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Never think that church nursery ministry is babysitting. It is actually a great opportunity to minister to and teach the youngest guests of your church.

WHY CHURCH NURSERY MINISTRY MATTERS

Four-month-old babies can recognize emotions in people’s faces according to the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development. (source) This means a nursery worker’s mood affects the babies.

Nine-month-old babies focus more on an object’s identity when pointed at by someone, and they focus more on an object’s location when reached at by someone, according to the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development. (source) This means that a nursery worker’s gestures influence how a preverbal infant understands and learns.

Although it is important to realize that your actions as a nursery worker influence babies, it is even more important to understand that babies do not process things the same way that an adult does. For example, adults process color with the left hemisphere of their brains because they use linguistic labels for color. Prelinguistic babies, on the other hand, process color with the right hemisphere of their brains because they see color as it truly exists, independent of linguistics labels. (source & source)

Oddly enough, the language you speak influences what colors you see because linguistic labels determine how you divide the color spectrum, according to MIT.

UNDERSTANDING BABIES

I recommend three resources for learning how to better understand babies and communicate with them.

#1 - Dunstan Baby Language (birth to 3 months)
Dunstan Baby Language teaches you to recognize 5 universal sounds that all babies make from birth to 3-months-old. They communicate hunger (Neh), tiredness (Owh), need to burp (Eh), gas (Eair), and discomfort (Heh).

#2 - The Happiest Baby
The Happiest Baby gives the 5 S’s for keeping a baby comfortable and happy - Swaddle, Sway (bounce), Shh, Side, and Suck. For example, the sound “Shh” comforts a baby because it mimics the sound of the womb.

#3 - Baby Signs
Baby Signs is a proven sign language program for hearing babies that reduces frustration and eases communication.

A GREAT CHURCH NURSERY MINISTRY
A great church nursery ministry strives to understand their babies and meet their needs. And a great nursery should also be teaching their babies mentally stimulating principles like Baby Signs as well as spiritually stimulating principles. For example, a way to teach babies what the Bible is and to love it is to have them hug or kiss their Bible.

For Discussion:
- What tips do you have for a great church nursery ministry?

The Barna Group has published some interesting research that investigates the moral downfalls of adults (age 18+). Here is what they discovered:

DURING THE PAST WEEK,

• 28% of adults cussed
  >> 64% of Mosaics (ages 18-25)
  >> 60% of Atheists
  >> 33% of Men
  >> 33% of Non-Christian Religions
  >> 24% of Women
  >> 19% of Baby Boomers (ages 44-62)
  >> 16% of Evangelicals
  
• 20% of adults gambled (including purchased a lottery ticket)
  >> 25% of Catholics
  >> 23% of Men
  >> 18% of Protestants
  >> 15% of Women
  >> 2% of Evangelicals
• 19% of adults intentionally viewed pornography
  >> 50% of Atheists
  >> 33% of Mosaics (ages 18-25)
  >> 32% of Non-Christian Religions
  >> 30% of Liberals
  >> 16% of Baby Boomers (ages 44-62)
  >> 12% of Evangelicals
  >> 8% of Conservatives
• 12% of adults gossiped
  >> 34% of Atheists
  >> 26% of Mosaics (ages 18-25) 
  >> 17% of Liberals
  >> 10% of Baby Boomers (ages 44-62)
  >> 9% of Conservatives
  >> 4% of Evangelicals
• 12% of adults got drunk
  >> 33% of Atheists
  >> 25% of Mosaics (ages 18-25) 
  >> 22% of Men
  >> 17% of Liberals
  >> 16% of Catholics
  >> 9% of Baby Boomers (ages 44-62)
  >> 7% of Conservatives
  >> 7% of Protestants
  >> 3% of Women
  >> <0.5% of Evangelicals
• 11% of adults lied
  >> 37% of Mosaics (ages 18-25) 
  >> 21% of Liberals
  >> 18% of Non-Christian Religions
  >> 8% of Conservatives
  >> 6% of Baby Boomers (ages 44-62)
  >> 1% of Evangelicals
• 9% of adults had sex with someone to whom they were not married
  >> 38% of Mosaics (ages 18-25)
  >> 21% of Singles
  >> 20% of Liberals
  >> 13% of Men
  >> 6% of Women
  >> 4% of Baby Boomers (ages 44-62)
  >> 4% of Conservatives
  >> 3% of Evangelicals
  >> 1% of Marrieds
• 8% of adults engaged in acts of retaliation
  >> 13% of Liberals
  >> 12% of Mosaics (ages 18-25) 
  >> 11% of Atheists
  >> 6% of Conservatives
  >> 5% of Baby Boomers (ages 44-62)

What I find most interesting is how much higher the percentages are for Mosaics than Baby Boomers. Are Mosaics just that much worse than Baby Boomers? Or were Baby Boomers just as bad but have learned self-discipline over the years. My guess is both

What do you think?

