One afternoon I had some business in Mapleton, here at the NEWSpaper’s offices. I brought Ellie, our two year, old with me since her sister had swimming lessons.
As we were on our way home through Ute, Ellie asked me, “Da-ad, where we going?”
“We’re just headed home to Charter Oak,” I answered.
“Me don’t wanna go home!” she protested, “Me wanna go to Kindergaawten!”
She often combines the songs that her older sister has taught her- “A-B-C-D- E-I-Yo-The BIBLE tells me SO!”
I don’t know what makes me more happy, that she’s so excited about learning and going to school or that she already knows how much God loves her. These are both things that have trickled down from her big sister Gracie’s experiences at Noah’s Ark Pre-School.
God saved Noah and his family from the flood that destroyed the whole world by sheltering them in the Ark that He’d had Noah build. Decades ago God used Sandy Bramley, Lynn Hoffman and St. John Lutheran Church to build Noah’s Ark Preschool.
Many people mourned the loss of St. John Lutheran Elementary School, but God kept His promises by providing Noah’s Ark to provide children with a strong preparation for Kindergarten and Elementary school and more importantly a strong foundation in knowing God’s love for them through His Son Jesus and His Word, the Bible.
Now Noah’s Ark has faced some stormy seas. Long time director Sandy Bramley retired, St. John Lutheran’s long time pastor L.C. Gebhardt retired, and Charter Oak-Ute public school launched a “transitional-kindergarten” preschool of it’s own in Ute.
But I want you to know that the Ark is not being decommissioned and put into dry-dock. St. John Lutheran’s Board of Education recently met with Mrs. Bramley to make sure that it continues the serving kids as they first set out on life’s voyage.
Noah’s Ark is still State Certified. We’ve asked Sandy’s Daughter and long-time assistant Gretchen Bonsall to take over the helm as Director. Pastor Brandt of St. Paul’s Ute is serving St. John as it’s vacancy Pastor until we call a new one.
While COU’s “T-K” will no doubt be an outstanding service for those students who because of learning or behavior difficulties aren’t quite ready for full-fledged kindergarten, the can’t even talk about Jesus or His love, let alone focus on it because of the separation of Church and State. I don’t want to disparage COU’s new program in any way, I’m sure it’s exemplary, but Noah’s Ark is not only a tradition in Charter Oak and Ute, it is a vital ministry that effects the spiritual formation of children in a very real way.
But Noah’s Ark needs passengers to stay afloat. Because people may not have known what was going on, they may not have thought about registering their children for the Fall yet. We need more parents to enroll their children soon.
Noah’s Ark serves 2 and 3 year olds 2 days a week for less than $50 a month, including meals and snacks. I didn’t think Ellie was old enough, but Sandy assured me that if they will turn three by December 30, they can start Preschool.
Noah’s Ark serves 4 and 5 year olds three days a week for just $55 a month, including meals and snacks. These kids get a lot of attention and preparation of skills they’ll need for kindergarten, and they go on some great field trips. Best of all, they hear about God’s love and promises every day that they’re on board the Ark. Surely that’s something that Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, ANY Christian parents and grandparents would want for their preschoolers- not just Lutherans!
So if you have or know someone who has a 2-5 year old and you’re looking for the best head start you can give them in life, please call St. John Lutheran’s office, or Sandy Bramley or Gretchen Bonsall a call and tell them you’d like to reserve space on this Fall’s voyage of promise.
Showing posts with label Sandy Bramley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sandy Bramley. Show all posts
Thursday, July 29, 2004
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
Keep Noah's Ark Afloat- PLEASE!
As many of you may already know, Sandy has told the board of Education (Russ Maack, Steve Beeck, and Hoss Reddick) that she intends to step away from being our preschool director after this year.
This puts us in a pickle if we want to keep Noah's Ark open since the state deadline for filing for license renewal is June 1. Part of her reasoning is that she'd like to have one full time job instead of two part-time ones.
Her current salary is something like $300 per month. All of this comes from tuition funds, essentially Noah's Ark is "self-supporting," receiving virtually nothing from St. John, except the us of the building and just more than half the heating costs.
I feel that Sandy is a professional deserving at least $15 per hour. I consider Noah's Ark a major mission of our congregation. Sandy has brought the Gospel to hundreds of children. The preschool should also be a major way of reaching the young family (20-40 yr olds) age group that we need to grow and remain viable as a congregation.
