Youth at St. Martin's
JOURNEY TO ADULTHOOD: A program for our youth
Breaking News, Update
September 9, 2008
It is with great delight that I share with you that two of St. Martin's youth are participating in the J2A program. This coming Wednesday, tomorrow will be the third meeting of J2A. Reports from the youth are that it's a great program and their having "so much fun." The meetings begin at 6:30 pm every Wednesday, with a meal at St. Martha's Episcopal Church, 72nd St., near Cornhusker, in Papillion. J2A is a joint program sponsored by St. Martha's, Holy Spirit, Bellevue, St. Luke's, Platsmouth, and St. Martin's, South Omaha.
August 20, 2008
Following Sunday Service, at our Second Table, Kristi Smith of Holy Spirit, Bellevue, spoke with us about Journey to Adulthood and invited us to participate. This is a program for 6th graders through 12th grade. It is a program being jointly offered by St. Luke's, Platsmouth, St. Martha's, Papillion, and Holy Spirit, Bellevue.
The program takes place on Wednesday evenings, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The kickoff session will be Wednesday, August 27th. Youth are invited to bring their parents to this opening.
This opening gathering will be at St. Martha's, 780 Pinnacle Drive in Papillion, just off 72nd Street and 1/4 mile North of Cornhusker. A meal will be served, and details on how the program works will be shared.
We are invited to "come and check it out" If you have questions, please call Kristi Smith at 714-7013.
August 11, 2008
As a result of the meeting Wed., August 6th, St. Martin's learned of a joint youth program titled, "Journey to Adulthood." We are exploring our participation in this program. Currently it is being conducted by Holy Spirit, Bellevue, St. Luke's, Plattsmouth, and St. Martha's, Papillion. Meetings are on Wednesdays and are held at Holy Spirit, Bellevue.
More on this will follow as details become confirmed.
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Over view
Our goal is that at some point in the future we can have for our youth a Godly Play program. While that is not today, for those of you who do not know what it is, here's a way to describe it: The goal of Godly Play is to teach children the art of using religious language-parable, sacred story, silence and liturgical action – to help them become more fully aware of the mystery of God’s presence in their lives.
Developed by Episcopalian priest, author and teacher, Jerome W. Berryman, Godly Play is designed for children aged two to twelve and has been classroom tested since 1972. Deeply spiritual and highly creative, Godly Play is also used in schools, hospitals, homeless shelters, and retirement centers. Internationally, Godly Play classrooms are found in the United Kingdom, Finland, Germany, Canada, Tanzania, Australia, and in Spanish speaking countries.
Educational Theory
The educational theory of Godly Play is rooted in the pre-history of our species with respect to the use of ritual, story, and the creative process. Unfortunately, postmodern children are losing their ability to be active participants in narrative and ritual, which impairs their use of their own natural creativity (imago dei). The use of Montessori’s approach to education has been adapted to Godly Play in order to stimulate children’s active participation in story and ritual and to awaken their creativity for the learning of the language, sacred stories, parables, liturgical action and silence of the Christian tradition. This is the most appropriate kind of language to cope with the existential limits to our being and knowing.
The above combination of factors enables children (and adults) to become playfully orthodox. They become rooted in their own tradition and at the same time open to others, to new ideas and the future in creative ways.
Until then.... Youth will be an important part of our Sunday Worship through Acolyting, being a Reader, and offering dramatic presentations on Biblical Stories to help us reflect on God's Word to us.