At a recent meeting of our Voters’ Assembly, the voters made the very difficult decision to wind down operations of our school and preschool ministries, with the view of closing them at the end of this school year. It has been a challenging time for all of us, and it was a difficult meeting. We have been tremendously blessed over the past 28 years through these precious ministries, and the thought that we can no longer sustain them is a heartbreaking one. Unfortunately, that is the reality that we are facing.
There is not only one factor that led to this decision, but many obstacles we have had to face. Our church and school leadership have spent a huge amount of time and energy looking for ways to overcome them, but it became clear that overcoming them would take far more resources than we have. And so it is with great sadness that we have made the decision not to continue offering our school and preschool programs beyond this school year.
In the midst of this great difficulty, we are committed to finishing this school year well, to celebrating the many blessings God has given us as a church through our cherished school and preschool ministries, and to honouring and supporting the families that we dearly love. In the midst of all of our challenges, we have a God who invites us to cast all of our cares on Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).
We need to make clear that this does not mean the church is closing. The church will continue on, and we have made the commitment to continue to be intentional about ministry with children, youth, and families, as well as being involved in the community around us. What forms that will take have yet to be determined, but we pray that God will lead us as we move forward in faith.