won't be for you to understand or respond to.

Question:

If you don't believe children are naturally spiritual beings and the Holy Spirit is at work in their lives then this program is not for your church.

If you believe that children need to be molded spirtiually after adults this may not be for your church

If your church wants to children to memorize prayers and verses and not know them from their heart and what that story says to them at that moment now and  maybe in the future then Godly Play is not for your church

If you want your children to know... How to love, What to do and Who to be ...then this program may be for your church.

The props can be made if you have a few good wood workers and someone with attention to detail and a love for the stories or you can purchase them on their web site. I prefer the Berryman stories

Training is a must. Find a trainer in  your area. This is a slow program to get started and you wonder if the kids get it and then there are the times they will suprise you ... When a child realizes who the Good Shepard is for the first time, That they are part of the Great Family of Abraham one of the people of God. You will realize the children get God and the adults are just bumping around in the dark.

sorry so long  good luck , Love in Christ

Hi -- our church has been using GP for three+ years, but only for the 6 - 11 year olds.  I'd be interested to hear from others who are using it -- what age range do you have?  There is some resistance here to including preschoolers, although the program itself is designed for 2 - 12, from what I understand. 

There are elements that I think are awesome about Godly Play, and other pieces that don't work for me at all.  Some of Berryman's stories need to be edited/changed so that the content fits with United Church  practices (because Berryman is an episcopalian) and/or theology (eg his "faces of easter" stories for Lent says that when baby Jesus looked into his parents' faces, he saw the cross!  whaa?).  I don't like how the Godly Play stories are presented as "this story is from the Bible" when Berryman has made his own additions (the cow in the stable looked and looked at the baby).

I like the children being able to discover things on their own, but to me there is also room for them to learn from their community -- ie it is okay for a teacher to answer a question every once in a while.  Not as "this is the only answer," but "here is some of the ways Christians look at this".  The way I've been taught is that GP is opposed to this.

shalom!