If there's one area of children's ministry that is considered "babysitting" the most often, it is nursery ministry. Since babies can't talk, many people assume they can't be impacted with God's truth. As a result of this line of thinking, many nurseries skip out on trying to do some type of "lesson."
I want to encourage you not to assume this about nursery ministry. Here's why. Nursery ministry matters...a lot. And if you serve in nursery ministry, you matter and what you are doing in the nursery matters.
Studies show that even before babies talk, they have a basic understanding of other people's intentions. And by the age of 1, they can start predicting the actions of others. Thousands of brain connections are being made during this time period. Babies brains can form over 1,000 neural connections every second. And these connections are the building blocks of their future. Children who are read to from the Bible, talked to about God, sing worship songs to and given personal attention in the nursery will have better cognitive capacity.
"What children experience in the earliest days and years of life shapes and defines their futures."
Anthony Lake, UNICEF Executive Director
If you serve in the nursery, you are serving in one of the most important ministries in the church. When you serve in the nursery, you are laying a faith foundation that will help children grow in their faith for the rest of their life.
Speak God's Word over the children in your nursery. Have a verse in each room that you pray over the children in that room. There are many prayer promises that you can use for this.
Look in their eyes and talk to them. They understand much more than you realize. Speak words of affirmation, kindness and truth.
When you serve in the nursery, God is using you to prepare the next leaders of the church. You see, you are sending messengers to a day that you will never see. When your generation has passed on to heaven, the children you invested in while serving in the nursery, will carry the message you passed down to them. You are influencing future generations.
If you are reading this and you serve in the nursery, you matter. And what you do matters. You are planting spiritual seeds that will blossom for years to come. You are influencing the future of your church.
Let's keep spreading the word about the value and importance of nursery ministry.