Erickson Covenant Church Special Meeting

Monday, August 11 at 7:00 PM (coffee at 6:45)

 

 

The ECC leadership team has called a special meeting to seek the members' approval for a Christian preschool operating in our church building. All members are encouraged to attend as we do require a quorum. The meeting should be under 1 hour. 

 

Background: About 3 years ago, the church leadership felt the need for our church to be more relevant in our community. What was a need that this church could meet? In what way could we be the hands and feet of Christ? Many of our members are already involved in community service, and we did not want to simply replicate what was already there. This was then brought to a congregational meeting to brainstorm and look for ideas. One of them was to have a Christian daycare. There was enthusiasm for the idea and for all the ways that the church community could walk beside the families using the daycare.  

 

We started to look at how to make the dream a reality. It soon became apparent that working through the maze of getting license approval, applying for grants, hiring staff…. required a person with both time and a skill set that we did not have. Quite frankly, it all looked a bit hopeless. In order to bring closure to this, the board asked Catherine Hines to see if there was a feasible path forward. Catherine’s inquiries lead her to reaching out to the Nelson Christian School Society. Along with the Christian school, they also have a preschool both in Nelson and Balfour. They were interested in expanding to Creston and believed that our church would be a great partner for their mission! 

 

So that brings us to where we are now. Megan Mcmichael, the Kootenay Preschool administrator, has worked with the various government bodies to get us to the point of license application. The only major facility change we need to make is to fence the front lawn and supply playground equipment. Gleaners have indicated they are interested in funding this as part of their mandate to increase access to community services. We have a contractor ready to build the fence, and Megan has lined up the provincial (final) inspection on August 27th. Both actions are contingent upon congregational approval of the preschool. 

 

The preschool will operate Monday to Thursday, 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM. It will be closed on all statutory holidays, professional development days, and during Christmas, Spring, and Summer breaks. 

 

We would encourage you to check out Nelson Christian School Society. Click on the preschool link on the top bar. 

Nelson Christian School (nelsonchristian.ca) 

 

FAQ: 

 

Q: Will ECC be responsible for funding the preschool until funding arrives? Hiring? Organizing? 
Dealing with applications? 
A: No, all of the above will be managed by Kootenay Preschools 
 

Q: How many children and what age? 
A: Our initial goal is 8 children, with capacity to take on 15 children max. The children will be 30 months to 5 years of age.  

 
 
Q: Will ECC members’ children have priority? 
A: No, the preschool is open to all families on a first come first serve basis. It will be clear to all parents that this is a Christian childcare program 
 

 
Q: What will the cost be? 
A: $25.5 for a full day. $18.58 for a half day. Please refer to the website for additional details. Government funding is available to support families with the cost. 
 

 

Q: Many of our people are already involved in multiple ministries. What is the expectation of this congregation? 
A: We can be involved as much or as little as we are called to be. Kootenay Preschools will run 
the program and is open to church community involvement.