" . . . only God knows what seeds you are sowing"

Recently my husband and I received an e-mail from someone who was a teenager in the youth program at the church where my husband worked while he was in seminary. Mark had run into my photo in connection with Sprouts and wrote to express appreciation for our ministry. Not only did that force us to realize that it has been 35 years since we last saw Mark but also to be aware of the humbling realization that whatever we did 35 years ago had an impact on at least one person. Also, I recently received a high school graduation announcement from one of the first Sprouts. He was in the pilot group, has endured a lot of life struggles, and had a hard time in school. But he is still active in the church, and he included a note, saying, "We did it, Miss Edie."

All of this is not to tout my achievements but to offer encouragement. I know how hard and discouraging ministry can be sometimes. Week after week to come up with justice issues and projects; week after week to prepare, be there, lead, discipline, share, be enthusiastic. Some weeks you go home "high" with the feeling that the kids are having a great time and learning lots, but some weeks you wonder why you do it or if you can continue to do it. Well, these boys are here to remind you that it is worth it; that what you are doing can make a difference in the lives you touch. Sometimes you'll know it, but sometimes the seeds you are planting will be unknown to you. Christian education is always as much about who you are as what you teach. It is really true that your actions matter as much as or more than your words. Children pay attention to your behavior. They know whether you care about them, whether you are there out of love or out of duty, whether you love Jesus or show up out of guilt. As St. Francis said, "Preach the gospel at all times, and if you have to, use words."

This train of thought started as I was reading The Upper Room's Alive Now magazine for November/December 2003, the theme of which was "Incarnation." God put on flesh and dwelt among us. And we in turn must put on Christ and live. It is your patience, compassion, acceptance, your (as-near-as-possible) unconditional love that teaches your Sprouts how to be disciples as much as it is the elements of covenant discipleship. This can be comforting, but also frightening. While it means that your structure doesn't have to be perfect and that your justice might really be defined as kindness, it also means that your personal spiritual formation is essential and that your process of being conformed into the image of Christ is paramount. It means that even on the most discouraging days of Sprouts or other ministry, you can take heart that only God knows what seeds you are sowing as you live out your personal efforts to be Christ-like. So if few show up, hug the ones who do. If they are rowdy and don't seem interested in the lesson you thought would be a winner, take a deep breath, be patient, laugh, and go with Plan B. And if you are exhausted, confess it; and let the kids help you. Most of all, it means love God and love those kids, and the rest will follow.

Reminder About an Excellent Resource
As I was reading my Fall 2003 Teaching Tolerance, published by the Southern Poverty Law Center, I noticed two new resources that might be helpful to Sprouts leaders. I Will Be Your Friend: Songs and Activities for Young Peacemakers contains a CD with 26 songs of unity and harmony and a 130-page book with lyrics and musical notation for all the songs AND classroom activities on a variety of equity and justice themes. Although Teaching Tolerance and its other resources are geared primarily for the classroom, I have found them helpful in Sprouts. They are free to educators.

If you send a letter on church letterhead explaining Sprouts and its justice component, the Teaching Tolerance staff will send you the resources, including a free subscription to Teaching Tolerance.

If you do Sprouts for sixth or seventh graders, you might also be interested in the 40-minute, Oscar-nominated video, Mighty Times, the story of Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights movement. For more information on any of the resources, see www.teachingtolerance.org.

Edie Genung Harris is a layperson in the Florida Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church and co-author (with Shirley Ramsey) of Sprouts.