Author: Janice MacLean

First Baptist Church Halifax, an inclusive and progressive congregation, seeks a Lead Godly Play Storyteller to lead our Godly Play Team to develop and implement our Sunday morning Godly Play program for children and young adolescents.

The Lead Godly Play Storyteller will work approximately five hours weekly, developing the plan through preparation and training in July-August, leading the programming from September-June.

More detailed information including required competencies, experience, and primary responsibilities are available on the church website: 

Interested applicants are invited to submit a resume to Chair of Search Committee, Janet Margeson at jobopening@fbchalifax.ca. Screening of applications will begin on May 1, 2023.

Primary Responsibilities

• Lead and strengthen our Sunday morning Godly Play program, expanding our implementation of the spiral curriculum to support children of various ages
• Prior to worship, set-up Godly Play Room, ensuring stories and supplies are in place for storytelling circles
• Inform the church office when supplies are needed
• Participate in welcoming children and families as they arrive for worship andcommunicate information about Godly Play opportunities with all families
• Join children for the children’s story; as appropriate assist ministers and layleaders in supporting children during this time
• Lead the Younger Grades storytelling circle (in 2023-2024, this will be allchildren except those in the older/Middle School group). In future years, determine with Board of Christian Education and Godly Play Team where you are most needed to support the full implementation of the curriculum
• Communicate information about stories told in Godly Play to the church office for a weekly FBCH Family News update sent out following worship each Sunday. Along with the stories told and a provided link to family pages (as available), share other important information for families to know about Godly Play.
• Willing to receive formal training in Godly Play

Experience and Competencies

• Experience as a teacher, or in leadership of children and implementing curriculum
• Understanding of the progressive Christian faith tradition and an appreciation for Baptist heritage and values (see our church website for information on Baptist freedoms)
• Outgoing personality, interpersonal attritubtes that connect well with children and their families
• Storytelling and communication skills
• Group management strategies
• Understanding of pedagogy regarding stages of child development

An Update from the Godly Play Foundation:

We have begun a comprehensive review of the materials to address concerns about the lack of diversity and implicit bias in our materials. To begin with we have made some small changes to the story of Creation and to some of the images and materials used in the Parables. The changes we made include:

Continue reading “Update from the Godly Play Foundation” →

To Help Celebrate Black History Month:

New Story of Martin Luther King Jr. – The Child’s Own Saint

Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream that African Americans would not be discriminated against on the basis of color. He courageously traveled the country to make this dream come true through peaceful protests.

Learn more about the story at Godly Play Resources.