RAGGEDY ANN PRESCHOOL

After more than sixty years of serving children and families in our community, our church preschool,

Raggedy Ann Preschool, will not reopen after this school year concludes.

This has not been an easy decision. Raggedy Ann Preschool has been a beloved ministry of our

church for generations. Through it, children have learned, grown, and been cared for in an

environment shaped by faith, kindness, and love. Many in our congregation carry cherished memories

connected to this preschool—as parents, grandparents, staff, volunteers, or former students themselves.

Over the past several months, church and preschool leadership have engaged in careful prayer,

conversation, and discernment about the future of Raggedy Ann Preschool. We explored multiple

options and set clear benchmarks related to staffing and enrollment that we believed were necessary

for the preschool to operate responsibly and sustainably. Unfortunately, those benchmarks were not

met. When combined with the broader challenges facing early childhood programs today, we came

to the difficult conclusion that reopening next year would not be viable.

We want to be clear: this decision is not a reflection of the quality of care, commitment, or love shown

by the preschool staff. We are deeply grateful for the faithful service of the teachers and directors who

have poured themselves into this ministry, often going far beyond what was required. Their work has

made a lasting difference in countless lives.

We also recognize that this news brings sadness and disappointment. Grief is a natural response to

the closing of something that has meant so much to so many. We share that grief with you. At the

same time, we trust that God’s faithfulness to our church and our community continues, even in seasons

of change and loss.

Because this ministry has meant so much to our church and community, we will take time to give

thanks and honor its legacy together. On May 31, during both worship services, we will celebrate the

many years of ministry of Raggedy Ann Preschool—remembering the lives touched, the stories shared,

and the faithfulness of God across generations. We hope you will join us as we offer gratitude and

blessing for this ministry that has shaped so many.

As we close this chapter, we do so with deep gratitude—for sixty years of ministry, for lives shaped

and nurtured, and for the ways God has worked through Raggedy Ann Preschool. We remain

committed to discerning how our church is called to serve children and families in the years ahead,

even as the form of that ministry changes.

Thank you for your prayers, your understanding, and your continued faithfulness as we walk together

through this transition.

With gratitude and hope,

Kim Ankrom (Church Council Chairperson)

Jim Clark (Pastor)