As a Pastor, you know that Mother’s Day is often the third biggest Sunday of the year. More people attend church on Mother’s Day than any other day apart from Easter and Christmas. That means there’s a good chance you’ll see a lot of new faces in your congregation this weekend (and hopefully, many of them will be families!).
You’re probably already working hard to make sure everyone feels welcome, and that your church is extra prepared for visitors on Mother’s Day. But just in case you need some more ideas, we have a few suggestions for how you can make this Mother’s Day special. But before we get to those, let’s start with the most important thing to remember:
It is kind and thoughtful to celebrate all women on Mother’s Day.
There will certainly be families in your church who will joyfully celebrate their mothers, as they should! But, Mother’s Day can bring up a lot of pain for people, too. There are women who want children but are unable to have them, women who have lost children, women who choose not to have children, people who have difficult relationships with their mothers, and people who have lost their mothers.
You have the chance to be sensitive to this, and to bless all the women in your church by acknowledging and celebrating them. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t have elements tailored to the moms in your church — you definitely can! But a kind word that recognizes that Mother’s Day isn’t necessarily joyful for everyone will go a long way toward making your congregation feel seen and loved, no matter their stories.
Now, on to a few ways you can make the women in your church feel special. Some are mom-specific, some are for all the women in your church — you can choose what works best for your congregation. So with that in mind, here are 5 ways your church can celebrate all women this Mother’s Day:
A thoughtful gift.
Many churches like to give moms special gifts as a show of appreciation for all the work they do. Why not extend this to all the women in your church? These gifts don’t have to be expensive, just pick something that will appeal to a wide range of women.
Fresh flowers, a small potted succulent, chocolate, or a gift book are all popular options. If your church has a bigger budget, a gift basket or gift card to a local business is also nice. If you want to get extra creative, bring in a couple of qualified masseuses and offer short chair massages after the service!
Film a fun video.
If you have the time and resources, creating a short video for your Sunday service is a fun way to get kids in your church involved with the celebration. Work with your children’s ministry teachers to film short clips of kids talking about their moms. Here are some questions to ask to help get them started:
- What is your favorite thing about your mom?
- What is the funniest thing your mom does?
- Why do you love your mom?
- What do you like to do with your mom?
These are basic questions, but you’re bound to get some funny, off-the-cuff answers from kids! In fact, keeping the tone of this video light-hearted and fun might be the best way to engage your whole congregation. After all, we know kids are great for laughs!
Take a special offering.
Mother’s Day is a great Sunday to hold a special offering for a nonprofit or ministry that supports women. This will likely connect with your congregation, as it’s a great way to bless women in your community or abroad! It could even be the start of a long term partnership with your chosen organization.
If you’re unable to take up a unique offering, an option like Compassion International’s gift catalog might work well. They have an entire section devoted to babies and mothers that includes gifts like literacy classes and newborn care bundles. You could ask everyone in your church to “buy” an item from the catalog. Many other global nonprofits have similar catalog options, too.
Take care of a meal.
It’s also nice to celebrate women in your church by providing a special meal for them. Most women consider it a treat to not have to plan at least one meal of the day, especially if they have young children. So plan a special lunch right after the service, it can be a simple “treat” like nice pastries or a potluck or even a BBQ outdoors – but providing families time together without having to cook and clean up will be a treat for many.
If you want to keep your plans simple, then set up a special station with artisan coffee, a variety of creamers and some pretty decorations to make the ladies feel appreciated.
Set up a photo booth.
Most moms love to get pictures with their families, but wrangling everyone together can be tough! There’s a good chance everyone will be a little dressed up for Mother’s Day, so this is a great time for your church to step in and bless moms with a great family photo.
It doesn’t take much — just have a professional-looking background and snap away! Have a staff member or volunteer ready and waiting to take pictures of families. You can take pictures on a family member’s smartphone, or have someone who’s a good photographer take photos with a high quality camera — or both! Providing both options lets everyone have a picture the same day that they can share, and something nicer to frame at a later date.
A photo booth is great because it doesn’t have to be exclusive to moms with kids. Yes, it will help them celebrate their special day, but having the photo booth available for all is a way to bless and include everyone in your church.
Conclusion
We hope these Mother’s Day ideas will help you celebrate! As long as you make sure to acknowledge and appreciate all the women in your church this Mother’s Day, you’re bound to have a Sunday that will be meaningful for all who attend your service.
