NATIONAL DAY OF THANKSGIVING NEWSLETTER NO 1 / 2010

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NATIONAL DAY OF THANKSGIVING

Saturday 29th May 2010

Those we are honouring and thanking as part of our National Day of Thanksgiving celebrations on 29 May 2010 are:

People engaged in Small Business, such as sole traders and shopkeepers.  Those engaged in the Trades such as builders, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, etc.  Also Primary Producers, which includes all types of farmers.  

In addition, and at a more personal level, we encourage you to honour and thank Grandparents for the difference they make in their families and the contribution they have made over the years in our nation.

Now is the time for Churches to begin their planning for this years National Day of Thanksgiving.

Here are some things that congregations can do to engage with their community.

* Undertake coordinated acts of kindness to those with special needs in your community.

* Hold a breakfast or morning tea to thank those people in your community who are nominated to be thanked and honoured in this years celebrations (see the list above).

* Send cards and distribute ribbons to all shopkeepers, tradespeople and farmers in your community.

On the Saturday night

join with other Churches in your area for a night of worship and celebration as part of Australia Worships to say thank you to God for all His blessings to us as a nation, and to honour especially invited guests from the community.

On Thanksgiving Sunday 30th May

turn your services into thanksgiving services focusing on the goodness of God and incorporating some of the following ideas into your planning.

*  Invite to your regular Church services those from the community whom you wish to specifically thank for their contribution to the community, treating them as special guests.

* Present such people in the service with a formal certificate of appreciation and thanks on behalf of the Church, or give them a small keepsake to remind them of the occasion.

* Invite representatives from the special invitees to give a 5 minute summary of what their work entails and how the Church can serve them better and then pray for them and those whom they represent.

* Follow the service with a morning tea where invited guests can be hosted and thanked in a more informal setting and mingle with the congregation.

* Say thank you to God by taking up a special love offering with proceeds going to special projects for the needs within your community. If possible make the presentation of funds to the recipients at the service.

* Invite those being thanked to visit Children's Church classes to talk about their job and the role they play in the smooth running of their community and to be thanked by the young people for what they do.

* Turn Thanksgiving Sunday into "Back to Church Sunday" by having congregational members invite unchurched friends and neighbours plus community figures to a special service followed by a morning tea.

* Present all female visitors with a red rose and male visitors with an appropriate small gift as a "thank you" gesture from the Church.

* Decorate the Church with  "Thanking God" "Thanking Each Other" balloons to give it a celebratory feel for visitors.
Source: Australian Prayer Network