So, I'm Curious...

[HappyChristian]

What are some things your church has done to honor fathers and mothers for Mother/Father's Days? Gift ideas, etc.?

[Napsterdad]

A church I went to in New York would take the Sunday School hour to let loved ones come up and relate what made their parent/spouse special to them. I always enjoyed that. I can never say enough good things about my wife; and to have a captive audience...  It was nice to hear others extol the virtues of their loved ones as well. Sometimes your eyes get opened to unseen aspects of a person's character and what they are, or have been, going through; and the strength and compassion they truly possess.

At my church here this past year they did Moms and muffins, and Dads and doughnuts. The lobby was filled with a wide assortment of each on the relevant day for all to share and fellowship around. (you know...Baptists and food).

[Rebecca]

For Father's Day, it's usually a plaque of some kind. For Mother's Day, in the past, it's been flowers. However, last year it was a jug of laundry detergent and a large pack of toilet tissues (which was appreciated, I don't know how well that would go over in the States! haha!). 

[Pastor Matt]

This year, we thought it'd be fun to interview our kids. So, I'm gonna be the one asking them questions on camera. We're gonna then play the video during the service when we're giving honor to the moms and dads. Should be pretty funny!

[BrotherTony]

Our church doesn't do anything in particular but recognize them in the morning service. Usually the oldest, youngest, the newest and the longest, etc

[Salyan]

We do different gifts. Sometimes they get elaborate.  For mothers, we've done pansies in pretty pots with a small chocolate, potted succulents, jar candles with a goodie, a good book & bookmark - things like that. Fathers have gotten things like a small tool set or cookies. Their favorite year was the year someone baked a pie for every dad in the church, and they got to pick their favorite flavor to take home.   

I have mixed feelings about celebrating mother's day/father's day too overtly.  Singles are obviously left out (not that I mind... there are usually leftovers if I really want something - ha!), but I wonder how those feel who are silent parents (lost a child to miscarriage that people might not know about), or struggling with infertility. 

[BrotherTony]

2 hours ago, Salyan said:

We do different gifts. Sometimes they get elaborate.  For mothers, we've done pansies in pretty pots with a small chocolate, potted succulents, jar candles with a goodie, a good book & bookmark - things like that. Fathers have gotten things like a small tool set or cookies. Their favorite year was the year someone baked a pie for every dad in the church, and they got to pick their favorite flavor to take home.   

I have mixed feelings about celebrating mother's day/father's day too overtly.  Singles are obviously left out (not that I mind... there are usually leftovers if I really want something - ha!), but I wonder how those feel who are silent parents (lost a child to miscarriage that people might not know about), or struggling with infertility. 

My wife and I were not able to have children, and I know that come Mother's Day she felt uncomfortable. On Father's Day I felt a bit marginalized. Having suffered several miscarriages and knowing how lack of children would affect the services those days we usually stayed home or met with others who had experienced what we had. We had a Bible study and prayers at these group meetings. 

[robmac68]

10 hours ago, BrotherTony said:

My wife and I were not able to have children, and I know that come Mother's Day she felt uncomfortable. On Father's Day I felt a bit marginalized. Having suffered several miscarriages and knowing how lack of children would affect the services those days we usually stayed home or met with others who had experienced what we had. We had a Bible study and prayers at these group meetings. 

I feel for you, brother.  I was 24, my wife 22 when we married.  6 months later she was pregnant.  3 months after that she had a miscarriage.  A little less than a year later she was pregnant again.  This one ended in something called a molar pregnancy where the fetus starts growing through the wall of the uterus.  She had to have surgery.  After that, she couldn't get pregnant in what her doctor called "unexplained infertility".  I was tested.  She went through a bunch of tests and procedures but nothing was ever found as to why she couldn't get pregnant.  Mother's day was extremely hard.  We would go to church and the mothers would be honored.  The message would center around being a mother and would unintentionally make it sound like if you weren't a mother you were only half a woman.  Father's day seemed worse because friends and family would acknowledge that I too was effected by the miscarriages, but would quickly shift gears back to my wife because she was the actual vessel that had the miscarriage.  In other words, "suck it up, man...oh your poor wife".  I guess as the father I wasn't allowed to have "feelings" of loss, it was all the woman's sorrow.  We too started skipping the mothers and fathers day ceremonies.  I would honor her with gifts for being a mother of two children in heaven.  Irony??...I have been Baptist my whole life.  We believe life begins at conception but it seems except on mother's and father's day because miscarriages didn't seem to count.

I do have a happy ending, but it took 10 more years and a doctor in Columbus.  

 

[HappyChristian]

Thanks for the ideas!