Teaching Philosophy
“Children come to us with their own spark, and with their own experience of God, that elusive Presence who plays hide and seek, peek a boo with us – that sometimes feels so close, and other times, far and beyond us.” - Godly Play, Theology of Childhood
Godly Play
At Mount Seymour United we use a teaching method called Godly Play - a Montessori based approach to spiritual formation and religious education that is used in churches all over the world.
Godly Play is a way for children to learn stories and religious language through storytelling, wondering and responding. Children are encouraged to engage and express their experiences of the sacred. We have two Godly Play rooms for age 3-Grade 1 and Grades 2-5.
Children are individually welcomed at the door and invited into a classroom with beautifully crafted stories and a variety of response materials. Together they will experience a story, wonder about the story’s meaning, and then choose materials to respond to the experience. Through this discovery process children learn and practice expressing and exploring their experiences of the sacred.
“From adults Children need love, not admiration. Our attention to them is not given on a conditional basis, but rather helps them to know that we care for who they really are, acknowledging their feelings as real and valid. To do this, adults need to be open and ready to receive, like Jesus was with children. Being open might allow children to come and affect us and even teach us.” - Godly Play , Theology of Childhood
Learn more about Godly Play