March 2015
Advocacy

God Called. We’ve Got Work to Do

The silent halls of the education wing at All Saints’ Episcopal Church (ASEC) in Concord, North Carolina, cried out to be filled with children. The All Saints’ preschool, which had served the community for over forty years, had closed. In the fall of 2013, we were hearing reports that each year, 400 children qualifying for preschool services in our community remained on a waiting list due to the lack of seats in our public preschools. By January 2014, it was evident to some of us at ASEC that we were hearing God’s call to cast our nets wide and deep to serve God’s fragile children in our county. God’s plan was yet to be revealed. Our church family was unaware but we were about to get out of the boat!

As a retired educator, God placed his hand on my heart. I volunteered to be the liaison for this project. I stepped away from all other church obligations including the honor of serving as senior warden. A young man, who I had watched grow up at ASEC, was asked to fill this role. He was a wise church statesman, wiser than his years. He’s a great senior warden.

Meetings began between community groups including the public school system and ASEC. God’s plan was beginning to unfold. ASEC would work in collaboration with the public school system and community organizations to open the first public preschool on church grounds in less than ten months.

There was a lot of work to be done. The former preschool space didn’t meet the code requirements for a public school. Upfront funds were needed to pay for the improvements that had to be made before the school could open.

In March our vestry prayerfully heard God’s call. Some would say the vestry was reckless in their faith. We voted to move all our financial reserves to a construction account so all required improvements to the education wing would begin. This was a bold move as our parish is responsible for a very large mortgage. We are not a wealthy church. What we lacked in resources, we made up for in our love for our God. The faith walk had begun. Prayer encircled the project, the children and families we would serve, and our congregation. Questions about finances began. Some tensions grew about the plan to replenish our reserve funds and there was a tug and pull with Christian formation teachers about shared space.

During the height of the renovations and the negotiations between the schools system, our rector was physically absent due to surgery. The laity and vestry of our church took on the additional leadership responsibilities. God provided every gift and talent we needed to continue.

So what was the plan to reimburse our reserve fund? The answer, “God will provide,” was not the answer many wanted to hear.

In April representatives from the church, school system, and community organization sat in conversation with board members of a private foundation. The foundation made it clear they were not in the business of paying for church renovations and rarely awarded grants to fledgling group partnerships; however, they were interested in the community need and our collaborative proposal.

ASEC submitted the grant; in June we received the news that we were recipients of the grant. Along with other donations, the grant would replenish the congregation’s reserve fund!

The summer months proved to be a beehive of activity and construction. Our church members, including many who had not sat in the pews for years, along with the weekly faithful, college students, and EYC (Episcopal Young Churchmen), donated hundreds of volunteer hours of service. One evening when we gathered to pack up the education wing, a member in the midst of a battle with cancer - which she lost a few months later - came to lend a hand. Her radiant smile and spirit illuminated the space as she sat and read to younger children while their parents labored in the building

God removed every roadblock. We just had to have an open heart and be willing to see. The school would need a secure entrance to the wing, which would allow the school to run apart but in harmony with church’s daily activities. Where would this entrance be?

At the same time we were working towards opening the preschool, our church was also developing a memorial garden, near the classroom wing. Watching the Bobcat tractor being driven back and forth from the driveway, past the columbarium, and into the new garden space, the new entry to the preschool became evident. The Bobcat’s pathway would be paved, continuing through the memorial garden to the door beyond, thus creating the school’s private and secure entrance. When walking through the gate that secured the space, it became clear that the proposed name would be Lockhart Early Learning Center, named for the designer of the gate, a man who served children and families in our county for over fifty years. He was a devoted pediatrician, family man, and member of ASEC. The county school board agreed.

By September the project was building to a crescendo in advance of our early October opening. Happy parents received the call that their children were being taken off a waiting list! I was tired and weary. I needed a few hours of sunshine, quiet, and reflection. I traveled about 30 minutes from home to a nearby lake, to enjoy the beauty of the day and to have dinner and conversation with my husband. During this time our U.S. Congressman walked into the restaurant. It was a chance meeting and allowed me a few minutes to share the ASEC story. This unlikely meeting, a hand of God rendezvous, introduced our U.S. Congressman to this community, grass roots partnership between ASEC, the community group advocating for more preschool seats, and the public schools. He asked to be kept up-to-date on the progress and joined us later in the fall to celebrate the ribbon cutting for the school -- held on the evening before Election Day!

Today during our quiet, noonday Eucharist, the voices of children playing flood the sanctuary, music in the quietness of prayer. Our God is so faithful. Our blessings have been so great. What a gift to be able to serve God’s most fragile and vulnerable little children.

Jacqueline J. Whitfield of Concord, North Carolina is a retired teacher, principal and director for elementary education for the Cabarrus County Schools as well as an instructional coach for the NC New Schools Project, a life-long Episcopalian, and child advocate. Jackie is also an active member of All Saints Episcopal Church (ASEC) in Concord, having served as warden and children’s ministry liaison, adult Christian formation liaison, early childhood liaison, and delegate to Diocesan Convention for the Diocese of North Carolina in 2012, 2013, and 2014 in addition to other leadership roles. Active in the community as well as her church, she is or has been involved with the Concord Racial Task Force, Cabarrus Arts Council Board, NC-ISE Board, Cabarrus Boys and Girls Club, the Girl Scouts, Greater Cabarrus Reading Association Board, Peace College Parent Advisory Board, Peace College Alumnae Board, Concord Civic Garden Club Board, and Advocate for Children.

Try This:
Do you want to be part of a church that matters? Watch this short video (also viewable below) featuring All Our Children’s founder, Lallie Lloyd to hear an inspirational story about being a church that matters. Following the video, think about what a “church that matters” looks like to you, then in small groups, share your description with others. What are the similarities? Differences? Discuss what steps you might take to work towards being a church that matters.

Resources:

  • All Our Children: A network of faith communities working with public schools to build a better tomorrow for America’s youth.
  • Cabarrus Partnership for Children – All Saints’ third partner in the preschool. A liaison organization working to provide resources to parents and caregivers, bring about public awareness and involvement, and bring together agencies to best provide services for young children and families.

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This article is part of the March 2015 Vestry Papers issue on Advocacy