Developed by Acting APRIM Kelly Spencer, ‘Godly Play’ is a way of “building faith, community and friendship”.

Pre-schoolers and their parents are invited to join together every Monday before school pick-up, with the 15-minute session focusing on a particular message from the Bible. After a prayer and song, the children work on a craft activity which reinforces what they have learned.

For most parents and their young children the weekly gathering is their only connection to the Church and as Kelly explained, the program fits nicely with the fourth marker of Renewal. The Archdiocese of Adelaide has listed eight characteristics of a ‘healthy, vibrant renewing parish’, with marker four outlining a ‘warm sense of community outreach and welcome’.

“It’s been a great success and we’ve been getting consistent numbers,” Kelly said of the program.

“We wanted a way of enhancing the Catholic identity of the school and the program is a fantastic opportunity to build on the faith journey of each child.

“For most attending, their experience of the Church is through the school, so in a way we are evangelising the Gospel message of Jesus.”