Tag: ministry

Being a Welcoming Nursery Worker

  • Have your heart ready to receive the child(ren).

                If you have prepared your heart and mind in prayer and thinking about good hospitality when a family arrives at the door of the nursery you will be a step ahead in being a welcoming nursery worker.

  • Put a smile on your face and greet the parents and child warmly.

                Greeting a family and child with a smile and a “Good morning!” or “Hello!” can go a long way. When a new person walks to the door to drop off their child off to strangers a smile is a reassuring gesture that will make them feel at home. It’s an awkward moment when a parent walks to the nursery and feels ignored or like they must begin engaging in conversation with the worker because they are shy or preoccupied. Help ease the stress of separation anxiety from both the child and the parent by making them feel welcome.

  • Receive the child and their belongings.

Whether it’s an infant, toddler, or preschooler there is a hand-off from the parent to the worker that should work into being easier the more comfortable the parents and child become with the process. Take their child, then take their belongings and put them away where they belong. If their child cries at this time…

  • Assure the parents that you will contact them if there is an issue.

However your church contacts a parent whether by pager or by text, assure them you will contact them if there is an issue. Do not allow their child to cry for more than 10 minutes without contacting them to come back and check on the child. Some children’s separation anxiety does not calm down easily and most parents would not like to hear their child was inconsolable for an hour or longer waiting for the service to be over. 

  • Listen well. Receive the instructions for the child’s needs and write them down.

A parent should feel their desires and needs are heard about what can and should not happen with their child during our care. Whether it pertains to feeding times, food allergies, or preferences for a nap, please write it down to help you remember and communicate to the other workers.

  • Explain any procedures and answer any questions kindly.

If there is something that needs to be explained, such as your church’s sickness policy, please give the instructions kindly to the parent.  If an issue arises that you do not know how to deal with please contact your nursery coordinator to help you work it out with the parent.

  • Keep smiling and engaging the child throughout your shift in the nursery.

Cultivating an atmosphere of love takes work to show a child that church is a safe and good place to be. When a child cries and is frustrated that their parents are not with them or they’re tired, keep doing your best to speak to them kindly and use gentle gestures. While some verbal corrections for a fighting toddler or redirecting a child to do another task may be needed, remember to keep their nursery experience as positive as possible. We’re not the parent and no form of physical discipline should be exercised on the child. Don’t stop to take a phone scrolling break or solely talk with another nursery worker, engage the child(ren). Singing songs, reading books, rotating toys, or playing on the floor with the child(ren) can all be simple ways to engage little ones. 

  • Make it a good goodbye.

Make the pick-up process easy by getting the children and belongings ready to go during the closing portion of the church service. Guests and members alike love to hear good feedback about their child’s experience and personality. Keep the parents informed about any notable situations or needs and always report injuries like a bump on the head or another child biting theirs. If there is time, ask parents about their week and invite them to come to the next service.

 

If a parent feels a place is safe and the workers are genuinely safe and caring toward their child(ren) then they will have a greater desire to come back. Many nursery workers have had a profound impact on creating long-lasting connections with families by loving their children and engaging them. If a family feels welcome and safe it can build trust and move them toward joining your church family. Never underestimate the importance of being a welcoming and hospitable servant of the Lord!

 

The Motivating Factor Behind Panic is Fear

What are the motivating factors behind panic?

FEARS.

*Fear of the unknown. We don’t know what will happen so our minds conjure up wild tales and cause worry.
*Fear of loss of control. We like to think we are in control. When we can’t have it or things start slipping through our grasp then we can switch to OCD behaviors, trying to control what we can and controlling others.
*Fear of suffering. Pain and struggle are hard to deal with. And we have a very gratifying lifestyle as Americans so even the idea of suffering and hardship really break our spirits.
*Fear that something bad that happened in the past will happen again. Our pasts and what others have done or painful losses and hurtful situations can cause legitimate fear because it caused us harm in our spirit or body.
*Fear of the known wrongs a person has done coming back to haunt them. We all know there is a circle of paybacks that will come back to us someday (the law of sowing and reaping).
*Fear of death. We are afraid of dying because often our souls and spirits are not right with God.
Fears are often a display of what is going on in the heart. A spiritual window. Why is there mass hysteria over a flu-like illness? Why are we worried about real things that could change our lives temporarily or even forever? But what does this reveal? Or how can I look at this and change my natural reaction to what I am afraid of?

