Children's Ark Update

Ark
families and staff,
As
you already know, Maureen has decided to retire and close the Ark. We wish her
well and pray for her. It is always a difficult decision to retire after
investing so much personally in what has been her calling, not just a job. So
many of you have found the Ark to be a safe and joyful place, a partner in
raising caring and curious young people. I have certainly enjoyed my visits
with the children – whether teaching one of them how to burp, bringing Zoe for
a visit, being stung by an imaginary jellyfish, or telling Bible stories. You
all – Maureen, families, and staff – are in my prayers.
What
is the church doing in this time? We are faced with the challenge and
opportunity to imagine a fresh future of serving our community. Our church
council has spent considerable time around this question and affirms
enthusiastically that we want child care to be part of our future. What we
don’t know is whether we want to be the owner-operator or whether we
want to partner with another provider for that service. So, we are doing our
homework, exploring both options at once as we endeavor to discern the best fit
for us and our community. Our team is busy gathering information – state
regulations, other churches that can offer their insight, and lots and lots of
conversation in our community. Our team is also beginning to interview persons
– potential owner-operators, persons who are thinking creatively about how we
can build a new future, and potential directors for what could be our own child
care center. Obviously, this is difficult, complex, and time-consuming work. We
are doing our best to move through it both thoroughly and quickly.
What
can you do to assist us? Please pray for us in this process. Please offer your
feedback and input. Specifically, what aspects of the Ark experience do you
most want to see maintained? And, where do you see the greatest opportunity for
growth in the program? Please give consideration to referring potential
owner-operators and potential center directors to us. Reach out to us through
the main office contact, our administrator Suzanne Bowman, at christumchurchoffice@gmail.com
or 570.474.6060. Again, please pray.
Finally,
since we do not have your contact information and cannot share updates directly
with you, if you want to receive updates on our discernment process, please
contact Suzanne and ask to be on the child care update list. As we have
something clear to report, we will do so.
Pastor
JP
Please
pass this message along to anyone interested and see the job posting below.
Christ
United Methodist Church in Mountain Top seeks a Child Care Center Director to
start up and manage a new program in our facility. The director reports to the
pastor, collaborates with an advisory board, and is part of the church’s
leadership staff team.
Duties
include the following:
·        Administering finances,
personnel, maintenance, meal planning and preparation and transportation. (The
church does have finance and maintenance staff that .)
·        Administering the
facility’s program objectives and activities.
·        Designating a staff
person who is responsible for compliance with this chapter in the Director’s
absence.
·        Coordinating and
planning daily activities with the group supervisors in the school-age program.
·        Overall program
planning.
·        Written evaluation of
staff persons on a regular basis, a minimum of one evaluation every 12 months.
Christ
Church is looking for a person of Christian faith with demonstrated leadership,
organizational, and entrepreneurial ability. The right person will bring joy,
energy, and discernment to our team; have a genuine love and interest in
people; and be devoted to child safety and observant of state regulations.
Requirements:
·        Present PA State
Criminal Background (Act 34), Child Abuse (Act 151), PDE Arrest or Conviction
(Act 24) and Federal Criminal fingerprints that are less than one year old
·        Satisfy state minimum
required combination of education and experience (options listed below)
o   Bachelor’s degree in
Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Special Education, Elementary
Education, or the Human Services field AND one year of experience with
children.
o   Bachelor’s degree
including 30 credit hours in Early Childhood Education, Child Development,
Special Education, Elementary Education, or the Human Services field AND two
years of experience with children.
o   Associate’s Degree
in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Special Education, Elementary
Education, or the Human Services field AND three years of experience with
children.
o   Associate’s degree
including 30 credit hours in Early Childhood Education, Child Development,
Special Education, Elementary Education, or the Human Services field AND four
years of experience with children.

Join the team of a church devoted to serving its
community in the name of Jesus Christ. More information available upon request.
Contact jp.bohanan@christonthemountaintop.org