It’s 8:25am on the first day back after Christmas break, and there’s a whirlwind of excitement on Delancey Street. However, no one is more excited than Sam today. It seems like it has been forever and ever since he last saw his friends. But wait! He sees a car pull up and just knows that his friend Sarah is in there. Sam leaps out of his stroller, peers around the car door, and gives Sarah the biggest hello hug. Their excitement keeps building until the doors are unlocked and they run to their classroom to begin their day at Tenth Church Preschool.

The friendships that are being formed in the classrooms and overflow to the Delancey Street entrance are a fruit of the seed that Tenth Church Preschool seeks to sow and cultivate: community. Not only are the children growing as they learn but are doing so in a loving community. The children form friendships that give an avenue for their parents and caregivers to have conversations and develop friendships. Sometimes, as in the case with Grace and John, they were so preoccupied with learning how to use John’s new toy that they gave their moms the opportunity to talk and catch up!

These genuine friendships are a fruit of the community. While living in Center City Philadelphia can be overwhelming and lonely at times for families, Tenth Preschool is a space for the parents and caregivers to be supported and encouraged. Families are given the opportunity to walk with each other through this season of life. They support one another through sharing parental advice, toddler stories, and a practical hand when needed. While the children have their community in the classroom, the parents are given the opportunity to fellowship during the pickup and drop off times and monthly picnics. The picnics are also a time for the teachers to connect more with the families.

As they foster their little communities within the classroom, the teachers are also supported by one another as they seek to love and serve the children and their families. Prayer is the biggest and richest means in which this community flourishes. Not only are they spending time at the beginning of their day praying for one another, they are also praying for the preschool families. The community is growing and flourishing—which is an evident sign of how “God is at work in our midst.” He is at work in the Tenth Church Preschool community as the parents form friendships, the teachers pray, and as the children reunite and run into preschool.

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Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By Megan Siegle and Pam Nothacker. © 2024 Tenth Presbyterian Church. Website: tenth.org