“Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Mark 10:14 “Whoever receives one such little child in my name receives me.” Matthew 18:5 text goes here

As a ministry of Community Presbyterian Church, our purpose is to nurture young children in the love of Jesus Christ and to be a source of support and encouragement for their parents.

To be a model preschool in the community of Ventura, serving the needs of preschoolers, their families and equipping early childhood educators to minister in the name of Jesus. This will be accomplished through:

Nurturing children between the ages of one and five of diverse backgrounds and abilities with the love of Jesus and helping each one reach his/her full potential.

Quality Christian teachers, who are recruited, trained, discipled, encouraged and fairly compensated.

Curriculum and educational practices that are based on solid principles of child development and best practices in the field of Early Childhood Education.

Through prayer, parenting classes, counseling, referrals, scholarships, and assistance with practical needs, we support families as they raise their precious children.

The church and preschool working as partners in ministry, supporting one another in every way.

Welcoming families to become part of the community at CPC if they do not have a church home.

A beautiful and well-maintained facility that is supplemented with excellent equipment and materials.

We believe that each child is a unique person of great worth, created by God and entrusted to us by parents to teach and love. Our approach to education is one that is concerned with the growth and development of the whole child: physical, emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual. We recognize that children learn best through play. We strive to provide an environment that is safe, loving, accepting and rich in opportunities for learning and growth through age appropriate, hands-on activities. We believe that appreciation of self and others is rooted in the knowledge of God's love and care for us. Therefore, we endeavor to help children: develop respectful relationships with others and appreciate differences and similarities; develop a love of learning, and an appreciation of God’s love and creation.

The preschool is a part of the Christian education program of Community Presbyterian Church. We teach the children that God is the creator of all things, including making people. God loves us and cares for us by giving us the things we need. God’s love is especially shown in the sending of his son, Jesus, to be our Savior and friend. While we affirm and believe that Jesus took the penalty for our sins when he died, and conquered death by his resurrection, these concepts are difficult for young children to grasp, so we do not emphasize them. The doctrine of the trinity is a difficult one also, yet we affirm the Trinitarian nature of God without emphasizing teaching regarding the Holy Spirit.

Young children are especially susceptible to fears and nightmares, and we do not believe that early childhood is the time to teach about hell or Satan, though children who have heard about them elsewhere may bring up these topics. When they do, we emphasize that God is more powerful than anything, and we do not have to be afraid because he will take care of us. We teach that God hears and answers our prayers and we want the children to learn to talk to him easily and naturally. The Bible is God’s Word; it tells us about God and how to have relationship with Him and His people. Therefore, we read stories taken from the Bible, especially about God’s love and care for His creation, and the life of Jesus, who spent His time on earth telling about God's love and helping people, sometimes in miraculous ways. We tell the children that God always loves us and He forgives us when we do wrong things.

Because there is disagreement among Christian denominations about the sacraments, we do not include them in our teaching, but leave these areas to the parents exclusively. We believe that parents are to be the primary teachers of the things of God (see Deuteronomy 6) and that our job is a supplemental one. We pray for the children and hope they will have a healthy and positive, even if incomplete, understanding of who God is and of His love for them. It is our prayer that they will respond to this love as they grow and learn.

Once a month, we have chapel service in the sanctuary. Parents are encouraged to participate. Our time is usually spent with a story, singing, Bible Verse and prayer. Sometimes the children's classes lead the monthly Chapel Song from the front. Those who have birthdays that month are recognized with the Happy Birthday song and a small gift.

The church has a vital commitment to strengthening families. In addition to our age-graded Sunday school and excellent nursery, we offer marriage enrichment classes, parenting seminars, and family fun events. Our Board of Deacons is available to help families with food, clothing and housing needs. Stephen Ministers are available to come along side anyone who has had a significant life change or challenge. Stephen Minister and Deacon Brochures are available in our information display across from the school office.

Giving to Children Overseas: Samaritan’s Purse: The preschool collects Christmas Shoe Boxes that we fill with goodies for children who live in needy countries throughout the world. These are usually collected at our November Chapel. Watch for details in the school newsletter.