Getting Ready For Baby Day 2007

Two to Three Months in Advance:

Plan for an all-church workday if your church nursery needs a facelift. Encourage families to lend a hand with painting, laying carpets, assembling toys, or “spring cleaning.”

Assign someone to photograph or videotape the babies in the church nursery. Use this to prepare a slide show for the Baby Parade or to create a Baby Day video.

Ask a group of sewing or quilting volunteers in your congregation to create a Miracle of New Life! Quilt to display on Baby Day. This quilt could have fabric photos of the babies in your nursery, or a rainbow, or any number of “creation” themes. Let them design it and surprise you with something wonderful!

 

One Month in Advance:

Make a list of all Sunday School babies and Cradle Roll babies under two years of age. Provide cards for church members to submit names of new parents. Include names of inactive members who have babies.

Advertise Baby Day as a special time to honor babies. Complete the information on the enclosed poster, and make copies to display in such places as grocery stores, Laundromats, maternity shops, thrift stores, and baby furniture stores.

Prepare a bulletin board or wall display in the church foyer or other prominent place. Title the board The Miracle of New Life! Use the Baby Day poster, and attach photos of babies from your nursery.

Plan the order of service with the pastor so necessary music, presentations, bulletins, and other resources can be acquired, reviewed, and prepared.

Purchase a small gift for each baby present on Baby Day, for babies' parents, and for each nursery worker. Restaurant gift certificates make great gifts for nursery workers.

Begin taking pledges from individuals and groups within your congregation willing to donate money and/or supplies for a Baby Day fund-raiser.

Enlist the help of any volunteers you will need for Baby Day activities.

 

Two Weeks in advance:

Send Baby Day invitations to all the families in your nursery department and Cradle Roll as well as to prospective parents. Be sure to include the theme, The Miracle of New Life , in your invitations.

Distribute Baby Day flyers before Sunday School and each worship service. Include the Baby Day theme on the flyer.

Arrange for extra nursery help for Baby Day. There will be lots of new families in your church, so the babies (and the nursery workers!) will appreciate the help.

 

One Week in advance:

Make contact with any families in your community who have expressed interest in attending your church on Baby Day. Remind them of the service time and location, and encourage them to bring other families with babies, as well.

Inform greeters and ushers of visitors' possible needs for special seating, nursery facilities, or an extra hand with baby carriers and diaper bags.

Provide crayons and coloring pages or activity pages for older siblings who may be attending the adult service with their parents.