Godly Play Sunday School

St. John's New Sunday School Teacher

St. John’s is excited to announce the hiring of Krystel Becerra Alfaro as our new Sunday School teacher. Krystel has a BA in Psychology with a minor in Early Childhood Education from Sonoma State University, where she is currently pursuing an MA in Education. She has 10 years professional experience as an early childhood educator in Sonoma and Marin Counties, and focuses on fostering authentic partnerships with children and their parents, leading with integrity, respect, and empathy.

Krystel’s primary responsibility will be to anchor our Godly Play program, and she is excited to learn more about this special way of engaging the spiritual lives of children.

Godly Play is a practice that nurtures children’s spirituality through story, wonder, and play, and honors their centrality in the church community, as well as their own competency and capacity to make meaning. To learn more about our program, contact our office, or visit any Sunday.

Godly Play is an approach to working with children that honors their capacity for experiencing the presence of God. By sharing stories, told using simple and accessible materials, we offer them the language, permission, and understanding to express and enjoy that presence. We encourage children to wonder together about the story, and do their own “work” in response it, using the story materials, or other media.

Episcopal priest Jerome Berryman developed Godly Play, building on the foundation of Maria Montessori’s approach to Christian education, and it is now used in faith communities, children’s hospitals, and other settings all over the world.

Teaching Godly Play is a spiritual practice in its own right, that enriches our understanding of sacred story and community. If you would like to learn more about joining our team of volunteers, contact our office.

For more on supporting the Children’s Ministry at St. John’s, click here for a message from our Rector, the Rev. Daniel Green.

Use this link or the QR code to contribute to St. John’s Godly Play fund.