1. Our hopes are not rooted in a foundational trust in Jesus Christ. This shows whether people have a relationship with God or not. If you trust self or some other thing it will always fail or falter when up against a greater thing that would destroy it…whatever “it” might be. And our bad things always will come back to us… it’s more than karma, it’s God’s system of reward for sowing selfishly or spiritually in His system of righteousness. God designed good works only to be done AFTER a relationship with Christ not as a means of making our lives right with God. No amount of goodness will cover up our individual breaking of God’s law. That is why Jesus came and died and rose again. His payment for our wrongs is what we need to see as the sufficient means to begin a foundational relationship with God that will not bend or sway with every pandemic or life-changing experience. God loves you so much he does not want you tortured by fear now or in eternity. The greatest fear would be NOT having a relationship with Christ because of what it will mean when you die, being forever separated from God.

1 John 4:18 KJV — There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

2. If you are a Christian, maybe you have taken your eyes off God. Peter sank in the high waves and was overcome with fear as he began to sink and cried “Lord, save me!” with Jesus standing right there. Use wisdom, exercise it but don’t panic. Step up like Paul in Acts 27 and proclaim faith in God as a solution for panic to the people around you. Don’t join the mass hysteria or jump on bandwagons to follow every “solution” either. Worldly people’s reaction should not make you jump the gun and leave common sense to follow every “solution.” Have your wits about you.

Guard your heart and mind and look to Jesus as the waves are crashing around your ankles for the answers. He will give them. He will provide you direction. Allow your connection with Jesus to keep you calm, filled with purpose, and busy about sharing the hope and confidence you have in Christ. We may suffer and struggle but we are not alone from the moment we trust Christ until we see Him in heaven.

2 Timothy 1:7 KJV — For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Luke 12:7 KJV — But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Hebrews 13:6 KJV — So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

What You Don’t Know About Ladies In Your Church

Think about the things you don’t know about ladies in your church or other sisters in Christ…

I want to encourage you not to jump to conclusions.

You don’t know…

*how much they have prayed about something before they have done something you may not agree with. Stop judging so quickly and labeling and in some cases avoiding.

*if they are following the leadership they are Biblically asked to follow. (They may not wholeheartedly agree with their leadership but they’re following peacefully in faith). Commend her for being obedient instead of being upset. Pray for her, she may not be able to tell you.

*the amount of spiritual attacks they have faced while trying to do right, in the last day, week, month, year. It may be adding up.

*their heart is well-meaning even if they are ignorant on the things they are trying to do or help with or maybe the sins they commit. Young Christians and young people need grace and someone faithful to teach them.

*how care-taking may be playing a toll on their heart and mind. Mamas and women taking care of parents or special needs children don’t need more burdens from your opinions.

*their past or present and how stress taxes their heart from the trauma of dealing with whatever it was or is in their life. Sometimes the past haunts your present and sometimes the present can oppress people’s spirits because they may struggle with looking up at God rather than their burdens.

*that there may be hidden abuse in their life and they’re trying to make everything appear normal but they’re under the strain of doing things however the people in their life are wanting them to do it. In Christian circles some would not even know their sister-in-Christ is pasting a smile on her face because she doesn’t want you to know things aren’t 100% beautiful in her home.

*the silent lies Satan is whispering to them when they are alone. Lies from Satan are divisive and always trying to cause confusion and distraction from God.

*the temptations they are facing and how they may already be frustrated with themselves already for failing. Speak the truth in love when it’s needed, but don’t over preach/teach to people when they’re already beating themselves up.

*they feel a calling or God impressing them to do something and they are worried already that it will be a drastic change in their life and people will be critical of them. Big steps of obedience need encouragement. It’s God’s job to help people go and do what He wants.

We can only see so much into the lives of those around us. Use the Holy Spirit to give you discernment on how to speak and encourage people because you don’t know the situation behind a person’s smile, frown, or tears.

Proverbs 25:11, ” A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.”