The Process

The process of establishing and operating an Open Arms center with a congregation is quite complex. It can involve most or all of these steps:

construction
  • Development of the mission and vision
  • Assessment of the feasibility
  • Financing
  • Site evaluation and purchase
  • Design and construction
  • A capital funding campaign
  • Marketing and promotion
  • Staffing and program management
  • Curriculum and materials
  • Ongoing review and evaluation

The cash flow of a center with 100, 200, or more children can easily exceed that of the rest of the congregation's ministry, and it can be positive or negative, depending on the management. The center can fit snugly within the mission of the congregation, or it can Process Documents The Partnering Process drift off on its own, without a proper relationship, and without accomplishing its true purpose.

We work closely with the congregation in all phases of this process to avoid missteps, poor decisions, and errors in planning, designing, building, and operating the center. We call this relationship Partnering.

There are two primary phases. The first is the Assessment of the feasibility. We make a preliminary study to learn whether it appears that an Open Arms center can succeed as a ministry of the congregation in that location and in that community.

If the results of the Assessment are positive, we negotiate and sign a Partnering Agreement, which spells out the relationship and responsibilities of the congregation and the Institute as we move forward. In general, the center is owned and operated by the congregation, but the congregation relies fully upon the Institute for the management of the program.

 

Open Arms classroomWe invite and encourage you to contact us if interested in looking more closely at the possibility of adding an Open Arms Christian early childhood ministry.