Church Relevance’s list of the top church websites has now grown to 90 sites. Church web designers keep launching new beautiful sites each month.

Here are the list’s new additions and redesigns in alphabetical order:

College Park Church (Indianapolis, IN)

Christian Tabernacle (Houston, TX)

Fellowship of the Woodlands (The Woodlands, TX)
Redesigned but was previously on the list.

First Baptist Church (Dallas, TX)

Island Evangelical Commuity Church (Quarry Bay, Hong Kong)

NewSpring Church (Anderson, SC)

Northstar Church (Frisco, TX)
Redesigned but was previously on the list.

Northview Community Church (Oklahoma City, OK)

Park Community Church (Chicago, IL)

Seacoast Church (Mount Pleasant, SC)

Trinity Lutheran Church (Enumclaw, WA)

For more great examples of church web design, check out the complete list of the at http://churchrelevance.com/resources/top-church-websites.

For Discussion:
- What are your favorite church websites and why?

MediaPost recently collected and published some interesting statistics about kid psychographics. Here is an overview:

COMPUTERS (via Packaged Facts)

• BOYS & GIRLS
  general = Kids are most likely to spend their time on computers playing games.
  younger = 80% use computers at school, and 75% use computers at home.
  older = 90% use computers at school, and 85% use computers at home.
  
• BOYS
  older = 20% (ages 9-11) have a computer in their room.
• GIRLS
  older = 25% (ages 9-11) have a computer in their room.
  

INTERNET (via Packaged Facts, eMarketer, & Nielsen Online)

• BOYS & GIRLS
  general = The majority of kids (ages 6-11) use the Internet. Kids (ages 2-11) viewed more online video from home than adults during the month of April (51 streams per child viewer versus 44 per adult viewer). The number of children who are members of a virtual world is expected to rise from about 8 million in 2007 to 20 million by 2011.
• BOYS
  older = 55% (ages 9-11) use the Internet for less than an hour or not at all during the past week.
• GIRLS
  older = 46% (ages 9-11) use the Internet for less than an hour or not at all during the past week.

TV (via Packaged Facts)

• BOYS & GIRLS
  general = Half of the 10 Web sites most popular among kids (ages 6-11) are sites directly related to television networks.
  older = 40% (ages 9-11) watch two or more hours of television on school days.

MOBILE PHONES (via IDC)

• BOYS & GIRLS
  younger = By 2010 there will be 9 million cell phone users in the U.S. (ages <9).

BOOKS (via Packaged Facts)

• BOYS & GIRLS
  general = The majority of kids read books other than schoolbooks. Multicultural kids are as likely as non-Hispanic white kids to read books outside of school.
  
• GIRLS
  general = Girls are more likely than boys to read books.
  younger = Interest in reading books is highest among girls (ages 7-9).
  

TOYS (via Packaged Facts)

• BOYS & GIRLS
  general = Multicultural kids are more likely to have action figures and enter contests and sweepstakes, and less likely to have board games and collect cards.
  
• BOYS
  younger = Most younger boys still have cars and trucks, crayons, building sets, water guns, puzzles and stuffed toys. 80% of boys (age 6) own action figures.
  older = Older boys are partial to card games. 49% of boys (age 11) own action figures.
  
• GIRLS
  general = Most girls own toys such as crayons, clothes and accessories for dolls, card games, stuffed animals and arts and crafts activity kits. 90% of girls (ages 6-10) own dolls.
  older = Interest in dolls does not begin dropping off until age 11

To summarize, kids are computer savvy but may not be big Internet users yet. They still like books, toys, and traditional things, but a growing number enjoy the luxury of a mobile phone. They still watch a lot of TV, and the big companies that control the shows they watch seem to also be doing the best job at reaching them whenever they go online. In other words, they are still “kids” but just with computers, Internet, and mobile phones.

For Discussion:
- What are some trends you have noticed about the lifestyles of today’s kids?

