Nursery

Your child is considered very special at Bellevue Christian Reformed Church (BCRC.) To a large extent, your child’s feelings about God’s love develop as you lovingly care for them at home. It is our desire to give your child the same love and care that you give them at home. These small members of our church family are very precious to Christ and us. We want this worship time to be safe, warm and secure. We are excited about our ministry to your family and we want to welcome you as part of our church body. It is our prayer that we can be supportive of you individually and of your family within the context of the larger church family here at BCRC.

The nursery is a cooperative ministry and we ask that each parent serve at least one service every three to four months.

The Nursery is staffed by volunteers from our church. You will be asked to sign-in your child. Feel free to stay as long as you'd like to help your child settle in. You're also welcome to check on your child at any time. Pagers are available so that the attendants can contact you if needed.

When is the Nursery Available?

Sunday
Nursery is available during the Sunday School hour and during the Worship Service for infants to three-year-olds. The greeter can show you the way. Children two to three years old who are in the nursery will be moved during the service to the Little Lambs class when it begins during the latter part of Sunday worship. Please tell a nursery attendant if you prefer for your child to stay in nursery.

Wednesday
Nursery is available during Wednesday night classes for infants to three-year-olds.

Thursday
Nursery is also available for infants to two-year-olds for women participating in Coffee Break and Mom-to-Mom. Volunteers from our church staff it.

Things You Should Know

Registration
We ask that you sign your child in on the attendance sheet at the check-in area every time you use the nursery. Please check the appropriate information on the sheet, giving any special instructions, including any allergies or health conditions we should be aware of. A pager will be assigned to you at the check-in desk. We ask that you also label all personal belongings left for your child. DO NOT leave your child in nursery when planning to leave the church grounds for even a short time. Please direct any questions to an adult attendant serving in the ministry. They should be able to answer your questions or direct you to someone who can.

Leaving Your Child
Leave your child with the nursery attendant at the check-in area. You may stay with your child while he or she adjusts to the nursery or until you feel comfortable leaving. However, it seems to help children at this age if you leave quickly and not return until you are ready to pick them up. If they see you before then, they do not understand you leaving them again. Your child may cry when left with us – this reaction is a normal, healthy show of preference for parents. Fussing usually stops within a few minutes and becomes less common with regular attendance. If your child continues to cry, and all efforts to console and comfort fail, we will page you and ask you to return to the nursery to stay with your child. We ask that you keep any older children outside the nursery area. This will keep the room safe for the little ones and free from excessive activity.

Diaper Bag
Please include in your diaper bag the following: blankets, pacifiers, bottles (please, no red or grape juices—dark juice stains cannot be removed) and any other item your child may need. We will accommodate cloth diapers; however, we do use disposable diapers for convenience. Please let the adult attendant know if your child is allergic to disposable diapers.

Nursing/Feeding
Feel free to nurse your baby in our nursery. Just let the adult attendant know and they will see that you are made comfortable. Crawlers and toddlers receive a small snack, usually Cheerios and/or animal crackers. Let the attendant know if you do not want your child to have a snack. Infants are offered only what you bring in a bottle.

Illness
We are a well-baby facility. If your child is not feeling well, please allow him or her to return to health at home and avoid exposure to other children or nursery staff. We cannot accept a child who is ill. Some signs of illness are: Unusual fatigue or irritability, coughing, sneezing, runny nose or eyes (green/yellow drainage), fever, vomiting, diarrhea, inflamed mouth or throat, rash or open sores. Even if a child has been on antibiotics and is feeling better, a green/yellow discharge through the nose/eyes indicates that they are still contagious and should be at home to recover.

Mark 10:14 says, “...permit the children to come to me; do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” When we knowingly expose other children to illness, we hinder them and their families from being able to come and worship God and learn about Him. Please be sensitive and allow your child to recuperate at home. Medicines must be administered by parents since nursery workers are not allowed to administer any medicines.

It is exciting to see how God’s Spirit is at work in the hearts of our people, as more and more parents and non-parents have caught the vision to have ‘the best’ for our children. Won’t you join with us? We challenge you to a ministry of care and concern for our children. We invite you to come and get involved in a great nursery effort. God loves a cheerful giver and delights in us when we serve one another in love. Come, join us as we share the love of Jesus.