Children's Ministry Blog

My name is David Hall and I’m the Florence Campus KidSpring Director.  I love what I get to do, and I’m blessed to be a part of such an incredible church.  Before I go into more detail about some awesome stuff that’s going on in Florence, I thought I’d tell you a little about myself.  This is me in a nutshell:

• I love Jesus!
• I’m married to an incredible young lady named Bridget. She rocks.  A man couldn’t ask for a better wife.
• My wife and I are from Anderson.  We moved to Florence in July of 2008.
• I love kid cereal, no FiberOne for me, pass me the Cookie Crisp!
• I’ve been on staff at NewSpring Church for almost three and a half years now.  I started in February of 2006 part-time with the student ministry.
• I’m passionate about seeing kids fall in love with Jesus and His church.

God is doing some incredible things at the Florence campus, and I’m privileged to have a front row seat.  In the kids’ area alone, I get to see kids coming to church and learning Biblical truths in a way that they can understand and is fun.  I see kids enjoying church and wanting to come back.  I see people volunteering and giving their time and talents to further the Kingdom of God.  God is doing an incredible work in Florence through NewSpring Church and the volunteers who are willing to make it happen every Sunday!

I wanted to close by sharing a really cool story about how God is moving in Florence:

One Sunday, a greeter noticed a single mom and her kids that hadn’t been to church in over a month.  He went up to the family to welcome them back, and the mom’s reaction was priceless.  The mom said, “I just had to come back.  Every Sunday morning, when I get my kids out of bed they ask ‘When are we going back to that church?’ I had to bring them back!” That’s incredible!  Kids bringing their parents to church!  Praise God!

Do you have a private place for me to nurse my baby?
We have a Mom’s Viewing Room available for moms and babies birth to six weeks.  This is a ‘Moms Only’ room for women who are nursing their babies or whose babies are too young to enter our nursery. There are comfortable chairs, changing tables and other amenities available.  The service is shown by video on a TV in the room.  If a baby over six weeks is nursing, we ask that the baby be returned to NewSpring nursery following the feeding. 

How old does my baby need to be to attend the nursery?
Our nursery rooms are open to babies who are six weeks old and have completed their first round of immunizations.

How do I know when to move my baby to the next room?
Our nursery rooms are based on a baby’s agility and are divided into cuddlers, crawlers, walkers, and toddlers.  As your child progresses in his or her ability to explore, let our check-in volunteers know and they will assign him or her to the appropriate room. 

Will my child have the same caregiver each week?
Our volunteers are committed to providing the most excellent experience for babies week after week.  That means that they serve in the same room at the same service every week or every other week as their schedule permits.

How will you contact me if my child needs me?
If our children’s ministry staff needs to reach you during the service, your baby’s last name and the number on your identification tag will appear on the video screen in the main service and throughout the lobby.

What is the volunteer-child ratio in the nursery rooms?
Ratios of volunteers to babies have been established to maintain a fun and safe nursery environment. We average a 1:2 ratio for cuddlers and a 1:3 ratio for crawlers and walkers, 1-4 ratio for toddlers and 2 year olds.

What if my baby cries?
We understand that for some babies separation from loved ones can be difficult.  We strive to make that transition as smooth as possible.  If your child cries for an extended period of time, we will page you from the service unless you instruct us otherwise.

What measures have you taken to provide a secure environment for my baby?
When you drop off your child in our nursery, we understand that you are entrusting us with your most precious possession.  All our volunteers have cleared a federal background check and have been interviewed by our staff.  Security volunteers are also stationed in our children’s area.  No unauthorized adults are allowed to enter our nursery rooms.  Children in our care will be released only to the adult bearing the matching parent identification tag.

What if I lose my parent identification tag?
A replacement tag can be issued at the First Time Visitor Check-In area with proof of identification (photo ID).