Mother's Day

As Mothers Day falls on a Sunday, it offers churches the opportunity to honour all the women in the church. Mums are amazing, superhuman wonderful women. However, we need to be mindful that motherhood is a difficult and delicate journey, and for some, this day can bring reminders of pain, hurt, emptiness, and grief - whether for new mums, old mums, single parents, grieving families, and those without children. This does not mean we shouldn't celebrate the wonderful mothers in our midst, but provides us with a day to bless of all the women in our church family. 

Worship resources

• Messy Church at home resource (Messy Church)
• Mother's Day Sermon (Baptist NZ)
• Mother’s Day Multi-Age Services (Uniting Church, Australia)
• Mother’s Day Resources (Going for Growth, Church of England)
• Messy Church ideas (St James Woodley)
• Mothers Day Prayers (Uniting Church Australia)
• Mother's Day Reflections (Re:Think Worship)
• Mother’s Day prayers  (Build Faith)
• ​Mother’s Day song (David MacGregor)
• Mother’s Day ideas (Children's Ministry)​

Mothers Day Media

A prayer for Mothers Day

A Wide Spectrum of Mothering
A Prayer written by Amy Young
Source: The Messy Middle

• To those who gave birth this year to their first child—we celebrate with you.
• To those who lost a child this year – we mourn with you.
• To those who are in the trenches with little ones every day and wear the badge of food stains – we appreciate you.
• To those who experienced loss through miscarriage, failed adoptions, or running away—we mourn with you.
• To those who walk the hard path of infertility, fraught with pokes, prods, tears, and disappointment – we walk with you. Forgive us when we say foolish things. We don’t mean to make this harder than it is.
• To those who are foster moms, mentor moms, and spiritual moms – we need you.
• To those who have warm and close relationships with your children – we celebrate with you.
• To those who have disappointment, heart ache, and distance with your children – we sit with you.
• To those who lost their mothers this year – we grieve with you.
• To those who experienced abuse at the hands of your own mother – we acknowledge your experience.
• To those who lived through driving tests, medical tests, and the overall testing of motherhood – we are better for having you in our midst.
• To those who have aborted children – we remember them and you on this day.
• To those who are single and long to be married and mothering your own children – we mourn that life has not turned out the way you longed for it to be.
• To those who step-parent – we walk with you on these complex paths.
• To those who envisioned lavishing love on grandchildren -yet that dream is not to be, we grieve with you.
• To those who will have emptier nests in the upcoming year – we grieve and rejoice with you.
• To those who placed children up for adoption — we commend you for your selflessness and remember how you hold that child in your heart.
• And to those who are pregnant with new life, both expected and surprising – we anticipate with you.
• This Mother’s Day, we walk with you. Mothering is not for the faint of heart and we have real warriors in our midst. We remember you.

Another great prayer, in a similar style to the one above, is the Prayer for parents and those who want to be by Rev. Ashley-Anne Masters

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Creative ideas

We have a range of other creative ideas on our Parenting and Families Pinterest Page

• ​Mother's Day Coffee cup printable (Baptist NZ)
• Suncatcher card (Learning and Exploring through Play)
• Hand printed tote bags (Nifty Mom)
• ​Mother's Day Gift (Happy Scraps)
• Mother's Day Picture Frames (Go Planet Earth)

Fingerprint art, like the idea here, could also be used on a tile or ceramic coaster (available from Kmart)

Image source:  I heart crafty things

Image source: Easy Peasy and Fun

Source: Love Pray Teach (pdf template download)

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Paper beads

For necklaces, bracelets and more

Materials:

• Glossy magazine paper or wrapping paper
• Toothpicks
• White school glue mixed with water to thin it out or a glue stick
• Paint brush
• Scissors
• A pen or pencil
• Ruler
• Clear nail polish or varnish
• Optional: piece of Styrofoam

 
Method:

• Choose a magazine page or a piece of wrapping paper to use. You have to start with a square piece of paper.  
• Cut wedges from your paper. The wedges should be about 2-3 centimetres at the widest point and very narrow at the tip.   You can use the ruler and pen or pencil to measure and mark out the wedges.   The widest part will be the width of your bead.
• Make sure the side that you like is face down. Paint the glue lightly on the entire back side of the paper except for the first two centimetres. You don't want it sticking to the toothpick. Or you can use a glue stick.
• Once you have done this take your toothpick and roll the paper around the toothpick until you reach the end of the paper.  Smooth the point down, too!
• Gently twist the toothpick and remove or slide the bead to the tip of the toothpick and set it aside by sticking the toothpick in a piece of Styrofoam to dry.
• When the beads are dry paint with varnish or cover with clear nail polish.
• Now the beads are ready for stringing. Make beautiful jewellery or use the beads to cover plant pots or jars.