The answer lies in an often-overlooked Scripture. Each Christmas, we read Luke 1 about how Mary is visited by an angel announcing a virgin will conceive a son. But it's what comes after that's intriguing. Mary goes to visit her relative Elizabeth, also miraculously pregnant in her old age. Luke 1:41 says, "And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb." The baby leaped. The baby John knew something special was happening. The presence of the Messiah in utero was enough to make another baby in utero leap for joy and praise. This infant knew the presence of the Lord immediately.
Our children can know Jesus even in the womb. That's one reason we baptize infants here. It's also why we're starting nursery. We believe our youngest can know and praise the Lord, and we want to create an environment where that knowledge is intentionally guarded and fostered.
From this central reason, we can deduce other reasons.
We believe our youngest know the Lord through the body of Christ, the church, expressing his love and care. Baby John knew the presence of Jesus from the voice of Mary. Nursery is an opportunity for our children, whether they are verbal or not, to hear the presence of Jesus in our voices.
We believe nursery is a place where the congregation can fulfill their baptismal vows to assist parents in the "Christian nurture of this child.” Nursery is a place where the church can fully be the household of God (1 Tim 3:15), where children are prayed for, cared for, and known by their Christian aunties and uncles.
We believe our youngest are called to praise the Lord in ways fitting to their age. Baby John could not speak, but he could leap in the womb. Far from being a childcare service, nursery is a context where we want to foster our little ones' worship in age-appropriate ways. Nursery will prepare our toddlers for children's worship and congregational worship. They will learn and sing songs, lift their voices and hands in praise, learn to pray and listen to God, and hear God's Word read and taught to them.
We believe there is no strict separation of the natural and spiritual in Christ's kingdom. Our nursery time will be structured to grow our children in knowledge of the Lord but also in self-control, in submission and obedience to good authority, in responsibility, in loving and sharing, and in stewardship. In other words, their sanctification requires things like learning to share toys and spaces, learning to follow the leader, cleaning up after themselves, and even eating in a conscientious, caring way.
Please join us in praying for our nursery care. Ask the Lord whether he is calling you to serve in this beautiful and crucial ministry. Our Lord Jesus promises that whoever welcomes one of these little ones is actually welcoming him (Matt 18:5). Nursery then is a ministry of and to the Lord.