Tonight is our church’s preschool graduation. Thirty-one four and five year olds will don royal blue caps and gowns and walk to “Pomp and Circumstance” as they receive their diplomas and set their sights on kindergarten. The church will be packed with their families and the night will be filled with photo ops as they sing songs they’ve learned from the past year.
I have to confess that I didn’t graduate from preschool. It’s not that I dropped out or anything. My preschool years were spent at home with mom, before two-income families were the norm. In fact, I think kindergarten was optional, and first grade was when you had to show up for school. Now you’ve got to have a few years of preschool under your belt or you’ll be hopelessly behind when you arrive for the first day of kindergarten.
One of the blessings of being the pastor at my current congregation is being a part of the preschool curriculum. I not only get to know the children and their families, but meet weekly with them for a bible story, prayer, and songs. It’s a ministry that I know has helped strengthen our community. The children go home and expect that there will be a prayer before meals! Families begin to pray and sometimes even make their way to church.
This past year, one young lady went home after we read the story of Jesus washing his disciples feet. She told her mom, “Jesus wants us to wash our feet. And if we don’t, he’s going to come and do it for us!”
Waite for it... 