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Teacher Training

Training is essential to get maximum benefit from either Faith & Play or Godly Play®.  Storytellers and those who work with them in the classroom need to have a firm grasp of the methodology and of the theology of childhood that form the underpinning for the pedagogy and the whole culture of the Godly Play®/Faith & Play classroom. 

Even experienced storytellers need the training because the style of storytelling used in these approaches is significantly different from traditional storytelling and is sometimes counter-intuitive.  The training sessions are nurturing and deeply grounded; they ultimately benefit both the ones being trained and the children they work with. 

Training Availability

Training is available periodically through Friends General Conference (FGC) and Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, and regularly through the Godly Play Foundation/The Center for the Theology of Childhood. 

Godly Play® core training, the initial step in a two-year teacher certification process, takes three full days (18 to 21 hours of instruction and practice).  Such training is through the Godly Play Foundation.

Playing in the Light workshops (about 15 hours of instruction, modeling and practice) offer basic instruction in the use of Godly Play® and Faith & Play, but do not lead to Godly Play teacher certification.  They offer teachers what they need to know to begin using Godly Play (minus the liturgical lessons) and Faith & Play in Quaker contexts.  These trainings are offered through FGC and Philadelphia Yearly Meeting.  In October of 2010 there will be a Playing in the Light workshop at Pendle Hill, and an enrichment workshop for teachers already trained in Godly Play will be offered in April of 2011.  For information on either workshop, please go to "Events & Links." 

FGC and Philadelphia Yearly Meeting also offer 3 to 6 hour introductions to Godly Play and Faith & Play for meeting communities that wish to explore the possibilities of these rich resources, but are not yet ready to commit to the program.  These introductions offer spiritual refreshment and nurture, and can be very helpful for meetings in discernment about whether to seek training for their teachers.  Contact Michael Gibson, FGC Religious Education Coordinator, for more information on Quaker-led trainings and introductory workshops. Address: michaelg@fgcquaker.org.

Visit the Godly Play website for a listing of Godly Play® teacher certification weekends and other training opportunities offered through the Godly Play organization.