“I call this autumn,” a friend once told me. “Fall sounds too much like an accident, and there’s no way this is an accident! Just look around you! The trees are positively glowing with red, orange, and yellow leaves. This is autumn!”

Catch the excitement of the season and the thrill of working in ministry! Here’s hoping a tip or two will help.

Thanksgiving

• Feed the body and the soul. Include simple devotion booklets with the food baskets you give to the needy this year. For example, consider this Family Thanksgiving Activity Journal or, for families and individuals without children, the Blessed for Life five-week devotion book
• Recruit groups of youth and adults to rake leaves, wash windows, and do other outdoor chores for homebound members as a way to encourage them. Consider planting bulbs whose flowers will cheer these important people come spring.
• In many parts of the country, colder weather is on its way. Make plans now to collect coats, mittens, hats, boots, and more. Drop these items off at homeless shelters during Thanksgiving week. Perhaps students on break from college or high school can help organize or deliver collected items.

Veterans Day

• Honor vets this year with a special evening celebration. Plan to sing several favorite patriotic songs and hymns. Honor past war veterans with standing ovations and invite current service men and women to speak or lead the prayers for our country.
• Construct a large banner that reads, “We love our veterans!” Stake the banner in front of your church building for all to see.
• Check the outdoor flags that fly on church property. Plan to replace torn or worn flags at a special ceremony. Invite veterans to help remove the old flag and put up the new one. Most veteran’s associations and the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have ceremonies developed for flag retirement. Ask for their help.

Fall Festival

• Finalize your “Trunk or Treat” plans now. If you plan to host your event in the evening, be sure to provide adequate lighting and double-check your other safety plans. Consider stringing large Christmas lights in the area to add a festive touch. Check out this page for more ideas!
• If you want to try a fresh approach this year, one that avoids any connection with Halloween, consider throwing a block party for the neighborhood around your church. A chili cook-off, a homemade pie-, cake-, or cookie-judging contest, football pass/kick challenges, and picnic games would all be appropriate.

Christmas

• Enlist prayer partners for your Christmas worship services now! Use a die cut machine to cut several Christmas tree shapes from green foam. Print the word Pray on one side of the tree, and affix a magnet to the opposite side. Invite each congregational member to take a tree as a reminder to pray for the planning, practicing, and presentation of the children’s Christmas service. Or simply give each member a Christ the Savior Is Born magnet as a reminder to pray for visitors to your services during the Christmas season.
• To offset costs for your Christmas pageant, set up a small Christmas tree in your church hallway or narthex now. Instead of ornaments, tie slips of colorful paper to the tree. On each paper, note one item needed and the approximate cost of the item. Invite church members to take an “ornament” and plan to provide the item (or the money to buy it) by November 15.

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