I'M TRYING TO BE LIKE JESUS: FLIP CHART

Well fellow music leaders,
it's time to teach the final assigned program song for the year,

"I'm Trying to Be like Jesus".

This song is one of the many on my 

Favorite's List.

Below is a flip chart I made for the song. Print the chorus twice if you want one for the second verse. I also have a visual imagery version that can be used on the board if you want something different than a flip chart because it's

FUN 

  to change things up now and again. I just haven't had time to print and cut it out (busy-busy week) so I will post that hopefully by Friday night after work or Saturday morning when I will also post some simple presentation ideas for the song. So sorry I haven't had time to get this all posted earlier in the week.

Last year I actually had two children sing this in the program as one of our extra songs we usually add to the program repertoire. One from JR and one from SR and each sang a verse solo and then they both sang the chorus together. I just used the music from the songbook—no special sheet music. I have some fun memories of practicing it with them and pretending my tall candlestick was the microphone. They did a beautiful job. It was so hard not to cry listening to their beautiful voices. Okay, I admit, my eyes watered up, but hey, there were many others too. It is soooooo wonderful feeling these kids' spirit through music.

I just love it!!!

This year, to change it up a bit, I am having a CTR 7 child sing a solo of the first verse of "Jesus Once Was a Little Child" and then the Primary will go into "I'm Trying to Be like Jesus" and my little soloist will finish with repeating "For these are the things Jesus taught."  I'm just planning on using the music from the songbook. However, since both songs are in different keys, I will probably have "Jesus Once Was a Little Child" sung in the B flat key to match "I'm Trying to Be like Jesus". Here is a link to convert it to a B flat version. Just scroll down the left panel until you get to the "Key" section and then click on the "lower" arrow a couple of times until you get to B flat. My pianist might want to play the songs each in their original keys instead and just do a transitional short piece between the two. I'm letting her experiment with that to see what she feels comfortable with. I'm thinking it might sound better and be easier to keep them both in the same key. Just experiment and see what you like best. For the pianist, I will put together a copy of each of these songs and also mark it to repeat the end part "For these are the things Jesus taught" on the  "I'm Trying to Be like Jesus" for when the soloist repeats that at the end. That should make it easier so the pianist won't have to flip back and forth in the songbook. 


Oh, how I love to challenge these kiddos and see them grow in their musicality. I usually don't get volunteers for solos or singing groups, but with a little coaxing and working a little with them and a big friendly smile, they eventually say yes when asked and then they are so proud of themselves afterwards. 

So, there you have a couple of ideas if you are looking for a different way to present the song in the program.

I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus-FC-Nalani