Check out this article about our Nursery School expansion and the renovations of spaces for both the school and the church! The article has several inaccuracies, so see the corrected copy below.
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In The News!
Here is corrected copy submitted to the reporter:
On Oct. 4, Christ Episcopal Church in Bloomfield and Glen Ridge officially opened and dedicated their newly renovated nursery school and church buildings during an Open House . Cutting the ribbons were Bill Seeman, a parishioner and lay leader of the church, and Jean Bannon, Director of the school. These new spaces were blessed by the Right Reverend Mark Beckwith, Bishop of the Diocese of Newark.
This project was started back in its initial planning in Feb. 2014 after the Rev. Diana Wilcox was called to the church in Jan. 2014 , as Rector . In a meeting of both church and nursery school leaders, a new vision for their shared buildings was developed.
There are three buildings that are shared by the parish hall and the nursery and the church, and the renovations included two of them. “I feel so excited by the opportunity that this project will provide for the ministry within our community through the school and the church. It was something so clearly guided by the Holy Spirit,” Wilcox said.
The construction cost was $350,000 to complete and was financed through a loan against the church’s endowment. As a result, the church expanded and improved the Nursery School of Christ Church by adding new classrooms and renovating older spaces. The church now offers more local children with affordable child care in a safe, nurturing, and Christian setting. However, according to Wilcox anyone can bring their children to the nursery regardless of faith.
In 1967, Christ Church was moving progressively when it decided to help mothers return to work. According to Wilcox, the day care offered half and full-day nursery school programs. The new expansions help working parents with their child care concerns at Christ Church by expanding and accommodating the growing need for day care.
“There is a bright future to serve more children in Glen Ridge and Bloomfield to come,” she said.
The Nursery School offers families a complete child care program for infants through Kindergarten that is designed to meet their educational, emotional, and spiritual needs according to Wilcox. The hours of operation are Mon. through Fri. from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The renovations also included relocating church offices and adding two small group meeting spaces, and a lift for handicap access as part of the church’s commitment to accessibility for all.
“The renovations took a couple of months, but the spaces are better and we are looking forward to having the handicap lift finished,” Wilcox said.
The Nursery School of Christ Church is a ministry of the church and currently serves over 100 children. It is a New Jersey licensed, full day pre-school and child care program for infants from six weeks old to six years. The school offers a rich language-based curriculum that provides superior child-care while incorporating social, verbal, and listening skills. “You don’t have to be a parishioner, or even part of the Christian faith. This is a ministry for us, with the church providing some scholarships and purposely keep ing tuitions low for affordability.” she said.
Christ Episcopal Church is located at the corner of Park and Bloomfield Avenues. The church is a community of faith that celebrates God’s all-inclusive and enduring love, respecting the dignity of all of creation.
A member of The Episcopal Church, and part of the Anglican Communion, Christ Church was founded in 1858, and has been a voice for justice and peace in Bloomfield and Glen Ridge according to www.christchurchepiscopal.org.
The following are services: Church services are Sundays Spoken Eucharist at 8 a.m.; Choral Eucharist at 10:30 a.m. and Last Chance Mass at 6:00 p.m. For more information, call 973-743-5911.
