When Arlie and Wendy Whitlow moved their family of eight to St. Johns County, Florida, they were following a calling that had been years in the making. After completing ARC training in 2017 and spending years preparing for the launch, Roots Church officially opened its doors in January 2020—just weeks before the pandemic would shut the world down.
What could have been a devastating blow became a season of creativity and prayer.
Within months of meeting in a high school auditorium, the Whitlows were asking bigger questions about permanence, sustainability, and their mission to reach families in their rapidly growing community.
Those questions led to a bold decision: to plant not only a church but also a missional preschool—Roots Academy.
Today, Roots Academy is more than a thriving early learning center; it’s a story of God’s provision, strategic vision, and what’s possible when churches embrace diversifying income as a ministry strategy.
The Challenge: Growth, Vision, and Financial Sustainability
St. Johns County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation, with families moving to the area every single day. Roots Church’s vision has always been clear: to help people get rooted in God’s love.
But after launching the church in a rented high school auditorium, the team longed for a permanent space to plant deeper roots and increase their reach.
In 2021, God opened a door through a COVID-era SBA economic disaster loan, making it possible to build out a permanent home. Yet, with a larger building came a larger financial burden. The church needed a creative solution to sustain this leap of faith while staying focused on its mission.
“We knew at that point that the church needed more income in order to sustain the lease payment, the expenses that would go into that,” shared Wendy, Director of Roots Academy and co-pastor of Roots Church with her husband Arlie. “So God planted it in our heart to start a preschool.”
The Solution: Launching a Missional Business
Through prayer, research, and conversations with other leaders, the Whitlows felt God’s leading to open a full-time preschool.
The idea wasn’t just about diversifying income for churches; it was about embodying the church’s mission in a tangible, everyday way.
Roots Academy launched with a prayer for 50 enrolled students—just enough to cover rent, salaries, and utilities. Within three months, those prayers were answered. Today, the school is bursting at the seams, turning their worship space into weekday classrooms and actively searching for a second location.
How did they do it? By taking bold steps to connect with families:
- Google Nonprofit Ads: Roots Academy leveraged free ad credits to appear in local searches, quickly attracting interest from families moving to the area.
- Community Events: Before the building was even complete, the team hosted open houses, launch parties, and even brought in an ice cream truck to create buzz and connection.
Persistence and Creativity: When zoning restrictions initially blocked their plans, Wendy and Arlie kept knocking on doors—literally. They reframed their proposal, presented a business plan, and ultimately secured a lease in a medical-zoned building.
The Impact: Ministry, Community, and Financial Stability
Roots Academy has become a trusted resource for working parents, offering a rare combination of full-time hours and a faith-based curriculum. Children learn about God’s love while developing a strong academic foundation.
The school has also become a bridge between the church and the community:
- Families from Roots Academy are becoming part of Roots Church.
- Weekly “Family Chapels” invite parents to experience worship alongside their children and hear the Gospel message.
- The preschool’s success has stabilized church finances, covering rent and utilities, and giving Roots Church space to focus on spiritual growth.
The school ministers to the local community and keeps the doors open while the church grows.
An Encouragement to Churches
For pastors and leaders exploring diversifying income for churches, Roots’ journey offers wisdom and encouragement:
- Start with a Community Need: The Whitlows identified a shortage of quality Christian childcare in their area and responded. Their missional business is thriving because it solves a tangible problem.
- Keep Knocking: Zoning hurdles, launch delays, and funding questions didn’t stop them. Creative problem-solving and bold conversations opened doors that seemed closed.
- Lean Into Prayer and People: The preschool’s growth isn’t just financial; it’s spiritual. Every decision was rooted in a calling to serve families and share the love of Christ.
Looking Ahead: Expanding Roots
Roots Academy currently serves 2–4-year-olds, but they are already planning to expand their offerings to include infants, toddlers, and kindergarten. They’re also negotiating for a second location to meet overwhelming demand.
“We filled up so quickly that we ran out of space,” Wendy said. “It’s a good problem to have!”
Their story proves that diversifying income for churches doesn’t mean sacrificing mission; it can multiply it.
Wrapping Up
Roots Church’s story shows what’s possible when pastors embrace creative solutions to fund ministry. Launching a preschool wasn’t just about generating income—it was about meeting a pressing community need and creating new pathways for discipleship.
If your church is wrestling with similar questions—how to grow impact, strengthen financial health, and place every dollar on mission—there are resources to guide you. Parable has gathered practical tools and stories to help churches explore income diversification with clarity and confidence.
Explore our Diversifying Income Resources:
- Diversifying Income Streams with Mark DeYmaz
- Beyond the Plate Article
- Distilled: Church Finance Made Simple
Roots’ journey is proof that diversifying income for churches isn’t a distraction from mission. Done prayerfully, it can become a powerful act of faith that blesses families, strengthens communities, and fuels ministry growth