Nursery
Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Matthew 19:14
At St. Patrick’s Anglican Church, we want to create space for children to experience the stories and love of Jesus Christ. To this end, we have a nursery/toddler care program for children ages 0 to 3 years old.
During these early years of rapid social, emotional, cognitive, verbal, and physical development, spiritual truths can be woven into the simplest of activities. That is what we seek to do in this ministry. Through lots of play, Scripture, singing, movement, repetition, and care-taking, structured by gentle routines, we aim to make space for the youngest in our midst to learn about and experience the love of God.
A child ages 0-3 who comes to our church on Sundays will have a place to:
hear God’s Word each week in an age-appropriate way, as “The Story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them” (The Jesus Storybook Bible).
be loved intentionally, and be cared for respectfully.
discover truths about God, His people, and His world.
want to come to, and where parents feel good about leaving their kids.
live out the four practices of worship, community, formation and mission.
Babies learn about God and receive love by having their needs (physical, emotional, stimulation) taken care of. Parents can leave diapers, a change of clothes and a bottle for your child in the nursery during the service. We'll contact you via text or in person if your child seems to need you, but not until we've tried all our tricks! Please know that they are welcome to stay with us for five minutes or for the whole service.
Our nursery is staffed by a paid worker and a church member volunteer. Both have been fully vetted and are committed Christians. Every children’s ministry volunteer at St. Patrick’s Anglican Church goes through a background check and is trained through Ministry Safe training, a national child safety ministry endorsed and required by the Anglican Church in North America.
Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. Matthew 18:5
Nursery FAQs
You are welcome to drop your child off before the service begins, or at any time during the service. Your child can stay in the nursery for five minutes or the entire service, at your discretion.
We'll contact you via text or in person if your child seems to need you, but not until we've tried all our tricks!
Welcome (sign in, greet parents and children, names, find out needs)
Discovery Activities & Free Play (toys and activities that correspond to the lesson)/ Cleanup
Craft (simple project connected to the story)
Circle Time (singing songs with movements and interactive Bible story)
Water Fountain and Bathroom Trip (diaper changes when needed in room)
Snack (older kids wash hands, sit and hold hands and sing prayer, talk about prayer requests, clean up)
Quiet Time (lay down and be quiet before God)
Discovery Activities & Free Play (toys and activities that correspond to the lesson) OR Outside Time
Closing Circle (closing prayer, closing song, stickers)
St. Patrick’s Anglican Church values the safety and well-being of your child immensely! We believe that these children are precious to God and will do all we can to see that they are safe, happy and feel well-loved in our nursery. Every teen and adult who works in or volunteers in our nursery has been through a background check and through a child abuse awareness training. In addition, volunteers must be members in good standing of St. Patrick’s at least 6 months before being able to work with our children’s ministry. If you have any concerns or questions about our child safety policies, please email [email protected].
Please do bring a diaper, wipes and an extra change of clothes for little ones who are not yet potty-trained. For those who are in the process of potty-training or are newly potty-trained, please bring an extra outfit.
For the good of all the children in the nursery, and those they come in contact with, we do ask that you bring your children when they are in good health. If they have had a fever, or any other clear signs of illness 24 hours prior to coming to church, we ask that you do not leave them in nursery.