Thanksgiving for Volunteers


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Litany of Thanksgiving for Workers in the Church

by The Rev. Thomas L. Weitzel
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

I appreciate getting calls from you on worship matters that concern the congregation that you are serving. I find that such calls many times provide inspiration for liturgical materials that are quite useful for many others.

Such was the case when Pastor Bill Andrews, serving as interim at St. Thomas Lutheran Church, Bloomington, IN, called and asked if I knew of any liturgical material for recognizing with thanksgiving the many volunteer ministries within a congregation. Indeed, I did not, although I did mention that we had been having an annual Volunteer Recognition Reception following worship at my church for many years. I know of other congregations who have full banquets with skits and entertainment of various kinds to accompany good words of thanks from congregational leaders and the pastor. But beyond that, I was unaware of any liturgical material beyond a simple prayer of thanksgiving for such occasions.

Given the question, it seemed like a good thing to develop an Exhortation and Litany of Thanksgiving for Workers in the Church. I offer it here for your use. It would replace the Prayer of the Church. Please note the petition toward the end for spring graduates that may not be appropriate to your situation. Many thanks to Pr. Andrews for providing the inspiration and occasion for its writing.

A good time for using this is as the nine month program season is ending, such as late Easter Season, on the Day of Pentecost if there are no Confirmands or Baptisms, early in the Pentecost Season. Another option would be as the program season begins in the fall, perhaps even as part of Rally Day. I may also be used by itself at a Volunteer Recognition Banquet or other social occasion recognizing volunteers in the church, although I do think the morning worship setting is best. Of course, it is the sort of occasion that can be used at any time.

Exhortation:

P. We are truly blessed by God and enriched in our fellowship by the many people of this congregation who volunteer their time and their talent in small and large ways for the benefit of this church and for the advancement of the gospel of Christ in this place. St. Paul tells us that there are varieties of gifts and varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone as a manifestation of the Holy Spirit for the common good. There is no insignificant work that is done among us. All efforts -- from maintaining our property to cleaning the church to leadership to visiting the sick to praying for one another and for our ministry -- all are important efforts by which we are mutually blessed and by which our ministry prospers.

At the same time, St. Paul teaches us to give thanks always to God through Christ in whom he has given us every blessing, including the blessing of one another. It is therefore appropriate on this day that we should recognize the work that is done by so many faithful and dedicated people, giving thanks to one another and to Almighty God for making the Spirit manifest among us in such a variety of ways.

Litany of Thanksgiving for Workers in the Church:

A. Let us pray. Almighty God, you have called us into fellowship as the Church of Jesus Christ in this place, and you have blessed us and enriched our lives through your Holy Word and Sacraments. You strengthen us and inspire us with your Holy Spirit to live lives of mutual love and service in the world. For all this, and, above all, for the gift of your Son and our salvation, we give our heartfelt thanks and praise.