How Churches Can Honor Dads this Father's Day

By Raul Rivera

If you have followed my writings for very long, you know how much I value the role of fatherhood.

My role as a father is part of what shapes me and what I do with each day of my life; striving to make a difference in the lives of my family.

I have written about my father and the father-figures God has placed in my life and how these men have poured into my life; they not only made a lasting impact in my life, but also the lives of my family. (You can read more about their influence in my life in my blog, “Voices of Three Fathers”.)

I honor these men, and I want to encourage you to honor your father and the father-figures in your life this Father’s Day.

As Father’s Day approaches, I want to provide you with some ways you can honor the fathers and father-figures in your congregation during your Father’s Day service.

3 ways to make your Father’s Day service special

1. Honor fathers in your message

I once attended a Father’s Day service where all the men in the congregation were given pens of different colors or pencils.

Black pens were given to the dads & grandfathers, blue for the men who were not dads, and pencils for all the young men in the congregation.

The pastor then spoke about the amazing influence they can have in the lives of others. Every man has the ability to “write on the lives” of those around them.

The pastor then spoke encouragingly to the young men who were given pencils.

Everyone is called to lead in some way, form or fashion. He challenged them to learn what it means to be a leader, to know it is okay to make mistakes, and to step out into what God had called them to do.

All left feeling honored, challenged and inspired to step further along the path God has laid before them.

This Father’s Day, I challenge you to call and inspire the men in your church to pursue a higher calling. Let your message be one that awakens the nobility of being a father and or father-figure in the heart of men.

Honor their calling. Honor their sacrifice. Honor their commitment.

What you call the men in your church or ministry to is what they will aim for. This Father’s Day, honor the role of the fathers and father-figures in your ministry or church.

2. Honor fathers with fun

Some people may see fathers as stern or unable to have fun. But that isn’t always true.

Give the fathers in your church the chance to have some fun with their families.

Here are a few suggestions to help make your Father’s Day service fun and memorable for everyone:

• Have a shortened, child-friendly service. Let the men in the congregation worship with their kids.
• Keep the service intentionally shorter than normal. Allow them to spend more of their Sunday with their family.
• Encourage everyone to enjoy the outside spending time together as a family. If you can, set up lawn games, serve doughnuts, BBQ the fattened calf - create an atmosphere of fun for the whole family.

Before moving on, I want to offer you a quick word of caution.

It can be tempting to want to honor dad’s with gifts cards to The Home Depot or Lowe’s, etc.

Although this would be greatly appreciated, there are some stringent accounting and reporting requirements that need to be followed. These extra steps could make such gifts more hassle than it’s worth.

(Recommended reading: “Church Rewards Volunteer; IRS Says, Pay Up!”)

3. Honor fathers with the opportunity to commit their families to God

As Christians, we are called to raise our children unto God. What better way to make your Father’s Day service special for dads and their families, than including an opportunity for parent-child dedication in your service.

A parent-child dedication ceremony is a time when fathers can commit to raising their children and leading their families according to God's Word and His ways, before their church family and before the Lord.

This can also be an opportunity for fathers to make a commitment to God and to their families that they will lead with integrity and follow God’s call on their lives.

If you would like a template to help guide you in performing a parent-child dedication ceremony, give us a call at 877-494-4655 and we'll be happy to provide you with one.

Fathers, I Honor You Too!

If you are reading this blog, and are a father or a father-figure in the life of someone, you have the opportunity to have a huge impact in the lives of those around you.

Your role as a father and/or father-figure matters! As you move forward in your role and calling as a father or father-figure, I speak blessings to you, your loved ones, and the journey that God has set before you.

This Father’s Day, know that at StartCHURCH, we honor who you are and what you are doing as leaders in your family.

Happy Father’s Day!

Recommended blogs for you:

• “How Your Church Can Better Serve Your Community”
• “How to Make the Dreams of You Church Reality”
• “Can the IRS Tax Pastor Appreciation Gifts?”

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