History of Creekside Church and the former Elkhart City COB

SUNDAY SCHOOL PROGRAM

Eleanor Painter

Ruth Anna Hoff

Nelda Risden

Jean Mann

A Sunday school program has been a part of the Elkhart City church from the beginning. The first record of the Sunday school was in 1897 when it was known as The Oak Park Sunday School with Henry Domer as superintendent. By 1943 the average attendance was 300. The first full-time Director of Education, Eleanor Painter, was hired in 1962 and served until 1972. Under her supervision the church library was started, which is now a fine resource center.

The need for more classroom space led to the construction of an education wing, including a church library, and three offices in 1963, at a cost of $185,000. The new addition was dedicated November 17, 1963 and the mortgage burned in 1976. In 1976 Ruth Anna Hoff joined the staff as Director of Christian Education and served until 1986. Nelda Risden was Director of Nurture/Education from 1988 to 1995. After a couple of years without a director, Jean Mann from the church was hired on a part-time basis as the Director of Nurture and Education beginning in January of 1997. She retired in May of 2007.

There are presently 9 Sunday morning classes in our church school - a nursery, 2 children's, 1 junior high, 1 youth, and 4 adult. We have an average of 120 attending these classes on any given Sunday.

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