I like to write devotions for nursery workers to encourage them in their character to be faithful, responsible, and on time but this month I really wanted to focus on the blessings of serving in the nursery long-term. Here is the basic devotion that I wrote, with a few details adapted to share with you online… this assumes that you already work in the nursery, so please forgive me if you are not one that is involved for whatever reason. We all have our purposes within the body of Christ and even physical limitations, so please do not misunderstand when it may seem I am lumping everyone into one group.

 
Two women come to my mind when I think of faithful nursery workers. One of the things my family always said about my great-grandmother’s service in her church is that she worked in the nursery for years as her primary ministry, so I equate her with faithful nursery work. Then, a lady named Irene.  She is a sweet lady that is a friend to some in our church, although she attends another church, she worked faithfully in her nursery for over 25 years. 25 years!? That seems like a long time to work with babies, doesn’t it? Well, perhaps… but there are some basic blessings that go along with faithful nursery work, that I’m sure that my great-grandmother and Mrs. Irene would testify to if we could interview them.

 
1. The Blessing of Servitude. The basic service of the nursery is to provide a place for parents to leave their children in the care of responsible nursery workers so that they can go and listen to the preaching and teaching of God’s Word. Each time that an unsaved parent hears the gospel without the distraction of their child(ren) then that is because of a nursery worker! Your service to those parents, saved or unsaved, can help build homes for the glory of God and for the good of eternity.

 
2. The Blessing of Influence. Babies are new little impressionable creatures that are taking in massive amounts of information on a daily basis and growing physically and mentally. At church, when we create the loving environment that makes them feel safe and we meet their needs and talk to them about how much God loves them, then we begin to influence their future. Faithful nursery workers get to see children on a regular basis grow from newborns to infants to walking, talking, and eventually toddlers that graduate out of the nursery. Then those children go to the next class and learn more about Jesus, then they go to the next class and learn more about the Bible, and perhaps they keep growing in the Lord and eventually get saved.

Never underestimate the power of good influence you bring to a child’s life when it surrounds church and the Bible and a good nursery environment.

3. The Blessing of Friendship. Faithful nursery workers see the fruit of faithfulness by the relationships they build with other nursery workers and with the parents of the children they minister to. Friendship has often been the result of two women being scheduled to work in the nursery together when they did not know each other very well beforehand. While, talking is not the main focus of nursery work, it does open many doors for women to talk to each other about their families and interests. It also creates a new understanding for the families in the church. When you get to interact with someone’s child(ren) then you understand more about their family and can talk to them about their child(ren) and know how to help or pray for them. Friendships built around faithful nursery work may become long-lasting friendships.

 
At times God creates a ministry in the heart of some women to serve in the church nursery as the Sunday School teacher, a consistent full-time position. But for most of us, we have a monthly schedule of working a few times a month. I hope as you serve you see the blessings of faithfulness and the long-term benefits of being involved not only in the ministry of the nursery but being a long-term member of your church. The work of a nursery worker is not a little thing, it is a beneficial work for the Lord that brings with it these three wonderful blessings. I pray that you would be a faithful nursery worker as long as you can so that you can make an eternal difference in the lives of children and parents alike.

Note: Feel free to use this outline if you have a nursery award banquet or luncheon, or even put it on the back of your nursery schedule. Just please give me credit and do not publish or copy in any other format online or elsewhere without permission.