Does your church have/sponsor a school or a preschool? If so, why? If not, why not? What are the benefits/detriments of doing this?
Church Schols and Preschools
Discussion in 'Polls Forum' started by FriendofSpurgeon, Jun 13, 2014.
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FriendofSpurgeon Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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I used to attend two different churches that had preschools and one of those churches hosted a school as well.
Positives:
1. Recognition in the community
2. Provision for Christian education for children
3. Can help pay (and create) bills.
Negatives:
1. Liability
2. Staffing concerns/lifestyles
3. More traffic and wear and tear at facility
4. can take more money than it contributes
5. Licensing/accreditation concerns -
FriendofSpurgeon Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
The negatives you list are true, but I think they can be avoided (or at least minimized). If the church's facilities are large enough, a preschool is can be an excellent idea. Several churches that I have attended through the years have had preschools, and I've always wondered why more of them do not. Here are a few of the advantages:
* It provides an excellent ministry to others in the community - whether they attend your church or not - or even if they are Christians or not.
* It provides an early Christian education to those in your church - and other Christians in the community.
* It provides a way to introduce the gospel to non-Christians, many of whom would never darken the doorway of a church.
* It provides a way to use your facilities during the week. It's sad that so many churches do not maximize their resources.
* From a cost standpoint, a properly run preschool can help offset a portion of the facility's expenses. -
Any christian preschool that I've personally seen has made a nice profit. In fact, I've heard of christian schools that struggled with finances who opened up a preschool to pay for their school's losses. I agree that it's also a great community outreach, as well as a chance to instill christian values at an early age.
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clark thompson MemberSite Supporter
My old church did though from Pre School to 8th grade.
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My church operates a preschool (ages 2-4) as well as a kindergarten (age 5), an elementary school (grades 1-5), a middle school (grades 6-8), and a high school (grades 9-12).
We try to keep our tuition rates as low as possible so that people will have an incentive to place their children in our school.
A big percentage of our elementary school students are there because of the fact that they had also attended our pre-school.
Some of our high school graduates spent their entire lives as students who started in our pre-school.
Our Christian school does not exist as a profit-making institution.
Since its inception in 1979 as one of the educational ministries of our church, its primary mission has always been "to glorify God by offering a Christ-centered, quality education that assists parents in training their children to be disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ." -
FriendofSpurgeon Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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FriendofSpurgeon Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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Friend of Spurgeon:
I'm quite sure that you are aware of the fact that the cost of living varies considerably from one area to another. In other words, in your area (south Florida) it's most likely quite higher than in other areas. Hence, what a private school's tuition in one area may be would be relatively different than what it would be in some other area.
My church's Christian school's tuition is relatively lower than what another Christian school in a different area may be.
That being said, however, I praise God for any church that establishes a Christian preschool whose goals are not only to provide an excellent education for a child's mind, but also to provide an excellent education for a child's spiritual development---something that most non-church based schools probably do not provide for. -
FriendofSpurgeon Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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I got al my edjamacasion in pubic schol.
Turch schol neber was an opsion.
I lerned al I neded on my one. :tongue3:
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With the assistance of his grandparents and great-grandparents, my grandson attends a Christian school in northern Maine where costs are a bit lower.
Rob