The Children’s Ministries Packets, mailed to each local church in February, included the 2009 Baby Day poster and resources. By now, your church should have received your packet. If the resources have been misplaced or if you need additional items, you can log onto the Baby Day website to download the resources, or contact Children’s Ministries International at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Included in the Baby Day resources for 2009 is a suggested Baby Day sermon. The sermon can be found on the Children’s Week resource CD, or at the Baby Day website . The sermon’s Biblical basis is Mark 2:13-17 (NLT 1996). The sermon’s main theme is that, Levi (Matthew), a tax collector, was looked down upon by the religious people of his day and deemed, unworthy to have Jesus in his midst. A similar attitude is sometimes directed towards our children and children’s workers.

Those whom Christ has called to work with children, understand the impact they can have on children and their families. They understand that discipleship begins with the littlest ones. They know where discipleship begins.

The Baby Day theme for 2009, Discipleship Begins Here, reminds us where discipleship within our churches begins:

• It begins when we humble ourselves and meet the needs of those who can’t stand up for themselves.
• It begins when we reach out to single mothers or fathers, or young families, faced with the struggles of this world, and we show them their infants and toddlers really mean something to us.
• It begins when we realize the value of every infant and toddler is of equal significance in the eyes of Christ Jesus to each of us, and our ministry to these little ones begins to reflect this realization.
• It begins when we obey Christ when He told us, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me” (Mark 9:37 NIV).

When planning for Baby Day 2009, remember what Wes Stafford, President of Compassion International, says about a child’s heart. It is like wet cement, and your touch can make an imprint that will last.

Submitted by Dan Harris – Baby Day Coordinator, Children’s Ministries International