The early childhood committee met this last week. We are still exploring the ins and outs of what this joint ministry might look like. Key takeaways thus far:
· Both councils agreed to hire (and agreed to not exceed a set cost per month) of a WELS consultant (paid by the hour). Since we hired Mrs. Ann Potter, she has been an invaluable resource to bridge the gap between our ideas and current reality. Mrs. Potter has decades of experience in Early Childhood Ministry and now works with many WELS churches and schools to start or improve an Early Childhood Ministry.
· While Immanuel has a great existing school facility, it wasn’t handicapped accessible. We had thought this meant we would have to have to use the fellowship hall (which presents problems such as what to do at funerals), BUT upon further investigation and consultation with Ann, we found we could have an early childhood ministry in the basement classroom.
· How big of a ministry are we talking about? Ann gave us projected numbers (her sample was 18 children) and a sample budget to start the ball rolling. She helped us see hidden costs as well as explore the potential of a ministry in the basement classroom with children year round (M-F) that are served by a called Childcare Director and 2 hired staff.
· One individual from the Morrison Zion Church has put her name in as a possible candidate for childcare director and has begun taking classes for certification. She is going into childcare regardless of whether this early childhood ministry goes forward.
· How fast is this going? We are only in the research and planning stages. But it is also a case of previously insurmountable obstacles being removed and opportunities we had not considered before coming to light. Much more work needs to be done in this exploration and discovery process. For example, what are food options (we are thinking some kind of catering) and busing options (our own vehicle or the school district?) Many more questions need to be asked and answered before there is anything official.
· We plan to have several open forums, many more updates, and other opportunities to learn and ask questions. Any official vote to move forward will not happen until 2025.
- Joint Early Childhood Ministry Committee