Godly Play
At Fork Church, we have three Godly Play groupings. We meet in the Parish House at 10:00 a.m. for about 40 minutes and go to church for communion.
- Group I is for 3, 4 and 5 year-olds
- Group II is for grades 1, 2, and 3
- Group III is for grades 4 and 5
Christian Education is provided for children age 3 through grade 5 through Godly Play, a method of Christian education and spiritual direction for children. 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. In Godly Play, we tell Bible stories to children to encourage them to enter into the stories and relate them to their personal experience. Godly Play is concerned with the spiritual development of each child as an individual and with modeling the appropriate moral behaviors expected of people living within a Christian community.
In Godly Play, each class session follows the pattern of the church’s Sunday Service, so children will have a deeper understanding and enjoy fuller participation in the parish worship. Godly Play was developed and classroom tested for more than twenty years by Episcopal priest, author, and teacher Jerome Berryman. The Godly Play method is currently being used in churches of many denominations throughout the world.
Journey to Adulthood
J2A is for youth 6th grade through 12th grade and has two groups. Youth Group is participating with other Episcopal churches in the region, being held at St. James the Less in Ashland, Va.
- Rite13 is for 6th-8th graders
- YAC is for 9th-12th graders
The program includes such activities as “Holy Hockey,” Frisbee Golf, bowling, swimming, community service, serving as acolytes, diocesan retreats at Shrine Mont, mission trips, Youth Sunday at church and just “hanging out” together.
Journey to Adulthood is a program of spiritual formation for young people. The goals of the program are to celebrate the transition from youth to adulthood, explore our faith heritage, build community and friendships, and deal with issues that are important to teenagers.
Forms
