Join Us Sunday
Just As I Am meets weekly on Sundays at 11:30 am at
2846 SOM Center Road
Willoughby Hills, Ohio
44094
Class begins at 11:30 a.m. and concludes at 12:30 p.m. in Room 127 every Sunday morning. Worship time includes music, prayer, the teaching of God’s Word, handouts, seasonal crafts, and a snack.
Just As I Am
The title, “Just As I Am,” was inspired by a hymn written by Fernando Ortega, and it is a reminder that we all come to the cross just as we are.
We know how hard it can be to find a church to be consistent with when caring for someone with special needs. The truth is that many families who are caring for someone with special needs rarely make it to church. And if they do, it’s not as a family unit. We would like to change that. The goal of our Just As I Am ministry is to provide a safe and interactive environment for your loved one to learn about Jesus at any level of understanding. Family members need time to recharge, hear God’s Word, and be encouraged by a church family that cares. Parents are not alone in this journey, and we want you to know we love you and are here to find what works best for you and your loved one with disability.
Why have a special needs ministry?
- There are over 7.4 million Americans with developmental disability.
- We are called to share the Good News of Jesus Christ to all people.
- To offer a welcoming church environment for families and their loved ones with special needs.
- To give those with developmental disabilities an opportunity to learn and grow in their faith.
- To offer support to our special needs community.
Our Goal
Committed Leaders
We have been in special needs ministry for 36 years now. The Just As I Am team is dedicated to this ministry, and most have trained in working with those with developmental disability. We want our special needs congregation to worship, pray, and learn God’s Word in a way they will understand and be able to apply to their lives. Your loved one with special needs is welcome in our regular service, or in a class with their peers, but we also want the best fit that allows your loved one to thrive in his or her spiritual walk.
Engaging Environment
There are plenty of opportunities for interaction and participation during worship, prayer, tithing, and celebrating birthdays. Activity sheets are always a part of solidifying the sermon lesson. Bible Bingo is a fan favorite with the goal being to review what has been taught at the end of a series. We also use topical videos and colorful visuals to keep them engaged and alert.
What we Teach
“Just As I Am” just finished a 12-week series on our identity in Christ. We had loads of fun learning the truth of what God says about us. We learned about how we are God’s workmanship, beautiful and unique. How we are chosen, loved, and adopted. The main theme of our series was that “What God says matters!” As we do with each series, we brought it all together with a much-anticipated game of “Who Does God Say I Am” Bingo. It was guys against the girls- which always makes for some stiff competition!
With the summer season in full swing, and our Easter and communion celebrations behind us, it’s time to begin a new series. At the end of May, we will be starting a series called “A Walk Through the New Testament”. We will be taking a 30,000 ft. view of each book of the New Testament; taught at a level everyone can understand. We will learn what each book of the New Testament is about, discuss how we can apply it, and how each book fits together to tell the story of God’s ultimate rescue plan.
Past series include:
In this series we focused on twelve heroes of the Bible. We looked at their character and how God used them despite their flaws. We defined what it means to be a hero and recognized the difference between a superhero in the movies and a hero in the Bible. We brought home the fact that that God can use each one of us, no matter our ability, to be an important part of Gods story.
Our focus in this series was to show that understanding God’s Word is like diving for treasure. We dove deep into fourteen verses using sea creatures to help us learn and apply the verses’ meaning. The lessons were aimed at showing how God’s Word, though written long ago, gives hope, speaks truth, and love even today. In our deep dive, we learned how the treasure in God’s Word gives our lives purpose, meaning and value.
In this series we learned about the Bible: what it is and what it isn’t. Each week focused on one main word from each New Testament book and applied it to Jesus’ character. As we moved through these lessons, we looked at the things Jesus said and did so we might know Him better. We learned how his disciples carried his message forward and how the church began. As we take this walk through the New Testament, we hope to show that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and to come follow him.