Last month, Carlos Whittaker of Buckhead Church (Atlanta, GA) blogged the dangerous question:

What is the biggest gripe you have about something a Sunday worship leader does?

The 185+ responses were fascinating, insightful, and offensive to some. To cut through the clutter of all of the opinions, I made a very rough tally of all the pet peeves to determine the top 10 pet peeves about worship leaders. Keep in mind these are subjective opinions.

Top 10 Pet Peeves About Worship Leaders (with examples)

1. Asking the Congregation to do Something (21 responses)
   >> Makes us shake hands with the people around us.
   >> When a worship leader tells you to lift up your hands, it takes a meaningful personal action and turns it into a obligatory command.
   >> Talks like they’re at a high school pep rally, “Let me hear ya!”
   >> Asks how everyone is doing. We’re not at a concert, so we’re not going to scream.
   >> Tells you what to do and how to worship… to the point where it makes you feel guilty if you don’t conform yourself to her/his understanding of what worship is.
   >> I hate it when worship leaders script the worship too much by telling people what to do. I’ve had worship leaders completely distract me from God when they start telling me what to do.
2. Mini-Sermons & Talking (20 responses)
   >> Talks between every song.
   >> I am distracted when worship leaders start talking about anything that is not directions on what we are about to do.
   >> When they repeat the same catch-phrases every week.
   >> Breathy speaking between songs.
   >> Sermonettes are annoying if too long or common
   >> You can tell a mile away when a worship leader is “sharing” because he feels obligated to. It’s always a cheesy or over emotional blurb. When God’s really laid something on a worship leader’s heart, it’s cool. But even then, say it in less than 45 seconds! Don’t meander on for 3 minutes.
3. Not Focusing on God (17 responses)
   >> Forget that the audience of worship is God and start making it a performance for those sitting in front of them.
   >> When they perform rather than worship themselves.
   >> Showing zero emotion, standing still, focusing too much on perfection.
   >> Worship leaders who seem really wrapped up in being “cool.”
   >> Sometimes you can tell they’re being fake and/or showy.
   >> I hate it when the music guy/gal asks the crowd to praise God but soaks it up like they are Bono and the crowd is really praising them.
   >> I hate it when worship leaders don’t lead people.
4. Unprofessional (14 responses)
   >> Starts service late.
   >> Typos on the screen.
   >> Talks to the praise band while leading worship instead of using hand signals to tell them what to do.
   >> When the leader changes the key of the song and does not tell the rest of the team.
   >> Goes out of order or adds another song in the middle of the set
   >> When the leader and/or band member turns away from the people to mess with their gear.
   >> When the production team on stage are laughing, joking, and gesturing behind the worship leader to the soundboard guys in the transition between worship and the message.
5. Singing (11 responses)
   >> Can’t sing very well.
   >> Doesn’t know the lyrics.
   >> When worship leaders run words together.
   >> When they put their own little spin on simple, common words.
   >> Repeating the same line in a song 3.6 million times. There’s the Spirit’s leading and then there’s just plain losing people.
   >> Our old church’s leader would sing so high that no one could sing along. She provided no harmony for us to pick up. It was to showcase her own voice.
6. Appearance (9 responses)
   >> Sing with their eyes closed.
   >> When singers act like they are really bored up there.
   >> Wears crotch hugging jeans.
   >> Looks or sounds seductive.
   >> One of our young worship leaders had a really big hicky on his neck a couple of weeks ago.
7. Prayer (8 responses)
   >> Inauthentic prayer – too scripted or so random that it doesn’t make sense, or rushed/dragged out to make the prayer fit the interlude.
   >> Prays the words of the songs.
   >> When they can’t talk or pray appropriately between songs.
8. Bad Transitions (5 responses)
   >> Transitions between songs take long time.
   >> Allows uncomfortable dead time between songs.
   >> When they pray essentially the same prayer at a transition moment.
   >> Using the song name as an introduction/transition - “You know I was thinking about how much God has done for me…it really is ‘Amazing Grace’ isn’t it?”
9. Lifestyle (4 responses)
   >> When he’s obviously ungodly during practice and throughout life, but turns into a saint on Sunday morning.
   >> I hate to see a person who is suppose to be leading worship acting like a jerk before service and then getting up on stage acting like nothing ever happened.
   >> As a Pastor, I hate it when the music guy/gal is lazy apart from their 30 minute set on Sundays.
10. Catering to the Congregation (4 responses)
    >> When they hold back because they are obviously conscious of what the congregation and/or pastor will think.
    >> I hate it when worship leaders/pastors play to people who think the worship somehow revolves around what they like and what makes them feel good when it has absolutely nothing to do with our preferences or likes.
    >> Has to risk being a cheerleader because the people that claim to love God exhibit no sense of joy when singing about Him.

