Planting Tiny Seeds of Faith and Learning in Oregon

In a small classroom in Banks, Oregon, a group of preschoolers gather around a table learning about letters, numbers and shapes. Among them is Bodi, carefully gripping his pencil, tracing letters on a piece of paper. His teacher, Sarah, gives him a smile. Bodi has come a long way.

Bringing Transformational Education to Banks, Oregon

Sarah Trussell has been serving with TeachBeyond for about 15 years. When she and her husband returned to the United States from ministering overseas, she was determined to bring transformational education to their small community of Banks, Oregon.

“God just showed me a real heart for my community,” Sarah said. “He really made apparent to me the needs are here, right in (my) neighborhood.”

With the support of her church and TeachBeyond, Sarah established Tiny Seeds Preschool, which is in its third year of operation. It’s a place where parents feel comfortable sending their children, knowing they will be well equipped for kindergarten no matter their individual needs.

Creating a Supportive Community for Families

Every family comes through the door with a different story, and the children who attend Tiny Seeds have a variety of backgrounds, abilities and social skills.

Jessica Briggs struggled to find a preschool that would be able to take her son, Bodi, who is on the autism spectrum.

“We had a really hard time finding a preschool because he wasn’t potty trained just until recently,” she explained.

Sarah was willing and able to support this family. Bodi began attending Tiny Seeds in the fall, and while Jessica was initially nervous about how her son would respond, she says it has been an awesome experience.

“I’ve seen literal leaps and bounds,” Jessica said. “He’s noticing shapes, he’s (learning) colors, he’s actually holding a pencil, even if it’s not exactly correct, and making drawings. He’s just been more interested. He’s doing a lot better with people, with kids outside of our house.”

The other students at Tiny Seeds Preschool have learned that Bodi may need different support than they do. Sarah says she has enjoyed watching them interact with and include Bodi in playtime. 

“(He’s) just another one of their classmates, another one of their friends,” Sarah said. “I love seeing that community form with the kids.”

The Importance of Early Childhood Development

Tiny Seeds partners with the county’s special education team to share ideas and implement strategies to support students with various needs.

“Those early interventions, those early supports also transfer into the public schools,” Sarah said. “So, for me that’s also really important; getting that early support in to help their transition into public school go smoothly.”

Sharing the Gospel Through Everyday Learning

Throughout the school day, the children are learning through songs, crafts, preschool curriculum literacy and numeracy activities, playtime, and Bible stories.

Parents, like Jessica, are made fully aware that their children will be learning in a Christ-centered environment. “That was super important,” Jessica said, “that was like the cherry on top, for sure.”

Sarah says the daily Bible lessons are also an opportunity to share the gospel with specialists who come in to work with the children.

“They aren’t faith-based necessarily and so they get to hear the Jesus stories too when they come and observe and work with the kids. So, it’s a way of making the gospel comfortable and safe for our kids as well as the grownups.”

Growing Tiny Seeds

Sarah dreams of growing Tiny Seeds beyond preschool into a full Christian school, but she doesn’t feel God has opened the door to it just yet.

For now, she’s trusting in His timing, knowing that God has placed her and Tiny Seeds in Banks to serve the current needs of her community.