In the most recent years, our church nursery has been on the second floor of the Knox building, straight back from the courtyard.

A desire for an adjacent bathroom and access to outside space has led us to a project to renovate the classroom at the base of the exterior stairs between Knox and Witherspoon.

While a project to freshen up Calvin is underway, there is also a project happening in Lower Knox. The play yard fence has been installed. A Dutch door has been installed between the room and the bathroom. A new diaper changing table with pull-out steps has been purchased. We will have a hand-washing sink in the room, and an exterior door will be installed in the window space closest to the current door into the lower Knox hallway. We are excited that the children will have access to outdoor play and we will continue to improve that yard in the coming months. We are also thankful for the visual connection between the room and the Sanctuary side doors.

There will be some shifting of use of some of the rooms in Knox over the coming months and by the end of September we expect to be fully settled in our new spaces.

 Welcome Minah Smith as our Childcare Coordinator:

Instrumental in this new plan was hiring our new childcare coordinator, Minah Smith.  Minah has been with us for several months and has made the current space much more functional for Sunday morning care. She is also planning the layout of the new space with us.

Michelle Price, our Personnel Committee chair, and I were delighted to find Minah in our search this spring. She brings experience working with children in theater and as the oldest of a family of seven children.

Minah was born and raised in Arkansas and has spent much of her life dedicated to church community and the growth of the youth around her. For the last couple years, she has been working with children’s theaters in various states and has been with the U of A theater department as a costume creative.  She says: ” I am excited to find myself in this new position as childcare coordinator for all your amazing children.”

On Sunday mornings, the nursery is open to children who have not yet entered kindergarten and younger during Sunday School and worship. Our Sunday school program begins with children three and older. We provide childcare for meetings and other special events and that care is open to younger elementary children, as well.

See below progress on the door leading directly to the bathroom, the new changing table with steps, and the location of the new play yard.

Submitted by Kristi Button, Director of Christian Education