Teacher Appreciation Worship Service

This worship service is not intended to ÒworshipÓ teachers by any means; itÕs only meant to celebrate them and their call by God to teach others. Plus, if you want it to, it can also provide a great means for helping furnish teachersÕ classrooms with much-needed school supplies. HereÕs how you do it.

Begin by sending out a letter to each school in the area inviting the teachers and administration to a special worship service at your church that will center on celebrating their call to teaching. Tell them that they are welcome to bring their whole family, and also invite any peer of theirs whoÕs in education. (Make sure to tell them that all denominations are welcome, regardless of your affiliation or theirs.)

ItÕs best to NOT do this at a regular Sunday morning worship service for two reasons. First, teachers and administrators may not leave their church for yours, and secondly, if it happens on a Sunday evening, it makes it feel a little more special.

During the worship service, you can do all the regular things like sing and pray and preach. But make sure to include a special time of prayer at the altar for any teacher who so desires it. If you do this worship service BEFORE school starts, you can even anoint them for their service in the upcoming year. You may also want to pray for the students at this time.

Finally, have the teachers bring a list of supplies that is regularly needed in their classrooms (like extra crayons or pens or special construction paper). So often, certain students cannot afford these supplies, and itÕs great when a teacher can offer the supplies to the students who need them.

This has become an annual event at our church, and the community has begun to embrace it as a time of preparation for every school year. Other pastors have even joined in the endeavor to bless those adults who mean so much to our students.

Idea by Jennifer S.