Faith & Play Stories is an experiential storytelling resource for Quaker religious education programs and Friends schools. Faith & Play stories explore Quaker faith, practice, and witness using the Montessori-inspired Godly Play method of storytelling and building spiritual community. Faith & Play Stories Inc. develops stories for publication and offers training for Quaker meetings and churches and Friends schools interested in using Godly Play and Faith & Play.
As Quaker communities pivoted to online spaces in March, Faith & Play Stories shifted its work. While training workshops are not offered online, 90-minute introductions to Faith & Play and Godly Play are opportunities to learn more and experience stories in community. Interest groups and introductory workshops were organized for Friends in three yearly meetings, at the FGC Gathering, and for Friends school faculty. Online sessions for support and consultation were offered to participants in training workshops scheduled for the spring and summer.
Faith & Play stories are being shared where Friends gather online, both for worship and in programs for young people. Faith & Play and Godly Play stories were told at the FGC virtual Junior Gathering and during an all-ages worship session at Australia Yearly Meeting. In addition to sharing stories live using Zoom, the creation of the Faith & Play Stories YouTube channel has expanded the possibilities for sharing stories with families and children at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Comments on Friendsjournal.org may be used in the Forum of the print magazine and may be edited for length and clarity.