Godly Play teaching in Barcelona

Taking advantage of my annual fortnight's lecturing on children's ministry at Ibste, the Spanish Bible Institute and Theological Seminary at Castelldefels, near Barcelona, I was also able to lead Godly Play classes with two groups of children.

The first session took place on Sunday, 17 January, at a church in Sant Feliu de Llobregat (in Barcelona province). About 10 boys and girls took part and they responded enthusiastically to the stories on Holy Baptism and The Good Shepherd and World Communion.

The second session was held on Wednesday, 20 January, at Ibste's chapel, where an international group of resident children and parents at the Bible Institute gathered together for their very first encounter with Godly Play. I told them the Parable of the Good Shepherd in Spanish and English, and one of the Institute's staff also translated some of the words into Chinese. It would seem that communication was quite a challenge! However, when I moved the little wooden figures of the sheep out of the fold and made them follow the figure of the Good Shepherd towards the "green pastures", suddenly the most lively child in the group placed his cheek on the green felt underlay which represented the rich pastures. He then laid himself down and two of the other children did likewise. I doubt whether any of these 2- to 4-year-olds had ever learnt the words of Psalm 23, "He makes me lie down in green pastures". However, these little ones were intuitively following and anticipating the story - using their own body language to do so!



Photos: Eunice Sanjaime