Here’s a quick Father’s Day history lesson: The first observance of Father’s Day didn’t occur until 1910 at the YMCA in Spokane, Washington. A woman named Sonora Dodd came up with the idea to honor her father who was a Civil War veteran, raising six children alone, after the death of his wife. Dodd proposed a day to honor fathers with religious services, special meals, small gifts and flowers. The first President to support Father’s Day was Woodrow Wilson, but it wasn’t until years later in 1972 that it was established as a permanent annual observance by presidential proclamation.
Although the first Father’s Day was over 100 years ago, many of us still struggle with finding ways to show fathers and father figures just how valued they are. Even churches experience difficulty in producing the perfect Father’s Day service to honor the dads in their congregation. Here you’ll find some helpful Father’s Day ideas for church, including sermon ideas, video tips, and other ways to honor dads.
Preach an Encouraging Message for Dads
A dad may wear many hats, but he’ll first and foremost be a father. Use the holiday to remind fathers of their crucial roles in creating and sustaining a spiritually healthy environment for their children. There are plenty of Bible passages that highlight the place of fathers in guiding their families to become developing believers. You can find Father’s Day sermon ideas on SermonSearch.com.
Honor All Kinds of Dads
Dads come from different backgrounds and are at different stages of life, and you may very well have one of each in your place of worship on Father’s Day. Keep that in mind as you make your plans.
Use a Dad-and Christ-Honoring Video
In addition to encouraging Dads through your message, you may also want to consider using a Father’s Day themed video as a part of your service. WorshipHouse Media has hundreds of videos to choose from – whether you’re looking for something funny, inspirational, or anything in between.
Do or Give Something Tangible
Have “Dad snacks” to hand out at the end of the service like cookies, root beer or chocolate. Having kids hand them out at the end of a service is an added bonus. If your church is unable to do something like this, you could also include a craft or project into the Kids’ Ministry lesson, something that the kids could give to their Fathers on the way home from church – a card, a handmade art project, a coupon book for services around the house, etc.
