Children Lead Mother's Day Worship

May 4th, 2011

Mother's Day is about mothers, not children, right? Wrong! Without children there would be no mothers! So why not involve children in your Mother’s Day celebration? Certainly there will be mothers in your congregation who have no children attending on that particular Sunday. There will be mothers in the congregation who have no living children at all. And there will be women in your congregation who have never had children. But what woman would not be pleased to be honored by children? And what better time to involve children in worship than on Mother’s Day?

Tried and True Traditions

You may have a Mother’s Day tradition that has been a part of your congregation from the beginning of time (or at least for several years). Perhaps that tradition is pinning a ribbon on women or giving each woman a flower. Why not involve the children, instead of the ushers, in handing out the ribbons or flowers?

Maybe you recognize different categories of motherhood, such as the youngest mother, oldest mother, or mother with the most children. Arrange ahead of time for the children to make special gifts for these mothers, and invite several children to give the gifts.

It may be a tradition for the children’s choir to sing on Mother’s Day. Make it a little different by asking the women to stand before the children sing, and then have one of the children tell the women that the song is dedicated to them.

Whatever your tried and true tradition for Mother’s Day, be creative and think of ways to involve children in some fashion. Even if you only involve a few children, remember that when any child helps with worship leadership, all of the children feel involved.

Some New Ideas

Have children usher each woman to her seat.
Ask a child to read the scripture and to dedicate it to mothers and the women in the church. Remember, when taking leadership in worship a child should be well trained so that he or she does a good job.
During the children’s sermon, display a large number of bedding flowers, and talk about how women bring joy to our lives like the flowers bring joy to us. Then invite the children and women to help plant the flowers in prepared beds after the service.
Plan ahead and ask the children’s classes to write sections of a litany to women that will be used in the worship service. Include in the litany ways that women help children. Publicize heavily the fact that the litany, written by the children of the church, will be used on that Sunday.
Make a quilt (or several quilts) to be given to missions. Assemble the quilts ahead of time, and display them at the entrance. Have the children from each family write their mother’s name on a square of the quilt with fabric paint. Have several children on hand to write the names of women who do not have children with them. Dedicate the quilts during the service; explain that they will be given to mothers in a specific mission.
During the children’s sermon, hand out cards with MOM in capital letters on them. Have the children turn the cards upside down and recognize that the cards now spell WOW. After talking about how women are special “WOW” people that God created, ask the children to give each woman in the congregation a “WOW” card.

Dedication Service

Ask all women to come forward and kneel or stand around the altar rail. Ask the children in the congregation to come forward, too; ask that children put their hands on the head (if kneeling) or the arm (if standing) of each woman. Be sure that each woman has a child’s hand blessing her. [Note: Be aware of any women who cannot come forward physically, and plan for a child to go to her side and place a hand on her head.]

Pastor: Today we recognize God’s creation of women. We thank God for the many ways that women help us each day. For women who prepare meals