Church Worker Appreciation Month: Thanking those set apart to serve

(LCMS/Erik M. Lunsford)

October is Church Worker Appreciation Month. From everyone at Set Apart to Serve and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, thank you!

Pastors,

Thank you for preaching God’s Word and keeping our faith and life focused on Jesus Christ; for speaking God’s Word and bringing Holy Communion when we are ill or homebound; for baptizing our children, instructing them toward Confirmation, and preparing them for Christian marriage; for your pastoral care in our most difficult days and in our most joyful ones.

Lutheran schoolteachers,

Thank you for committing your life to teaching God’s Word to our children, especially salvation in Jesus Christ; for your hours of preparation, excellent classroom teaching, leading extracurricular activities, and all those things you purchase for the classroom at your own expense.

Directors of Christian education,

Thank you for your commitment of giving people of all ages in our congregations opportunities to learn God’s Word; helping our youth build Christian relationships with one another; giving them the experience of youth gatherings and servant events — that they may know Christ and live in their Baptism.

Deaconesses,

Thank you for your humble presence of service and mercy in our congregations and for teaching us all to do the same; for caring for women and children, the elderly, handicapped, those with special needs, and all those to whom you show mercy by sharing God’s Word and His love in Christ.

Directors of parish music,

Thank you for leading the hymns and liturgy in our congregations; for your hours of practicing on your own and rehearsing our choirs and ensembles; for your planning, choosing music for the church year, preparing for festival services and teaching the future musical leaders of the church.

Directors of family life ministry,

Thank you for keeping us focused on the grace, mercy and love of Christ in our families; for teaching us God’s Word about marriage, biblical manhood and womanhood, reconciliation, sanctity of life, family relationships, home devotions, parenting and family vocations.

Directors of Christian outreach,

Thank you for leading our congregations in witness, evangelism and missions; for giving us the desire to tell the Good News of Jesus Christ in our vocations at home and in our community; and for teaching us how to share the Gospel with people of various beliefs and experiences.

Directors of church ministries,

Thank you for the many and various things you do in our congregations and schools — from leading our youth to overseeing all Christian education, from serving in our schools to leading our music programs, from overseeing church administration to specializing in outreach.

All who serve the church,

Thank you for your faithfulness, commitment and selflessness in teaching God’s Word, that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing we may have life in His name (John 20:31).

Set Apart to Serve is The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s church work recruitment initiative. Learn more at lcms.org/sas.

Find ideas for showing appreciation to the church’s workers.

Posted Oct. 2, 2023