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Our History World Religions for Kids, formerly Faith Seeker Kids, began at Jubilee! Community Church in Asheville, NC – a progressive-type Christian church that loosely follows the principles of Creation Spirituality (á la Matthew Fox). From 2008 until the start of the pandemic, Vicki Garlock served as their Nurture Coordinator and Curriculum Specialist. Her primary task was to create an age-appropriate curriculum for the Jubilee Sunday School program which was open to kids age 3 and older. Using an open-hearted/open-minded approach toward religious wisdom in its myriad forms, Vicki developed a Bible-based interfaith curriculum centered on themes encountered in nearly all of the world’s faith traditions. The first four volumes of that curriculum (Unit #1: Peace) were published in 2018-2019. This work has now expanded beyond the walls of Jubilee Church as we create a variety of non-devotional, kid-friendly content, distributed through both social media and traditional publishing outlets. And, since our materials require no specialized training, we we’ve heard that adults learn a lot, as well! Please check out our pages on religious literacy and interfaith education for a bit more on those topics. [Image: Pixabay/Barbara Mack] |
Our Founder The Rev. Vicki Michela Garlock, Ph.D. is the founder of World Religions for Kids. She earned her Ph.D. with dual specialties in neuroscience and cognitive development before serving as a full-time Psychology professor for over a decade. She then served as the Nurture Coordinator and Curriculum Specialist at Jubilee! Community Church in Asheville, NC. While there, Vicki became increasingly interested in how children from around the world learn about, and live into, their faith. She has amassed a broad collection of children’s stories from around the world and across the centuries. She regularly attends a variety of faith-based holiday celebrations, rituals, and ceremonies throughout the year. And, she enjoys aligning her work with her knowledge of cognitive development. In July, 2020, she published her first children’s book, We All Have Sacred Spaces, which highlights worship spaces from seven different traditions. Her second children’s book, Embracing Peace: Stories from the World’s Faith Traditions, was released in September, 2021. For more information on Vicki’s religious upbringing, educational background, and interfaith experience, please click here. [Photo by Audrey Goforth] |