Because St. John will be paying the interim pastor half of Pastor Gebhardt's current salary, I believe that we can not afford to let Sandy get away and Noah's Ark sink. I think it would be completely prudent and financially feasible to invest in our preschool.
I believe that the congregation should add at least $500 to the $300 that Sandy is currently receiving, bringing her up to $800 per month. over 10 months, this will cost St. John only $5,000 per year.
Rent or mortgage payments for most of us easily exceed $400 per month and utilities can cost any where from $50-150 per month. I don't know what the Bramley's financial situation is like or how much her other job pays, but I was ashamed to find out how little Noah's Ark pays her and that St. John doesn't contribute anything!
If Sandy's reasons for retiring have nothing to do with compensation, but are more personal- just being ready to retire, wanting to spend time with her own grandchildren, etc. we certainly need to honor her. But if that is the case, then I BEG you to pray that God will miraculously raise up a new preschool director for Noah's Ark between now and the end of May.
If you think that any of my ideas are viable, please pass them on to anyone you think should see them (elders, council members etc.)
In Christ,
Ted Mallory
________________________________________________
St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, Charter Oak, IA
Mission Statement:
Offering with open arms
the love of Jesus
Purpose Statement:
St. John Lutheran Church exists to offer God’s Word and Sacraments and to prayerfully...
• love God through worship and praise
• and joyfully serve others with love
• build each other up through love and fellowship
• reach out with the Gospel message of God’s love and salvation
• encourage growth in and study of God’s Word in truth and purity
Thursday, February 26, 2004
Noah’s Ark still afloat with Bramley at the helm
I was driving my two year old, Ellen to the babysitter one morning when we had an interesting conversation.
“Where’d Hewen go?” she asked.
“Your sister GRACE is with Mommy, Mommy is driving her to preschool, and by the way, YOUR name is Ellen,” I replied.
“She go schoooowel? Me wan go schooowel,” she said.
“Well, I know you’d love to go to school, but you’re not old enough yet, by the way, how old are you, Ellen?” I quizzed her.
“Me five!” she announced.
“Nooo, you’re two,” I explained, holding up two fingers.
“NO! Me FWIVE!!!” she screamed.
“Honey, listen, calm down, think about it,” I reasoned (temporarily forgetting that reasoning with a two year old is about as smart as trying to train your cat to heard sheep). “Your older sister, GRACE, is only four, and you’re the LITTLE sister, you’re just two, get it?”
“Oh-tay,” she relented.
“So how old are you?” just wanting to make sure I had gotten through.
“ME TWOO!” she grinned and held up two fingers.
I smiled and sighed, apparently I’d gotten somewhere.
I love the fact that she longs to learn and has finally gotten to an age where she’ll slow down long enough to climb on our laps for a us to read to her.
We’re really fortunate that Grace loves school too. Although, many is the evening when we ask “Grace, what did you learn about in school today?” only to have her shrug and answer “things.” I thought that kind of thing wasn’t supposed to happen till at least junior high.
Research has established that preschool education can produce substantial gains in children's learning and development. Christian preschools not only give kids a head start, they also lay a foundation of faith and relationships for children.
The Barna Research Institute discovered that a person’s lifelong behaviors and views are generally developed when they are young – particularly before they reach the teenage years. A person’s moral foundations are generally in place by the time they reach age nine (fourth grade). A majority of Americans make a lasting determination about the personal significance of Christ’s death and resurrection by age 12 (seventh grade).
It always boggles my mind when parents proudly proclaim that they’re not forcing their religion on their child, they want them to make up their minds for themselves when they’re old enough. Obviously these parents don’t genuinely believe whatever faith they claim to profess because if you KNOW and BELIEVE that God is real and that the Bible is true, why would you treat that knowledge as if it were merely an option, a choice. We inoculate our children with vaccines to protect them from deadly diseases, why not share with them that God loves them and wants what is best for them while they’re young too?
This is National Lutheran Schools Week. Martin Luther once argued that schools were more important than even homeland security.:
“Even though only a single boy could thereby be trained to become a real Christian, we ought to give a hundred dollars to this cause for every dollar we would give to fight the Turk, even if they were breathing down our necks,” he wrote in a sermon promoting education.
