By Pastor John Hulden
My siblings and I all graduated from our very own high school in our very own time zone. Growing up, we moved about every five years following our pastor-Dad to his next
call – always to a new time zone. Despite my DNA, I’ve been able to lengthen my calls to at least double that – and all in Minnesota. My last call was 16 years, so all four of our kids went to the same high school – Go Spuds!
My first call – for ten years – was to the lower East Side of Saint Paul. Wow, did those lovely people help me to become a pastor. Like the song about San Francisco (where my oldest brother went to high school), I left (at least a piece of) my heart on the East Side.
“The director and small staff worked long hours because families had trouble getting ahead if parents didn’t have a day care option.”
My little church on the East Side had a childcare center that struggled mightily to make ends meet. I saw the director and small staff work long hours because families had trouble getting ahead if parents didn’t have a day care option. Those of you in congregations with day care centers know the struggle of providing this needed ministry.
LAST WEDNESDAY I returned to the East Side of Saint Paul, and it made my heart sing. Through the hard work of East Siders, Lutheran Social Service (LSS), and the Saint Paul Area Synod, there was a ribbon cutting ceremony.
Years in the making, the LSS Early Learning Center–East Side will soon open on the lower level of Grace Lutheran Church, just off I-94 and White Bear Avenue. This early learning center is unique because of its trauma-informed classroom instruction and integrated therapy support. Kids will experience a highly supportive preschool with
student-to-teacher ratios of four-to-one. East Side preschoolers will have a fighting chance as they reach public school age and take the big step of starting kindergarten. And as a great help to those East Side families, the center will be open year-round with full-day classes.
“This early learning center is unique because of its trauma-informed classroom instruction and integrated therapy support.”
Kudos to LSS and our synod siblings across the river. Their effort is another shining example of church together. When we followers of Jesus discover the assets in our community, listen to our neighbors, and then team up to make something beautiful and beneficial, we can make many hearts sing – hearts both old like mine and very young.