April 16, 2015 by EvangelismCoach

Mother’s Day can be really awkward at church.

Being sensitive not only to to your members, but also your first time visitors, you’ll want to remove as many of those awkward possibilities on Mothers Day.

Out of a noble desire, church leaders desire to honor mothers and celebrate motherhood with announcements, particular prayers focused on mothers day, and even a sermon related to the qualities of an awesome mom.

How will you give a church welcome speech that would honor mothers?

If you are looking for ideas to honor mothers at church, or ways to honor mothers at church, consider some of the awkward emotions that will be present on Mother’s Day.

Mother’s Day brings mixed emotions

For many, Mother’s day is an awesome celebration of life and joy’s of being a parent.

My wife is an awesome mom to our kids. Mother’s Day is a joy in our house. (We get to celebrate it twice each year because of dual nationality).

But Mother’s Day is also a mixed bag for myself and my friends.

My mother passed away from cancer in 2013. Mother’s day is a mark of my own grief.

My friend’s husband died suddenly in February 2015 while in his 40s. His mother is grieving the death of their only son.

My friends struggled with infertility for years. Every mother’s day is a reminder of their struggle.

My friends had unexpected miscarriages and grieve their unborn child. Mother’s day is a day of grief.

My friends have had their children fall into addictions, rebellion, and walking away from the Lord. Mother’s day always seems to remind them of how they “failed” in raising a godly child.

Some mothers chose abortion and live with the reminder every Mother’s Day of what “could have been.”

As you can see, Mother’s Day can be a mix of emotions.

How to publicly Honor Mothers Day in your Worship Service

You can honor Mother’s Day by preparing your church for that morning. (Make sure even the bathrooms would make your mother proud).

Pastors – Refresh a vision for welcoming visitors so that your congregation does not fail to welcome the visiting mothers that day.

There are plenty of Scriptures for Mother’s Day that you can use in your church welcome speech.

But Amy Young writes some phrases (in Shout Out To Mom) that you might want to consider sharing in that welcome speech.

I put them all here:

To those who gave birth this year to their first child—we celebrate with you.

To those who lost a child this year—we mourn with you.

To those who are in the trenches with little ones every day and wear the badge of food stains—we appreciate you.

To those who experienced loss through miscarriage, failed adoptions or running away—we mourn with you.

To those who walk the hard path of infertility, fraught with pokes, prods, tears and disappointment—we walk with you. Forgive us when we say foolish things. We don’t mean to make things harder.

To those who are foster moms, mentor moms and spiritual moms—we need you.

To those who have warm and close relationships with your children—we celebrate with you.

To those who have disappointment, heartache and distance with your children—we sit with you.

To those who lost their mothers this year—we grieve with you.

To those who experienced abuse at the hands of your own mother—we acknowledge your experience.

To those who lived through driving tests, medical tests and the overall testing of motherhood—we are better for having you in our midst.

To those who have aborted children—we remember them and you on this day.

To those who are single and long to be married and mothering your own children—we mourn that life has not turned out the way you longed for it to be.

To those who stepparent—we walk with you on these complex paths.

To those who envisioned lavishing love on grandchildren, yet that dream is not to be, we grieve with you.

To those who will have emptier nests in the upcoming year—we grieve and rejoice with you.

To those who placed children for adoption—we commend you for your selflessness and remember how you hold that child in your heart.

And to those who are pregnant with new life, both expected and surprising—we anticipate with you.

How NOT to publicly Honor Mothers Day in your Worship Service

If you want to create awkwardness on a Sunday morning, the best thing you can do is to ask mother’s to stand up, or stand up and come forward for prayer. That is just as bad as making first time church visitors to stand up

You will create instant questions in the minds of women in the congregation:

I had a miscarriage and have no living children – do I stand?

My only child has died – do I stand?

I have a strained relationship with my son who won’t speak to me – do I stand?

I’m not married, but am pregnant – do I stand?

We are expecting our first born – do I stand?

Of course you want to pray for mothers, and honor mothers on mothers day.

I would suggest you honor them and pray for mothers as a group, without making them stand up, raise their hand, receive a flower, or any other public identification that will create those questions of awkwardness.

Let me ask you this?

If you could add a line to the list to honor mothers on mother’s day, add your comment below.