BUCKING A TREND:

BUCKING A TREND:

Perhaps you’ve heard of the studies showing religiosity is on the decline in the US. This is so of most denominations. Professor Ryan Burge of Eastern Illinois University writes in the journal Religion in Public, the average Episcopalian’s age is 69––and rising. Weekly attendance is dropping. Church attendance in the parishes of the 100 Episcopal dioceses has fallen from 725,000 in 2009, to 547,000 in 2019. That’s a 25% decline. But not all the news is dire. Take Fayette County, for example. Here our churches are more likely to form partnerships than quarrel. Bill Bishop has written convincingly in these pages of the soaring success of the Second Chance Emporium, a product of a consortium of many of our local churches. Now there’s a new kid on the block: the expansion of the successful St. James’ Preschool into the footprint of her cohort First Presbyterian. These two churches have a history of working together–– at Second Chance, at AMEN, and more. When St. James began the expansion and remodeling of its church and school offices, First Presbyterian offered Laurie Krupala, the school director and the driving force behind the preschool’s growth, the use of their classroom wing. Laurie joked with preschool board member and First Presbyterian member Seth Gunn, “This is working so well, you may not be able to get rid of us.”This generous arrangement persisted until COVID shut down school operations in 2020.

Her joke turned out to be no joke. First Presbyterian just announced it will host a satellite of St. James Preschool to be known as First Light Campus at First Presbyterian Church on Franklin Street. Anna Hegar, who is a member of St. James and has her master’s degree in social work has been named director. She oversaw the grand opening of the new campus on July 28.

As Rev. Martha Langford of First Pres. put it, “As First Presbyterian Church hosted the preschool during the St James construction, we sensed an opportunity. Leaders in both congregations worked out the collaborative agreement that gave shape to the First Light Campus. As the school year begins, we are delighted to join St. James Episcopal Church in this community ministry.”

The Djokovic Foundation tells us why preschools are so important. They inculcate a foundation for learning––both social and academic––that remains with the child all his or her life. Their studies show preschoolers consistently adapt to a diverse society much more readily than those who weren’t preschooled. I think we all know how important that is.

The new satellite, its new director, and teacher will allow expansion for both half-day and part-week for their two to three years old students. Up to 22 kids will now be able to be accommodated. The original St. James campus will have 18 spots for full day preschool.

A favorite program is the Emily’s Angels Scholarship program that seeks out and embraces kids whose life circumstances might stand in the way of their enrolling.

Laurie tells us, in the past the waiting list has been long. But with the ambitious efforts of the two-churches team many more kids will benefit. Their lives will be changed for the better.

According to St. James’s new pastor, Rev. Chris Heying, “At St. James the building partnerships in our community with our sister churches and other or- ganizations is exemplified in this combined preschool cooperation with First Presbyterian. My hope is to keep it going.”

So, not all church news is negative. Not in Fayette County, at least. Preschool enrollment is ongoing, with limited full day spots at St. James and several half-day and part-week spots at First Light. For more information contact laurie@stjameslagrange. org or call (979) 639-1346.