The main reason Luther encouraged parents to make sure their children received an education was so that they could one day read the Bible for themselves and thereby develop a personal relationship with God. That’s a value that Methodists, Catholics, Baptists, and every Christian can appreciate.
Many people remember that St. John Lutheran Church in Charter Oak once had a Lutheran elementary school, but how many realize that they still have a Lutheran school?
St. Johns Lutheran’s preschool, “Noah’s Ark” has been blest by the loving care, and instruction of Mrs. Sandy Bramley since 1981. This Lutheran Schools Week, I want to recognize Sandy for her important work. Sandy has introduced generations of Charter Oak children to Jesus and the Bible. She has started them on their life’s journey of learning and working together. Thank you, Sandy and may God continue to bless the work He does through you.
Lynn Hoffman is someone who also played a major role in Noah’s Ark for many years. If you or one of your children have been a student of Sandy or Lynn over the years, why not send them a note and let them know what a difference they make and what they mean to you?
“Where’d Hewen go?” she asked.
“Your sister GRACE is with Mommy, Mommy is driving her to preschool, and by the way, YOUR name is Ellen,” I replied.
“She go schoooowel? Me wan go schooowel,” she said.
“Well, I know you’d love to go to school, but you’re not old enough yet, by the way, how old are you, Ellen?” I quizzed her.
“Me five!” she announced.
“Nooo, you’re two,” I explained, holding up two fingers.
“NO! Me FWIVE!!!” she screamed.
“Honey, listen, calm down, think about it,” I reasoned (temporarily forgetting that reasoning with a two year old is about as smart as trying to train your cat to heard sheep). “Your older sister, GRACE, is only four, and you’re the LITTLE sister, you’re just two, get it?”
“Oh-tay,” she relented.
“So how old are you?” just wanting to make sure I had gotten through.
“ME TWOO!” she grinned and held up two fingers.
I smiled and sighed, apparently I’d gotten somewhere.
I love the fact that she longs to learn and has finally gotten to an age where she’ll slow down long enough to climb on our laps for a us to read to her.
We’re really fortunate that Grace loves school too. Although, many is the evening when we ask “Grace, what did you learn about in school today?” only to have her shrug and answer “things.” I thought that kind of thing wasn’t supposed to happen till at least junior high.
Research has established that preschool education can produce substantial gains in children's learning and development. Christian preschools not only give kids a head start, they also lay a foundation of faith and relationships for children.
The Barna Research Institute discovered that a person’s lifelong behaviors and views are generally developed when they are young – particularly before they reach the teenage years. A person’s moral foundations are generally in place by the time they reach age nine (fourth grade). A majority of Americans make a lasting determination about the personal significance of Christ’s death and resurrection by age 12 (seventh grade).
It always boggles my mind when parents proudly proclaim that they’re not forcing their religion on their child, they want them to make up their minds for themselves when they’re old enough. Obviously these parents don’t genuinely believe whatever faith they claim to profess because if you KNOW and BELIEVE that God is real and that the Bible is true, why would you treat that knowledge as if it were merely an option, a choice. We inoculate our children with vaccines to protect them from deadly diseases, why not share with them that God loves them and wants what is best for them while they’re young too?
This is National Lutheran Schools Week. Martin Luther once argued that schools were more important than even homeland security.:
“Even though only a single boy could thereby be trained to become a real Christian, we ought to give a hundred dollars to this cause for every dollar we would give to fight the Turk, even if they were breathing down our necks,” he wrote in a sermon promoting education.
The main reason Luther encouraged parents to make sure their children received an education was so that they could one day read the Bible for themselves and thereby develop a personal relationship with God. That’s a value that Methodists, Catholics, Baptists, and every Christian can appreciate.
Many people remember that St. John Lutheran Church in Charter Oak once had a Lutheran elementary school, but how many realize that they still have a Lutheran school?
St. Johns Lutheran’s preschool, “Noah’s Ark” has been blest by the loving care, and instruction of Mrs. Sandy Bramley since 1981. This Lutheran Schools Week, I want to recognize Sandy for her important work. Sandy has introduced generations of Charter Oak children to Jesus and the Bible. She has started them on their life’s journey of learning and working together. Thank you, Sandy and may God continue to bless the work He does through you.
Lynn Hoffman is someone who also played a major role in Noah’s Ark for many years. If you or one of your children have been a student of Sandy or Lynn over the years, why not send them a note and let them know what a difference they make and what they mean to you?
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