Welcome to the Garden!
We’re so glad you’re here! Come and join us in the garden as we celebrate who we are, learn how to use our voice, and share our gifts with our community! Each day we’ll meet a new member of our Garden Group who will share their special gift and invite us into a new Bible lesson as we learn vital social and spiritual skills to support faith development!
Throughout the week, gardeners will be encouraged to wonder, shout, share, build community, and speak up for others. Daily themes will be explored through storytelling, structured play, crafts, and music. Gardeners will get to practice building community each day through a snack ritual. Adult and Youth resources allow people of all ages to join in the fun and discover that community works best when “you’re just like you and I’m just like me!”
JUST Like ME centers the deep and active faith lives of children and the real-world context our kids live in. Grounded on theologies of inclusion, this unique curriculum utilizes a collection of stories throughout the Bible to better help us understand who God calls each of us to be.
Just Like Me was created through an intentional development and writing process that included as many diverse voices as possible. Development and writing team members from across the country gathered their skills and expertise to create a biblically based, theologically informed curriculum that will allow students and their church families to explore vital Christian concepts of community, inclusion, and intersectional justice.
Daily Themes
I Wonder
I Have Something to Shout About
I Have Something to Share
I Need My People
I Have Something to Say Bible
Stories
Day1: Jesus Appears to Thomas (John 20:24-29, CEB) Thomas teaches us that Jesus welcomes all of our wondering questions
Day 2: Bartimaeus Receives His Sight (Mark 10:46-52, CEB) Bartimaeus teaches us we can use our voice to ask for what we need
Day 3: Jesus Feeds 5,000 (John 6:1-15, CEB) The young child who shared their lunch teaches us that we all have something to contribute
Day 4: The Widow’s Oil (2 Kings 4:1-7, CEB) The widow teaches us that we can lean on our community when we need help.
Day 5: Naaman Healed of Leprosy (2 Kings 5:1-14, CEB) The servant girl teaches us that we can use our voice to speak up for others!
Curriculum Package Components
? Scripted Gathering and Closing Sessions
? Scripted Story, Create, and Play Stations
? Index with suggestions for Music, Service, Snack, and Science Stations
? Training and Support Videos
? Media Kit including Coloring Pages
? Music Files
? JUST Like Me Logo, Character, and Spot Illustrations
? JUST Like Me Youth and Adult Companion Curriculum
Just Like Me is an adaptable curriculum that is intended to be tailored to fit your community and context. Many lessons offer multiple options for engagements and resource appendix includes suggestions and support for additional learning centers.
Rather than encouraging verse memorization or the use of a repeated prayer, JUST Like Me is designed to help kids connect with the heart of our lessons. Campers encounter Biblical figures to hear stories to learn more about themselves, their community, and the God that loves them. This curriculum does not include reading directly from the Bible or using anchor verses for each day.