Author Archives: F. Keith Stirewalt

The children, assistant, and I are sitting in a circle. I had shared a Hands-on Bible story. What’s next?

I wonder aloud with them about options during their upcoming “reflection time.” There may be a Bible story to re-tell with the materials…a book to read…a Bible story to contemplate through art materials. A child shares where they want to start and then heads to that activity. And if they don’t know? They can walk around the room to decide and then circle back to me and tell me what they have decided.

Self-choosing…it can provide a layer (or two!) of complexity to the session. It also can open a child’s spiritual experience. I once had a child during “reflection time” choose materials to re-tell the same parable story over and over…week after week…for quite a while. And then, one Sunday, he chose something else. Why? The beauty is that he did not need to know “why,” and neither did I. The Spirit that moves within us with “groans that cannot be heard (Romans 8:26-7)” may not make logical sense, but what a joy when children—and we—can become more familiar with that God-force within all of us.

Hands-on Worship Friends:

January is a good time to settle in with your hands-on children’s worship program, with the excitement of Christmas past us and with the children being more used to the program’s procedures.  Step back and take a look:  how is it going?  What is working well/not so well?

As you get to know the students, are there some who could take on more of a leadership role?   We learn the most when we teach others; it also is true of children. In Montessori, children show mastery of a story or activity by being able to teach another.  A child could show another child stories or guide them in reinforcement activities.  This concept is different from announcing, “Susie is our special helper today”.  It takes noticing a student’s specific skills and asking them in a more private space to use those skills to help others:  “Susie, I notice how you are able to retell a story to yourself (or work with the watercolors to reflect on the story/etc).  Would you please guide our new friend Sarah?”  Children listen to other children often much more than to us, so let’s use that tendency in our favor!

Also, in Montessori, praising a child takes on a different form.  Instead of telling everyone, “Joe did such a nice job of putting away his story”, consider the following.  Make a general comment such as, “I noticed someone who took care to put all of the story pieces away and to find the correct space for the story.  Did you see something similar?”  More than one person will see him/herself in that scenario and can feel pride.

What is your particular challenge moving into 2014? What are your goals? Share, and together we can explore strategies for success.

Happy new year! -Margaret

Hands-On Worship Friends:

I wanted to check in periodically to provide some reflections on Godly Play/Young Children and Worship.  Here are some thoughts:

• When one is starting a program and there are few stories available, stories can be spread out during the response time for re-telling.  It can be arranged ahead of time for an adult or older child can sit with each story.
• Sometimes it works best to limit options for response times.  The students could be offered three options, including one group activity.  For example, students could retell the story using the figures, depict it in watercolors, or create a list of thoughts (an adult could be the “scribe”) from the point of view of one of the characters to further the “wondering” time.  (For example, here are some reflections for the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus:  I wonder what it would have been like for Zacchaeus to climb the tree. Imagine what it would have been like to be called down from the tree.)
• Students may state, “We have heard this story before!”  We can be mindful that there are many truths to gain from a story, and re-visiting it is a way to notice something new. (“I wonder if you will see something differently.”)

Reference:  Resource sheet Godly Play and Older Children adapted from work by Cheryl Minor

My prayer is that “these children experience God while learning about God.” (Young Children and Worship, pg. 13)

Blessings, Margaret