Some of the pet peeves also have supporters. For instance, many people find it important to ask the congregation to raise their hands or shake hands with others. Ultimately, what matters most is that the worship leader is a Christlike example that can lead people’s focus into intimate worship with God. I like the quote that one commenter referenced:

Leading worship is the art of removing distractions.

For Discussion:
- What tips do you have for creating an effective worship experience?
- Do you have any worship leader pet peeves?

USA Today recently analyzed the shifting demographics of the 2007 U.S. Census estimates and uncovered some significant shifts in age and race since the 2000 census. Highlights from their analysis include:

AGE

RACE

• Whites are 66% of the population nationwide, they are growing very slowly.
• White populations have declined in more than half of the USA’s counties since 2000.
• In 2007, minorities made up more than half the population in 302 of the nation’s 3,141 counties.
• Hispanics and Asians tend to be younger and are growing very quickly.

Last year, I posted similar statistics about USA’s shifting culture. That article is worth rereading. The rapid growth of minorities is a dramatic influence on a community’s culture. And it is important to learn how your church’s community is shifting and what you must do to stay relevant.

For Discussion:
- Have you noticed any demographic shifts in your community?
- If so, how have those demographic shifts affected your church?
- What do you think are the best practices for adapting to a community’s evolving culture?

For AskMen.com recently polled their readers to investigate who and what is “the modern man.” Given the nature of the online magazine, I expect this reader survey to have a higher than usual unchurched perspective, which means it offers valuable insights into the lifestyle and psyche of the men who need church the most. Some highlights include:

What makes a man a manly man in 2008?
>> 52% say, “Being a good father and/or husband who takes care of his family.”
>> 19% say, “Being a leader and motivator.”
>> 16% say, “Having many skills, like the ability to fix things.”
>> 7% say, “Being charismatic and popular.”
>> 4% say, “Being a great seducer and/or lover.”
>> 2% say, “Being wealthy.”

Have rumors of a recession affected your spending habits?
>> 47% say, “No, I’m still spending the way I always have.”
>> 40% say, “Yes, I’ve tightened up my budget to meet increasing prices.”
>> 13% say, “Yes, I’ve tightened up my budget to put emergency money aside.”

Do you believe in marriage?
>> 70% say, “Yes, I believe it is a necessary institution, and one that I will participate in to help preserve.”
>> 20% say, “No, I don’t believe in it strongly but I’ll probably end up getting married anyway.”
>> 6% say, “Yes, I believe in it as an institution, but it’s not for me.”
>> 4% say, “No, I think it’s a dead institution.”

Should a couple live together before marriage?
>> 60% say, “Yes, it is a good test to put the relationship through before marriage.”
>> 21% say, “Yes, living together is pretty casual.”
>> 10% say, “No, a man should enjoy his freedom while he can.”
>> 9% say, “No, it is not morally acceptable.”

If there was no chance your partner would find out, would you cheat on her?
>> 37% say, “No, I might be tempted, but I love and respect her too much.”
>> 32% say, “No, I might be tempted, but cheating violates my morals.”
>> 15% say, “Yes, but I would feel guilty nonetheless.”
>> 13% say, “Yes, she can’t be hurt if she doesn’t know about it.”
>> 3% say, “Yes, I already cheated on her.”

How old were you when you lost your virginity? (67% as a teenager)
>> 2% at 12 or younger
>> 2% at 13 (7th/8th grade)
>> 4% at 14 (8th/9th grade)
>> 7% at 15 (11th/10th grade)
>> 13% at 16 (10th/11th grade)
>> 15% at 17 (11th/12th grade)
>> 15% at 18 (12th grade)
>> 9% at 19

Some Other Interesting Stats

• 69% are concerned about the effects of global warming.
• 66% say a man should never stop playing video games.
• 55% of men don’t play fantasy football.
• 24% consume 0 alcoholic drinks each week.
• 13% never send text messages.

For Discussion:
- What trends do you notice about today’s modern man (generally speaking, among Christians, or among the unchurched)?
- What are the best ways for the church to reach the modern man?