“We were on the verge of going less than full time. We recognized that we had to do something.” It was that honest but challenging conversation with their D.S., Rev. William Williams III, that set the stage for South Orange Vailsburg to step into a new era of sustainability. They recognized that revenue was going down and that something had to change. From that conversation, a dream for a new ministry began.
“Let’s start a preschool,” said lay member Lisa Atherley. South Orange Vailsburg had rented space to a preschool in the past, but the Spirit was stirring within them to make it their own.
They stepped out in faith and took things step by step. It wasn’t an overnight victory. Years spanned between the original spark of an idea and the moment that vision came to fruition. As Rev. Terrell said, “We hit wall after wall after wall.” But the lay members were not deterred. Every time they failed an inspection, they made the necessary changes and scheduled another inspection.
Their success comes primarily from their perseverance, but also from their willingness to partner with the community. While South Orange Vailsburg owns the preschool, they don’t directly enroll the students. The students come from the local school district, which had more preschool students than classroom space available.
This partnership helps with sustainability in two ways: it brings in revenue to support the ministry budget of the church and lowers costs. The school district pays for the utilities of the building when it is in use, generating significant savings. The custodian who keeps the building clean for the school also maintains it for the church when it gathers on Sundays.
These cost savings obviously bring breathing space into the budget. But beyond the budget, this partnership has also breathed new life into the church. “As pastor in July 2022, a day would be so quiet. It was just me or one or two persons in church. Now you hear life in the building. You hear the excitement.”
The energy in the building has re-energized the congregation, filling them with hope. As Rev. Terrell shared, “The money is great, but I’m more blown away by the fact that South Orange is a heavily Jewish-populated area. On a Sunday, you would never see a Jewish family walk through the doors. But from Monday through Friday, they are coming through the doors of the church.”
The preschool also generates jobs for the community. People from the church are able to go to work, and those who have aged out of traditional employment have been hired by the preschool to nurture a new generation.
This move—born out of necessity—has sparked new life and joy. Rev. Terrell joyfully expressed, “There’s a shared testimony now. There’s a reason to celebrate. We are moving from worship being a duty to it being a celebration. We celebrate the things that God is doing in our community.”
The right conversation at the right time sparked this new season for South Orange Vailsburg. May we have the courage to initiate hard conversations and the grace to receive them, so that we might see what God can do with our impossibilities.