Even if you’ve figured out which class is your child’s–and especially if you haven’t–you might be wondering, “What’s up with the pictures and colors? Is there any rhyme or reason?”
Here it is: the class structure explained. But you’ll have to use your imaginations. And it helps if you act it out.
Drop a seed into good soil. Cover it, give it a little water. Wait a couple of days, and then you have a SPROUT, just starting to emerge from the dirt. Wait a few more days, and that little sprout gets bigger. It straightens out, develops a few leaves, grows a few inches, and lo and behold, it is a SEEDLING. Eventually, if the plant is healthy, it develops flowers, or BUDS. Thereafter, it works to build strong ROOTS to support the weight of the growing plant.
That’s it. Our classes mirror the life of a plant. SPROUTS are our littlest Saints–infants, crawlers, walkers, and runners. SEEDLINGS are our toddlers–those who have turned 2 or 3 by 9/1 of each year. BUDS are preschoolers and early elementary, and ROOTS are our older elementary kids (through the 5th grade). The color divisions within each group are simply for classroom management. We use the colors of the rainbow–and as our children’s ministry changes, we can add or subtract colors to reflect the number of kids in each group.
All of those plant stages live within the bigger symbolism of John 15. Jesus says: I am the vine, you are the branches; if you remain in me, and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing (Jn. 15:5). He is our life, he is our source. Our goal is that we both live out of that dependence, and teach it to our children.
PS: That’s a SEEDLING at the top. 🙂
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