Ideas for Church Worker Appreciation Month

The Missouri District has more than 1600 rostered church workers, in addition to those who serve in church and school offices as support staff or in other administrative positions. The month of October affords congregations and schools the opportunity to give thanks to God for the faithful service of our church workers. This is a time when Boards of Elders and Education can put their heads together to come up with appropriate ways of showing our appreciation for those who serve. The LCMS website also has lots of ideas and even resources to assist in such recognitions. (You can find that by clicking here.)

For many young church workers, a date night would be a great way to show care for church worker and spouse. They often live far away from family and their support system. Church family can provide gift cards for dinner and a movie and provide babysitting for children as a way to demonstrate care.

The Synod website suggests the idea of “Thank You Notes.” Consider including retired church workers in an organized card shower as a way for acknowledging those who have served in the past and who continue to be involved in very meaningful ways.

A more robust way of showing appreciation to church workers could be to develop a fund to assist with church worker educational indebtedness. Ministry Focus is an LCMS Recognized Service Organization that provides grants to church workers who have significant educational debt. Consult with Ministry Focus (https://ministryfocus.org/) to consider how your congregation or school might support our church workers in this area.

Another way to support church workers is to create a Worker Support Team. Dr. Bruce Hartung’s book Holding Up the Prophet’s Hands suggests how such a team can provide ongoing and intentional support for church workers beyond cards and thank you notes. If you would like assistance in developing a Worker Support Team, contact Rev. Marty Hasz from the Missouri District staff for help (marty.hasz@mo.lcms.org).

More than anything, please pray for all of the church workers who serve your congregation and schools. Oftentimes, our commissioned ministers can be forgotten in such recognitions, especially when they serve at association schools. Take time to plan for how to recognize and support your church workers on a long-term basis and pray for them each day!