Stories that build faith
Training for persons working with children in Ukraine.
From 20 to 23 July 2026, the Lutheran Centre in Warsaw hosted a training course for persons working with children in the German Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ukraine.
The training focused on the creative storytelling of Bible stories, and the main facilitator was Rev. Beate Brauckhoff, a pastor in the Evangelical Church of Westphalia and an educator specialising in religious education for pre-school and early primary school children. Anna Olek and Agnieszka Godfrejów-Tarnogórska were also involved in organising and running the workshops.
The programme combined lectures with practical workshops. Participants learnt about a variety of methods for telling Bible stories, using, amongst other things, Bible figures, sensory aids, a narrative track and bag, measuring tapes, art materials and the Godly Play method. Together, they worked on stories from the Old and New Testaments, learning how to engage children in discovering the biblical message for themselves. The training included sessions dedicated to children’s spirituality and the role of the person who accompanies a child in their spiritual development. On Thursday, the training participants visited the Holy Trinity Parish in Warsaw, where they learnt about the method of storytelling using a flannel board, presented by Agnieszka Pietruszko, who was also taking part in the training. Pastoral support was provided by Rev. Dr Grzegorz Giemza and Rev. Alexander Gross.
The meeting provided an opportunity for participants from Ukraine and Poland to exchange experiences, offer mutual support and strengthen cooperation between the Lutheran Churches of both countries. The workshops demonstrated that telling Bible stories is not merely about imparting knowledge, but above all about building relationships, developing the imagination and creating a safe space for asking questions and discovering God’s presence.
The training was funded by the Silesian Commandery of the Order of St John (through the St John’s Aid Association), the Lutheran World Federation and the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Poland.