Grace Lutheran Church of Des Moines issued the following announcement on June 16.
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Siblings in Christ,
It is with a heavy heart that I write to inform you that the Congregational Council has made the decision to close our Grace Kids Care ministry. This has been a vital and valued ministry of Grace Lutheran Church for the last 20 years. The stresses of the nationwide “childcare cliff,” an ongoing pandemic, and the inability to hire and retain staff have taken their toll and the ministry was no longer viable.
The fact that we have been able to stay open these last few months is due to the effort of our Director, Mary Edwards. She has gone above and beyond and was able to guide this ministry through these rough waters. I am extremely thankful for her leadership, her poise, and her compassionate presence with the children of Grace Kids Care. Mary’s last day is this coming Friday, June 18th. If any of you would like to offer thanks to her, you could send those to the church office, and we can make sure that Mary receives it.
We have been blessed with great leadership at Grace Kids Care throughout these 20 years, with Heather Nelson, Brooke Howsare, and Mary Edwards. Each brought different gifts, and each blessed this ministry in profound ways. I am grateful to have worked with all three Directors of Grace Kids Care.
We are entering a time of soul searching at Grace Lutheran Church, and a time to discern what is next. We are not going to jump into any decisions. Instead, we are going to be intentional about conversation and discernment to find the needs of the community and discover the best ways to be sent forth in mission.
For everything there is a season. I am sad to see the season of Grace Kids Care come to an end, but do not grieve this loss without hope. So, may we all take a moment to give thanks for this ministry and those staff and family that have been impacted over the course of 20 years. We can hold our heads high knowing that we changed lives through this ministry. It has truly been a blessing.
In Christ,
Pastor Mike
The mission of Grace Kids Care Center is to minister to children regardless of ethnicity, cultural background, or religious beliefs by caring for them in a safe environment and sharing in Christ’s love in all activities. Jesus was very intentional about reaching out to the children in a society where children had little value. The Gospel of Mark 10:14, quotes Jesus as saying “Let the children come to me; do not stop them for it is such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.” Our desire is to follow His example and welcome the children.
As you visit with the staff and watch them care for your child and others; we’re sure you will find Christ’s care and love for children shown in many ways. God created children with amazing abilities to learn and develop from the moment they are born.
Our staff is trained to provide the developmentally appropriate activities to help your child grow cognitively and physically during their time at Grace Kids. Emotional development is also important to a child and our staff is trained and organized so that your child’s needs of being held and responded to by others will be met, we will encourage them to develop strong relationships with our staff and others.
Contact
Our Grace Kids Care Center Facebook Page
Original source can be found here.
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