02/27/2026
An Important Update from Pastor Jason Brinker concerning Catalyst Childcare.
With heavy hearts and much prayer, we want to share an important update with our Catalyst Child Care families and community.
First, please know how deeply grateful we are for the years we have shared together. Serving your children has been a tremendous privilege. Many of our own children have grown up in these classrooms, shaped by incredible leaders and teachers who have poured their hearts into this work. We will always be thankful for what God has done through this child care center.
Please understand that this decision was not made easily or quickly.
While many see the wonderful service our childcare provides, few get to see the increasing complexity behind the scenes.
Let me be clear, this is not about money it's about mission. The church does not make profit off of the childcare center. Both are non-profits organizations. We receive only limited grant support at the lowest levels, yet we operate under extensive, ever-changing, never ending NC state regulations, space restrictions, and compliance requirements. Those demands have grown significantly over time and creates a complexity that is felt across the organization.
Currently, our childcare serves 85 children, while our Catalyst Kids ministry serves more than 800 each week. As the Lord has blessed our church with exponential growth, our ability to fully utilize and expand our ministry spaces has become increasingly limited because of the requirements tied to the childcare facility.
This next year we will enter into an extensive construction process at our Jacksonville campus and we knew that the time had come to make a decision. Are we going to be a childcare or a Church. That decision is very clear to us from Scripture. We are a church first.
We have tried several alternative options to closing. We attempted to partner with other local organizations to see if we could possibly work together. We negotiated a possible lease to relocate the childcare to another facility in our area while preserving our staff and families. We truly believed we had found a path forward, but just a little over a week ago that opportunity unexpectedly closed.
Our desire was to communicate this transition carefully and personally to our staff and families. Unfortunately, the information began circulating before that could happen.
Our desire is to always strive to lead with honesty, care, and integrity.
We love you. We love your families. We love our Church and community. We are so thankful to have been a part of your child's pre school years. While this decision is difficult and may not feel easy, we believe it is the right one for the future of our church and the mission God has entrusted to us.
In the weeks ahead, we will continue to provide updates and resources as we walk through this transition together.
With gratitude and prayer,
Pastor Jason Brinker and Catalyst Church
