Mother’s Day is coming up. We’ve got some free Mother’s Day social graphics, some ideas for how you can approach Mother’s Day, and we’ll unpack some issues surrounding this holiday.
Free Mother’s Day Graphics
Did someone say free? Yep. Here you go:
Download free Mother’s Day graphics >>
This set of four graphics in various sizes and formats includes four Mother’s Day graphics and two generic May graphics you can use this month. If you like these kinds of resources, you should check our Courageous Storytellers Membership Site.
And if you’re looking for more, we also have this alternative set of Mother’s Day graphics from a few years back.
But before you go slapping Mother’s Day graphics on all your social feeds, think about how your audience may react.
The Opportunity & Challenge of Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is the third most well-attended Sunday of the year for churches (behind Christmas and Easter, of course), so it presents an opportunity. But the mix of life experiences and less than rosy feelings can present a challenge.
So Mother’s Day is a challetunity. Or maybe an opporenge? No, challetunity.
However you want to say it, Mother’s Day is a unique opportunity and challenge. It’s an opportunity for churches to speak into a cultural moment and support the kind of values that undergird our faith—encouragement, love, respect. But it’s also a challenge to do so with mercy and grace.
Because Mother’s Day is not a happy occasion for everyone.
There are people who have lost mothers, mothers who have lost children, families who are estranged, women who are not able to have children, adopted children who will never know their biological mother—the list goes on. For some people Mother’s Day reminds them of a miscarriage or a death or a fight where they said words they wish they could take back.
It can be a hard day for some.
Churches need to recognize that and not swarm every woman who walks in the door with flowers and Mother’s Day cheerleaders. Not every woman is a mother. Not every mother wants to be celebrated that way.
This isn’t about being politically correct. It’s about showing pastoral care.
If you want to go deeper, we’ve explored some of these issues in the past and have linked to some helpful resources.
So What Are Churches Doing?
OK, so maybe making every mom stand up and a gift basket for the oldest mom isn’t the way to go. How are churches approaching Mother’s Day?
- A lot of churches go for some kind of gift, often a kitschy tchotchke. Think about offering something more meaningful, like a small prayer journal or making a donation to a relevant nonprofit or ministry. A lot of mothers will appreciate something useful: notepad, bath bombs, seed packet, massages in the lobby, etc. A photo booth for family photos has also proved popular.
- Many churches offer up those gifts to all women (not just mothers) and make an effort to honor spiritual mothers. This can be one way to address some of those thorny personal issues that can make Mother’s Day harder.
- Bethlehem Baptist in Minneapolis is offering a Miscarriage Memorial Service the Friday before Mother’s Day. It’s obviously not a Mother’s Day event, but the timing shows a lot of sensitivity to mothers and families who may have a hard time as Mother’s Day approaches.
- You don’t have to be super serious. Last year, Vale Church in Bloomington, Ill., did a donut wall to celebrate moms. Wait, what?! No belabored sermon metaphor, just delicious donuts for appreciated mothers.
We’ve got even more examples of unique approaches to Mother’s Day.
