Why do Lutheran congregations operate early childhood development centers?
Congregations are to live out both their commission to teach and their baptismal promises by nurturing children. Building Christ-centered, positive, and trusting relationships encourages the spiritual growth of children. ECE centers build supportive relationships with families, which can create a more healthy home life. Strong families are vital to children, particularly during their early years. How is an early childhood education center part of the congregation’s total ministry? ELCA congregations are operating more than 2,000 ECE centers. Those seeking to open centers are often motivated by the increased need for child care in most communities and in response to neighborhood family requests. For some, a center is a way of opening its doors every day to “new neighborhoods.” ECE centers are ways that congregations welcome people from cultures and ethnic groups not traditionally a part of Lutheran congregations. Moreover, ECE centers bring congregations into the realities of people’s l
