In the Summer 2000 issue of the Covenant Discipleship Quarterly I wrote, "When we work with children in the area of nature and environmental concerns (whether as acts of kindness or justice), it should be in a way that helps children experience creation as sacred." Anne Mize in a May 1998 Earth Letter article entitled, "Children, God, and Nature" suggests six ways to help foster the spiritual lives of children. She strongly emphasizes the need for children to be in touch with nature. She believes that children's spirituality is more sensual and mystic than that of adults, who tend to have a more distant, compartmentalized view of creation. Children, like St. Francis, more easily experience God in the natural world. Children, perhaps more readily than adults, can integrate their nature experiences as acts of worship and devotion that lead smoothly into acts of kindness and justice.

I'm reiterating this because, according to recent research, children ages 8-12 are particularly able to form an attachment to the physical world. Just as there are developmentally sensitive times when children might acquire language or other skills, there seems to be a particular time when they are sensitive to nature. This research reinforces the appropriateness of integrating works of faith (piety) and caring (mercy) for Sprouts children through nature.

As we work with Sprouts, these are good reminders of the importance of being conscious and appreciative of children's innate openness to Christian spiritual formation, through nature as well as other avenues. Don't sell children short. Listen to their prayers, concerns, and theology. Be cautious as you "simplify" theological or biblical issues; don't abridge the language or the theology too much. There is a difference between making something concrete enough for children to understand and distorting it through over-simplification. Avoid explaining a concept in a way that will require another teacher to "unexplain" it when the child reaches a higher level of cognitive skill. If you are unfamiliar with the moral/religious, intellectual, and emotional developmental progression in children, do some reading in this area. Some good articles are available online at, for instance, www.familyeducation.com ("Stages of Faith Development," "How Children Learn," and more).

I have a wonderful handout, Faith Development of Children, by MaryJane Pierce Norton, that summarizes some of these issues. (Faith Development of Children is available from Diane Coppock, General Board of Discipleship. Call toll-free, 1-877-899-2780, ext. 7074. E-mail dcoppock@gbod.org.) Norton writes in her conclusion, "Children can and do have intense experiences of feeling close to and guided by God. However, the way they state these experiences would be very different from an adult. And often the child's ability to trust has not been greatly diminished by life experiences, which shake that trust. Thus, they trust in ways which may even be more complete than the adult."

Sprouts offers a unique opportunity to nurture the Christian spiritual formation of children. Mize recommends that to encourage faith in children we need to:

• Listen, listen, and listen some more;
• Use creative techniques to draw for children's spiritual experiences;
• Live our own spiritual values in daily life;
• Share rituals with children that evoke a sense of the sacred;
• Stay in touch with our own childhood spirituality.

Another Idea That Works

Speaking of nurturing Christian spiritual formation, at Gibson City United Methodist Church in Illinois, Barb Horsch has developed a method of encouraging spiritual journaling. She dims the sanctuary lights, plays meditative music, and lets the children spend some time writing to God in their journals. Many of the children choose to lie on the floor or on the pews, or find a secluded space in the altar area. For many of them, this is their favorite part of Sprouts.

Send your Sprouts news to Edie Harris, 2622 Forest Drive, Melbourne, FL 32901. E-mail bricedie@juno.com.

How Has Sprouts Helped You to Be a Better Christian?

The following quotes from Sprouts at Zion United Methodist Church, Mendota, Illinois, were sent by the Rev. Gale Brandner.

Travis (age 11) says, "Sprouts helps me be a better person because I am kind to people. I read the Bible to get close to God and Jesus."

Trevor (age 11) says, "Sprouts has helped me by teaching us the Scriptures and more about God."

Isaac (age 9) says, "Sprouts has helped me be a better Christian by making me read the Bible. Some of them [Scriptures] are hard to find."

Taylor (age 9) says, "Sprouts has helped me to help people more, read the Bible, and I am nicer to people."

Ian (age 9) says, "It has connected me closer and closer to God."