“Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them,
for to such belong the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 19:14)
In 1948, the Ardmore Presbyterian Church began its weekday preschool. For 66 years, the preschool has been an intentional Christian community for generations of children. Along with learning letters, numbers, and shapes, the children at the preschool learn bible stories, Christian songs, and prayers. Walking the halls of the education wing means encountering laughter and smiles of our precious children.
For over 40% of the preschool’s existence, Anne Foote has been its director. She has shown incredible resourcefulness, creativity, and whimsy. Give Anne a roll of masking tape, a paper towel tube, and some pipe cleaners, and within minutes, she will have a lesson on the fruit of the Spirit and a lovely craft for the kids. Anne’s love for the children was only matched by her dedication to the parents and the preschool teachers. She created opportunities for the parents themselves to serve and learn, and she worked hard to get the preschool staff the resources that they needed.
Most importantly, Anne’s best contribution to the preschool has been the culture. She and Pearlie Diesinger have intentionally maintained a Christian culture at the school. There are Bible stories and Christian songs, but the faith goes deeper. The preschool has a culture of caring. The preschool community shows its Christianity by its love. That culture begins with Anne and Pearlie.
Anne Foote will be retiring at the end of the school year. She wants to spend more time with her children and grandchildren, and she would like to travel more with her husband, Gren. Anne will remain a member of APC, and I suspect she will continue to volunteer her talents. Nonetheless, it will be hard to begin the new school year in the fall without her.
Still, God gives us leaders for a particular time and place. As Anne’s tenure ends, the church will be discerning who God has in mind for the future. We are in the process of establishing a search committee that appreciates the singular role of the preschool in the life of APC.
As we look into the future, the passing of the faith from one generation to the next should be our greatest priority. For APC, our preschool will remain at the heart of that task. We give thanks to God for those who brought us this far, and we pray for those who lead us in the coming years.
Grace & Peace,
James Hodsden
Pastor 139 