Productive Struggle and the Path of Discipleship

For most of my twenties I taught elementary school in the Newberg School District. I loved it. Among the varied teacher trainings I attended, one in particular has stuck with me: the Productive Struggle. Here teachers purposefully create open-ended learning experiences without a definitive singular answer. I was intrigued.

My team and I planned weekly math productive struggles for our first graders: 20 minutes of critical thinking, question asking, collaborating, negotiating, and, well, wrestling (with the math concepts… not with each other). I supported learning not by determining the validity of the answer, but by encouraging children to keep asking questions, even when it was hard and they were frustrated. Students familiar with academic ease were baffled, wondering how to know when they were done. When is it solved? 

In short… “When will I know that I have arrived?”

Back then, in my life outside of teaching first grade, I would look to those in their 30’s and 40’s and dream of Having it All Together, like they did. They must have arrived, because here I was dog-paddling in the deep end of my 20’s in a struggle that did not feel productive. My therapist would tell me to lean into the discomfort to find the growth. That’ll preach.

In my twenties (and still today, if I’m honest), I definitely preferred faith devoid of discomfort, because it felt like certainty. Yet, grappling and wrestling are integral to a well-worn faith that has walked the path of discipleship. At its core, it shows us that God isn’t surprised or offended by our questions or our mistakes or our less-than-perfect moments. We learn that, perhaps, arrival isn’t the goal at all. Perhaps, God wants to support us in the midst of the struggle to keep asking questions and seeking Him, even when it’s hard and we’re frustrated.

In Children’s Worship, we take time to wonder after sharing a story of God. We want children to absorb that God can handle our wonderings, and our wonderings can actually reveal more of who God is. We equip Upper Elementary children with a story of God and some art supplies, asking them to prepare to share the story with preschoolers. It is an hour of critical thinking, question asking, collaborating, negotiating, cutting, drawing, gluing… and, well, wrestling.  

It's easy to want to curate a faith experience for our children that is devoid of all things uncomfortable or messy. Yet, if children associate faith with wonder and curiosity they won’t be surprised when difficulty or questions arise. Because they will. It’s part of the journey we are all on–regardless of age–that won’t reach an arrival on this side of Heaven. And praise God for His faithfulness that surrounds us along the way.

It’s an honor to walk alongside you on this path of discipleship to Jesus.

Peace to you and your families,

Sarah Davies
Director of Children's Ministry