Growing with God: Why We Created the Fruit of the Spirit Zine

Some of the most meaningful faith conversations begin with simple questions.

• What does kindness look like?

• How do we grow patience?

• What does peace feel like in everyday life?

The Fruit of the Spirit has long offered Christians a way to reflect on these kinds of questions. Found in Galatians 5:22–23, the passage names qualities that grow within us over time: Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-control.

These are not things we accomplish perfectly overnight. They are practices of becoming. Small ways the Spirit shapes us slowly, often quietly, through ordinary life.

That understanding became the heart behind our new Fruit of the Spirit: Growing with God zine.

Why a Zine?

There is something wonderfully approachable about a zine. It can be folded. Colored in. Carried along. Shared around a table. Used in a classroom or tucked into a backpack. A zine feels less formal than a workbook and more interactive than a traditional lesson. It invites participation. And for children especially, participation matters. Faith is often remembered through things we do:

• coloring

• tracing

• noticing

• writing

• wondering

A hands-on project creates space for those experiences to take root.

Growing, Not Performing

One of the things I love most about the Fruit of the Spirit is that it uses the language of growth.

Fruit grows slowly. It needs tending. Patience. Time. Light.

That feels important to remember, especially in a world that often expects immediate results. The goal is not perfection. The goal is becoming.

This zine was created to help children engage with that idea in a gentle, creative way. Through coloring pages, prompts, playful activities, and reflection, each section invites young readers to think about how these qualities show up in everyday life. Not as pressure. But as possibility.

Creativity as a Way of Learning

At Carrot Top Studio, we often return to the idea that many people learn visually. Symbols, colors, textures, and interactive experiences help ideas stay with us differently than words alone. A child may not remember every sentence from a lesson. But they may remember:

• coloring the word JOY hidden among other letters

• tracing a growing vine

• folding a zine with their own hands

• seeing fruit as a symbol of spiritual growth

Creative interaction helps abstract ideas become tangible.

A Resource for Churches, Families, and Classrooms

One of the joys of creating digital downloads is imagining all the places they might travel.

A Sunday school classroom.
A kitchen table.
A church activity bag.
A quiet afternoon at home.

The Fruit of the Spirit zine was designed to be flexible and approachable for many kinds of settings. It works well as:

• a Pentecost activity

• a summer faith resource

• a children’s ministry lesson

• a conversation starter for families

• a creative reflection tool

And because it is printable, it can easily become part of a church’s ongoing seasonal resources.

Small Seeds Matter

Sometimes spiritual formation happens in very ordinary ways. A conversation while coloring. A question asked at bedtime. A child proudly folding their finished zine. These moments may seem small, but they matter.

Like seeds planted quietly in a garden, we often do not see growth immediately. But over time, something begins to take root. That is the hope behind this project. Not simply learning the words Fruit of the Spirit—but beginning to notice how those qualities grow within us and among us.

If you’re looking for a creative, meaningful way to explore the Fruit of the Spirit with children, our Fruit of the Spirit: Growing with God zine was created to help faith and creativity grow side by side. 🧡