By Garry Sanossian
For almost 50 years Liberty Preschool has been helping children learn, grow and thrive in the Greenacre community.
Established in the late 1970s as part of the church’s commitment to local children and families, the preschool began with a conviction that children matter and that the church can contribute to their wellbeing and development.
What began as a part-time preschool has grown into a fully functioning early childhood service. For Director Rob Treloar, who has led the preschool since July 2023, its mission begins with excellent education and care.
“The children attending the service come first,” Rob said.
“Their needs and interests are paramount.”
Liberty Preschool welcomes families from a range of cultural and religious backgrounds. Rather than expecting families to participate in church life, staff seek to meet them where they are, build trust and provide genuine support.
“We believe God values children and families,” Liberty Church Senior Pastor Alasdair MacDougall said. “Liberty Preschool is a tangible way for us to help young people thrive.”
(Left) Rob, who has been directing the preschool since 2023 and (right) Alasdair, Senior Pastor at Liberty Church.
As an extension of this commitment of the church, each Monday, Liberty Church runs a playgroup for parents and young children, supported by a preschool educator. Families from the playgroup have later enrolled at the preschool, while preschool families have connected with the playgroup, Kids Club and other church ministries.
Children play together in the sandpit at Liberty Preschool, exploring and learning through outdoor play.
A weekly Parent Connect gathering also gives parents space to meet over coffee and talk about the challenges and joys of raising children.
For one mother, the preschool became the beginning of a much wider journey. After first connecting through Liberty Preschool, she became involved in the church’s playtime and later participated more deeply in church life.
Rob described her experience as a significant example of Christ at work through the relationships formed between the preschool and church.
“The line of where the church starts and the preschool ends is overlapped and interconnected,” he said.
One of the greatest outcomes of this overlap, has been the building of relational trust between church and local communities.
For example, recently one mother began attending the Parent Connect program and made friendships in the group. Through informal conversations over coffee, she became interested in the church’s Friday children’s program and began considering bringing her children along.
“They can see that the space is not intimidating or overwhelming,” he said.
“It creates opportunities without it having to begin with a direct conversation about faith.”
For Alasdair, the relationship is not simply about drawing families into church services.
“The church believes in the ministry of the preschool in and of itself,” he said. “The preschool can support children in ways the church sometimes cannot, and the church can provide broader community and ongoing connection.”
Liberty Preschool’s outdoor learning space provides children with opportunities for active play, exploration and connection.
Some of those relationships continue after children leave preschool and begin primary school, giving families an ongoing community during a significant season of change.
For Liberty, the value of their preschool is not measured only by immediate spiritual outcomes. Some seasons bring conversations about faith and families developing deeper connections with the church. Others involve faithfully continuing the everyday work of education, care and relationship-building.
“One thing that’s not changing is that the heart and the direction of the preschool in the way that we are there for God all the time and whatever harvest we see in different years, He’s good and He’s in it,” he said.
A child enjoys a painting activity at Liberty Preschool, where children’s needs and interests are at the heart of education and care.
Through education, hospitality and ongoing community, Liberty Preschool continues to serve Greenacre families and create natural opportunities for them to experience the care and welcome of the church.
This story is part of a short series featuring churches in our network who have established early education centres as pathways for community engagement. We will be running a webinar in September 2026 inviting preschool leaders, like Alasdair and Rob, to share their journey and insight with other communities interested in exploring this pathway for their community.
To join us, RSVP here: ccnswact.org.au/events/childcare-ministry-webinar-2026
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