Sacred Circles, Lasting Impact: Honoring Early Childhood Leaders

“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.”
– Psalm 127:1

I am Donna Sweeting, and I have the joy of serving as the Project Director of Faith-filled Families, a Lilly Endowment–funded initiative awarded to Virginia Theological Seminary and housed in its Department of Lifelong Learning. It is indeed a blessing to share about the Wisdom Circle, a new collaboration between Faith-filled Families and the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES).

The Wisdom Circle is designed to bring together early childhood directors, teachers, and clergy to listen, learn, and create together. This circle is more than a meeting—it is a sacred community where the wisdom of those shaping the earliest years of faith formation can be honored and amplified.

For me, this work is not only a blessing for the sake of the mission we share but also a reunion of sorts with my first career love. Over thirty years ago, I served as a director of Christian preschool programs in Orlando, Florida. To return to this space now, through the lens of Faith-filled Families, is deeply rewarding.

Too often, early childhood professionals are not fully recognized as the experts they are. The Wisdom Circle changes that. It allows these leaders to be in community with one another and to co-create something of lasting significance for the Church, for families, and for children.

What makes this journey even more meaningful is that I don’t walk it alone. I am honored to walk alongside Monica Gillespie, Ph.D., Associate Director of NAES, who brings tremendous wisdom and passion for Episcopal schools. Monica says this collaboration for the NAES is “an honor to partner with Donna and Faith-filled Families. Our mission at NAES is to serve those who serve Episcopal schools, which is at the heart of Wisdom Circle, creating a sacred community for early childhood directors, teachers, and clergy.” 

Serving in schools with early childhood programs for most of my career has given me a deep appreciation and profound respect for the educators and clergy who nurture learning and faith in our youngest community members and their families. Through Wisdom Circle, we honor their knowledge, experience, and calling to strengthen the foundations of faith in our early childhood programs and churches. This is an exciting opportunity for children, families, and church communities.

As we gather in this Wisdom Circle, we are not only shaping programs and practices—we are shaping one another. In listening, sharing, and creating together, we will find our own faith deepened, our vision sharpened, and our spirits renewed. My prayer is that every voice will be heard, every gift uplifted, and every heart strengthened, so that together we may bear witness to the holy truth: that the formation of children is also the formation of us all.