Godly Play

“Nurturing spiritual lives by honoring the centrality, competency, and capacity of children.”

At Good Shepherd Church and Day School we deeply respect the spirituality of children. We trust that children’s ways of being with God and God’s ways of being with children reflect the image of God in each of us.

Our mission is to cultivate children’s rootedness in Love for life. The method and practice of Godly Play supports children and their families in making meaning through story, wonder, and play.

  • What is Godly Play?

    Godly Play is the teaching method we use for both Faith Stories, Family Stories @ 9am and Children’s Chapel @10am and our Day School chapel.

    Godly Play uses a careful telling of scripture stories and engaging story figures to encourage children to seek and find their own answers to their faith questions. We invite children to wonder about themselves, God and the world in a way that is playful and meaningful to them.

    Each week we invite God’s presence and grow in community as we experience the stories. Through this powerful language and wondering about the stories, our circle of children hears the deepest invitation of all: Come play with God.

  • What happens in a Godly Play Class?

    Getting Ready- we prepare our hearts, minds and bodies to enter the story circle

    Hearing the Story- the storyteller shares the story using the quality materials 

    Wondering Together- we ask open ended questions to help engage with the story

    Receiving a Blessing- children are affirmed and sent forth with a blessing

Meet our Godly Play Mentor Team

Each Godly Play circle has two adult mentors.  These volunteers are trained to support the children in Godly Play.

  • Patty Webb

    Minister for Children and Families

    Godly Play Advanced Training

  • Cynthia Insko

    Godly Play Trainer

  • Wendy Vanmeter

  • Jack Branum

  • Emily Greenfield

    Completed Godly Play Core Training

  • Anna Morris

  • Hannah Williams

  • Kara Johnson

    Completed Godly Play Core Training

  • Emily Fairchild

  • Emma Lovely

  • Victoria Mears

  • Lindsay Nordin

  • Ann Maggard

    Completed Godly Play Core Training

  • Liz Jameson

  • Christina Rayyan

  • Ann Mayer

  • Trevor Moffitt

  • Jaclyn Phelps

Godly Play Resources

Godly Play is more than a classroom experience. It is a way of being with children that respects and nurtures their ways of being with God. Families are key to cultivating the garden of spiritual growth in children. Below are some resources to encourage adult caregivers of children.  

  • CLICK HERE to Check it Out!

  • Click Here to check it out!

  • Click Here to check it out!

Want a tour of a Godly Play Room or to learn more about Godly Play? Contact Cynthia or Patty!

The Rev. Cynthia Insko, Godly Play Consultant

Patty Webb, Minister for Children and Families