There are many reasons to love the month of October: apple-picking, hayrides, cool nights, crisp days and yes, Reformation Day!
Another reason to love October is that it kicks off a new yearlong celebration of church worker appreciation, with designated dates throughout the year to thank all church workers, commissioned and ordained, for their faithful and dedicated service.
While the dates highlight commissioned and ordained offices, churches and schools of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) are invited, and encouraged, to show care and appreciation for anyone in their midst who assists with carrying the Good News of Christ into their church, school and local community.
The methods of showing that care and appreciation are as varied and numerous as the Synod’s churches and schools. Listed below are a few ideas, provided by real LCMS church workers and laypeople, for showing appreciation to those who serve.
- Volunteer to take over recess duty for school teachers.
- Bring snacks in for the faculty or staff lounge.
- Provide gift cards and babysitting for the worker and his or her spouse to have a night out.
- Observe service milestones (five years, 10 years, etc.) with a special presentation or congregational meal.
- Provide meals during busy times (e.g., Holy Week, VBS week).
- Create a dedicated Church Worker Support Team that assists in making both church worker wellness and church worker appreciation a priority by remembering workers’ birthdays/important dates, checking in regularly on worker well-being and asking workers how the congregation/school can better serve them. Some districts provide guidance/resources to help with this.
- Offer the worker a sabbatical for rest and/or study.
- Take up a collection for a monetary gift.
- Pay attention to the basics: provide a well-maintained parsonage, adequate compensation and benefits; assure the workload is reasonable; support the worker and his/her family in the face of unkind treatment or unfair criticism; refrain from gossip.
- Freely offer what you have to give: farm-fresh eggs or meat; homemade food or hand-crafted goods; assistance, at no charge, in your area of expertise (music instruction or tutoring for children, or free skilled labor, such as appliance or home repair, for adults); kind words; cards and notes; sincere questions about how someone is doing; regular and ongoing prayers.
Here are suggested dates to join your sister congregations and schools around the LCMS in upholding and caring for all servants of Christ over the coming year.
- Oct. 11 – Pastor Appreciation Day
- Oct. 25 – Deaconess, Director of Family Life Ministry, Director of Christian Outreach, and Director of Church Ministries Appreciation
- April 25 – Director of Parish Music Appreciation
- May 3–7 – Teacher Appreciation
- June 26 – Director of Christian Education Appreciation
Posted Sept. 23, 2026
