Reaching the community through a child care ministry

The purpose of this project is to unite the child care need and the church's call. This project demonstrates to Christian leaders "why" the church should involve itself in meeting the need for quality child care and "how" they can develop a child care center that will not only train up children, but also be used as an evangelistic outreach to the community. Today, over 60% of America's children under the age of 6 are not cared for by an immediate family member. A number of events in American history have had a major influence on the rapid increase in the number of children needing nonparental care. The American government's involvement had a great influence on child care as it made attempts to resolve many societal issues by focusing on education. In spite of the attention and efforts toward quality early childhood education programs, there are simply not enough child care programs to meet the need now and in the future. If there is a need for child care, the church is one of the best resources to answer this call. The role of the church is often defined by three commands given to Christians: the great commission, the cultural mandate, and the two greatest commandments. These mandates alone may stir the call to begin a child care ministry that reaches the community, but there are many other opportunities for ministry through a church-sponsored child care program. A strategic plan is provided that begins with building a firm foundation, completing a community analysis, and then taking the steps to open a child care center. The project encourages Christian leaders to maintain a focus on the vision and mission to reach the community with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.