Working in the church nursery isn’t an obligation; it’s a joy! Read on to learn why everyone at church should volunteer to serve with the youngest church members.
When my daughter was tiny, I felt completely overwhelmed with my life. I had a first grader, a preschooler and a new baby, and I couldn’t wait for those glorious two hours on Sunday. I could drop all of them off in their various classes and go have some adult conversation, without any tiny hands grasping for my dress, my hands, my hair or any other body part.
For two hours, I was my own, at least physically. I thanked God for those blessed men and women who volunteered to take a needy baby out of my worn-out hands. Those saints were willing to handle the crying, the spitting up, the diaper changes, and the bottles. It was a magnificent ministry to exhausted, overwrought parents like me.
The Hot Topic of the Church Nursery
Yet the church nursery always seems to be a touchy subject. Everyone has their own ideas about how it should function and who should work there. Some churches have more resources than others. Some have more small children than others. And some have an easier time finding volunteers than others.
In an online discussion about church nurseries, tired young mothers declared that they shouldn’t have to volunteer there. They said other people should step up and take care of the babies and small children so these exhausted moms could enjoy their time at church. After all, it’s one of the few respites they get in their long week.
I understand why they feel this way. I’ve felt that way myself at different stages of life. But, there’s an important reason why mamas should continue to volunteer, even if it means that once or twice a quarter they will be rocking babies or playing with preschoolers during the church service.
And that reason has nothing to do with the fact that churches need that young mama demographic to help out (although they do). The reason mothers should work in the church nursery is because it gives us a chance to serve one another.
Work in the Church Nursery Because Moms Need You
Who can better sympathize with an overwhelmed, somewhat depressed, sleep-deprived, dark-circles-sporting mother than one who is there herself? Who will be most sensitive to a mother’s needs and concerns? Other young mamas, of course.
Who sees most clearly how frightening it can be to drop off a baby for the first time? Who can most sincerely take a young mother’s hand and say, I’m with you, sister. I am just as tired as you are, and there is solidarity in the two of us caring for each other’s children in the name of Christ.
These young mothers can’t carry this task of serving one another all alone. Older mothers often say they’ve already worked in the nursery. Men claim it’s women’s territory. We hear young married couples say that they aren’t equipped to handle small children.
But young mothers need help. They need our ministry, our assistance, and our encouragement. They need us to say, Just get here, and we’ll take care of the rest. It really matters. And it sets up a pattern in that family’s life. One of regular church attendance, reliance on the church, and children who love coming to God’s house.
Work in the Church Nursery as an Act of Worship
Sometimes we tend to think that when we’re in the church nursery we’re cut off from worship. We feel like we missed church. Even those precious young mothers may claim that they simply can’t worship if they’re sequestered to the nursery.
But if we feel that way or use that as an excuse not to volunteer, then we’re forgetting an important element of worship: service. Coming to church isn’t just about us getting our “Jesus fix.” It isn’t about seeing what we can get out of it or waiting around to be served.
One function of the church is serving each other. We should be trying to out-do each other with love and servanthood, instead of keeping score to see if people are doing enough for us. And, yes, dear church. These truths apply to the church nursery.
So all of us—young moms, college students, grandmothers, dads—should view the church nursery as an opportunity to serve church families. This is a true act of worship.
Young mamas: Don’t miss your chance to sympathize with and help other women who feel just as overwhelmed as you do. They need your arms, your understanding heart, your gracious overlooking of their disheveled hair. They need to know you’re all in this together. And what better way to show love to your fellow mamas than to love on their babies on Sundays a few times a year? I don’t think it’s too much to ask of anyone, no matter our stage of life.
This article about the church nursery originally appeared here.
