Volunteer Ken Lewis, a High School teacher in Kuna, gives one-on-one time to a little guy in the nursery on Sunday.

The Littlest Disciples

Vineyard Nursery aims beyond childcare

Nursery and preschool coordinator Tery Nicholson and her staff of 60 to 70 volunteers have spent the week preparing for their arrival. There are songs, Bible stories, Veggie Tale videos, crafts and more provided in a friendly, safe, and comfortable atmosphere.

The nursery staff understands that children are a priority with God. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these" (Matthew 19:14).

Nursery volunteers show up about 20 minutes early and stay until every child is picked up. They typically work one service a month.

"With more volunteers, they might have to work even less than that," Tery said.

Because safety and security are top priorities, volunteers must fill out an application and undergo a criminal background check before they are allowed to work with children at Vineyard Boise.

"It's just one additional way we help make sure our children are safe," Tery said.

There are 4 different couples who serve as nursery administrators for the 2 services. Dave & Shannon Pape, Erin & angelo Fiataruolo, John :& Jenni Frame and John & anne Newberry.  Their job is to facilitate the check in process, help visitors find the classrooms and overall make sure that the service runs smoothly.

"Because I know they're going to be here on Sundays, I can focus on what I need to do with preschool," she said. "If it wasn't for their consistency, I wouldn't be able to do that."

Tery has taught preschool in the past, but she currently spends her Sunday mornings supervising all four classes.

Tery and her team blend several age-appropriate programs to write a customized curriculum for Vineyard Boise's preschool classes. Each lesson is centered around a specific Christian theme and uses a Bible story and a key scripture verse.  To help children better retain the lessons, the classes focus on the same theme for a month. 

The preschool classes are staffed by six teachers: Dottie Olin & Lia Beutler teach the 2’s and Katie Cartwright teaches the 3’s first service.  Scott & Andre Mace teach the 2’s and Sally Denny teaches the 3’s second service. They are assisted by a rotating staff of volunteer aides who typically work 1 Sunday per month. In addition to these there are 2 worship teams who do bible time with the kids in a corporate environment and lead worship songs every Sunday. Worship team members Jennifer Tuck and Brandon Freeman (1^st service ) and Jessie Nilo and Tery Nicholson (2^nd service) are an invaluable addition to the nursery/preschool ministry team.

IN the future Tery wants to conduct special training sessions for workers to teach them about general nursery and preschool policies, first aid and other topics.

Tery can't say enough about the faithfulness of her volunteers.

"We couldn't do it without them, literally," she said. "I know it sounds like a cliché, but it really is the truth. There would be no nursery or preschool if it weren't for the volunteers."

Understanding how God has uniquely fashioned each precious child enables these adults to enjoy their ministry. They teach with hugs, smiles,  words and songs, making statements to these young children and their parents about who God is and how much He cares for each one of them.
A respected child development expert, Barbara Erickson, says that 90 percent of a child's capacity to learn is acquired by the age of five. Because of this, our nursery/preschool department takes very seriously its efforts to reach these children and their families for Christ. The road to true discipleship begins here at this young age.