A concrete guide for churches wanting to use Godly Play with adults.
Written by Rebecca McClain, this book presents the case for the use of Godly Play with adults. With using a metaphor of a family meal, Graceful Nurture lays out four creative programs for adults:
* The Heavenly Banquet -- for preparing adults for baptism, confirmation, and reaffirmation of vows (12 weeks); * Dessert Only -- for preparing families who are beginning Godly Play; * Slow Cooking -- a Godly Play retreat weekend; and Coffee and Cream -- using Godly Play on Sunday Mornings (12 weeks).
Requiring the use of lessons from the Complete Guide to Godly Play, Graceful Nurture offers background on Godly Play, including why and how to use it with adults, and in depth notes and suggestions for 12 key Godly Play lessons, including how to adapt them for an adult audience.
Rebecca L. McClain is a lifelong member of the Episcopal Church and was ordained in 1985. McClain has served as priest at the congregational, diocesan, and national levels and recently retired after completing her responsibilities as Interim Dean of Saint Paul's Cathedral in San Diego, California. In every role and position, her life and work has been shaped by the conviction that all creation is holy and every human being is beloved of God. Through the lens of Jesus, she strives to see as God sees and seeks to serve as an agent of God's love. In retirement, McClain continues to serve as a consultant to congregations in transition and those engaged in strategic planning. She is a founding board member of the Godly Play Foundation.
"Graceful Nurture is a gift to the church as we continue to reimagine adult formation and discipleship. The possibilities are many and I look forward to sharing this with others."—Caroline J. Black, Canon for Formation, Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia
"Graceful Nurture liberates our adult souls so that we might dare to ask the most important question of living the Christian life: I wonder . . . ?"—The Rev. Dr. Gil Stafford, Canon Theologian, Diocese of Arizona
"For congregations already using Godly Play with their young people, Graceful Nurture offers concrete tools and theology to extend their Godly Play program to adults, including how to help adults truly enter work time."—Missy Morain, Director of Christian Formation for Children and Youth, St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Pacific Palisades, California
"While the Godly Play® method was developed with children in mind, many have discovered its potential to nurture the spiritual lives of people of all ages. In this book Rebecca McClain provides us with a treasure trove of ideas for how church leaders can engage adults in the transformational stories of Godly Play®."—The Rev. Cheryl Minor, Director of the Center for the Theology of Childhood, Godly Play Foundation
