Every kids ministry has seasons. Sometimes you’re swimming in 4th graders. Sometimes everyone moves up to the youth group at once. And sometimes, like at Trinity Church in Larchmont, NY, your nursery suddenly becomes the most crowded room in the building.
I chatted with Kathleen Jaoudi, a DKM Vendor (find all Kathleen’s resources here) and the Children’s Pastor at Trinity Church, about the baby boom they experienced over the last year. “We average 35 to 45 kids on a Sunday,” she told me. “Those stats have flipped in the last year from mostly 1st to 5th graders to mostly 0 to 4 year olds.”
When Kathleen returned from maternity leave, she started hearing pregnancy announcements. Then more. Then she and her team started counting.
“We realized we would have 8 babies born between February and June 2025, including a set of twins,” she said. “Since then, we have added three more 2025 moms to this mix. So that’s 11 babies if you are counting.”
The year before, there were only two new babies. This wasn’t just a gradual shift in attendance. It was a plot twist that required a new strategy and a new focus for their children’s ministry.
With eleven babies on the way, Kathleen had to rethink space, volunteers, and priorities quickly. At the same time, she had just graduated eleven 5th graders into youth ministry, which opened the door for a major reshuffle.
“I redid our 4th and 5th grade room to accommodate our PreK to 1st graders, and moved our 2-year-olds out of our nursery room to make space,” she said.
She added swings, bouncers, and high chairs to the nursery and leaned into recruiting with what might be the most effective volunteer message ever: “Come snuggle all these adorable babies.”
But the shift wasn’t just about space and supplies. It was also about people. Because Kathleen went through much of her own pregnancy feeling alone, she didn’t want that experience for the other moms. With help from a friend and their pastoral care associate, she hosted a dinner for all the expectant moms before the babies arrived.
At the dinner, the moms-to-be shared their stories, their hopes, and what they felt nervous about as they prepared for motherhood. They prayed together, went home with spa care packages, and built relationships that are still going strong. Today, those moms have a group chat where they share prayer requests and stories, and they still try to meet up, this time with their babies along for the fun too.
As the number of families with toddlers and preschoolers has grown, Kathleen continues to think through simple ways to connect young families, like park hangouts or casual meetups. The goal is not another program, but a place where families in the same stage of life can breathe and connect.
Many of the most impactful changes have come from Kathleen’s own experience as a parent. “One thing I did was find a portable high chair to have at the church,” she said. For church events, she sets up toddler-sized tables, puts out toys and coloring sheets, and keeps fidgets in the lobby for nervous littles who aren’t quite ready to head downstairs. She’s also helped shape a culture where noise and movement from kids are expected and welcomed.
“That’s part of what being the church is.”
Of course, that kind of culture takes some adjusting. At a newcomer dinner, a few volunteers wondered if the kids could be quieter. Kathleen gently reminded them, “Sometimes the choice is between a slightly loud kids table, or the families not being there at all.” Once the team understood that perspective, they embraced the joyful chaos.
Becoming a parent has also changed how Kathleen approaches ministry to families. “It was a firsthand experience where I really saw what is helpful and what is not,” she said. She experienced meal trains from the receiving end, felt supported by older adults loving her son, and helped launch Share the Wear, an event where families donated gently used baby items, and others picked up what they needed for free.
It even changed her approach to baby dedication gifts. “My toddler hasn’t touched the Storybook Bible his entire life,” she said. Now she gifts board books like Strong and Our God that young children actually engage with.
Kathleen’s hope is simple and compelling: “That the church would be both a hub of family life and a lifeline to families in those first few years.”
Families with young children are often exhausted and isolated. The church has an opportunity to meet them right where they are and walk alongside them through this beautiful, tiring season.
Her final encouragement to other children’s ministry leaders is practical and freeing: “If you don’t have young kids yourself, ask what your families need. Small things go a long way.”
A high chair. A box of crayons. A welcoming lobby. A community that sees them.
And maybe a little extra nursery space. Just to be safe.
Leave a comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.