A Pastor's Perspective 04-16-2024

 It’s been said that “leadership changes everything”.  In September 2017 Heather Sweeting was selected as Director of the Snyder Child Care Center
and it changed everything.
   Heather has a unique ability to build a group of people into a team that is committed to a purpose.   The team of teachers, admin and support staff she built and led helped the center grow in enrollment, employee morale and in the quality and effectiveness of the care given. The center had been a 5-star program for several years, but under her leadership it became the center of choice in the Haymount area and throughout the city.   And partnering with Karen McAmis, the ministry done with the children on a daily basis was elevated to a never-before-seen level. There are many children, families and staff members who are a regular part of Snyder now because of that weekday ministry of our church.
   In 2018 the Snyder After School Program was licensed and in 2019 the two programs were combined to become Snyder Learning Center.  Today, it serves about 200 families on a daily basis and has a waiting list of nearly 150 children.
   The years of 2020 – 2023 were especially challenging as Heather and the staff successfully kept the center staffed and operating safely through Covid and the economic changes that it brought to the early childhood education industry.
   We appreciate and support Heather as she takes a time of rest and then pursues other endeavors.  She submitted her resignation several weeks ago but extended her notice to help with the transition.  Please join me, the church staff and SLC staff and parents in wishing her the best and applauding her leadership at SLC.
   Chairperson Eileen Hatch and the Learning Center Advisory Board are forming a search committee to select a new Director.  In the meantime, the existing Admin staff, supported by Karen, will continue to deliver excellent and Christ-centered care and teaching.

By Geron Gambill, Church Administrator