8 Ideas for a Faith-Focused Labor Day Gathering

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1. March in Your Community's Parade

If possible, consider getting people from your home church to join with you in carrying a sign with your church's name and website on it that's decorated with red, white and blue. For churches with a bigger budget, consider a mini-church festival with hot dogs, hamburgers, yard games and maybe bounce houses for the kids in the community following the parade.

2. Take Some Time to Read the Beatitudes

Jesus laid out all the blessings that come with recognizing our need for Him and living a life in which the character of Christ is cultivated. In a nutshell, the first four beatitudes are about recognizing our need for Christ, mourning over our sin, desiring his forgiveness and a relationship with him, and having a humble heart. Remembering the price He paid for us through His scourging and death on the cross helps us to keep our hearts humble. He did the work of paying the penalty for our sins so we could be in a right relationship. 

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3. Remember God's Character and Blessings

The final four beatitudes are about His character: merciful, pure in heart (so He has our best interests in mind), peacemaker, persecuted for righteousness' sake. Remembering his character can also help us remember the blessings He has extended to us. There's an old Gaither song about counting your blessings one by one. Take some time to call out some of those blessings, maybe even have people at your gathering name a few ways in which they have been blessed. A few things that may come to mind might include having a job, a place to live, a car to drive (or some sort of transportation), good food to eat, good health, people in their life who care about them, and other blessings.

4. Watch a Patriotic Movie with Friends and Family

There's a really good docudrama that just came out over the summer called The American Miracle: Our Nation is no Accident. It was in the theaters for a short run, but it's presently available on DVD, Blu-Ray or in digital format. It definitely reignites a sense of patriotism to see all the miracles that took place during the founding of this country. You could even blend this with a potluck dinner prior to evening festivities, if desired. For more information about the movie, click here.

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5. Incorporate Faith-Based Music into Your Picnic Event

Just as a way to remember the blessing of living in this country, include some Christian music in your playlist as you cook those burgers and hot dogs and then sit down to dine. Maybe consider inviting an elderly couple in your neighborhood or a single person to your picnic who doesn't have any family in the area with whom they can spend the holiday.

6. Organize a Picnic or Live Worship at a Local Park with a Rentable Shelter

Organize an event with the family and some friends in a beautiful setting that includes grilling, maybe some hiking, and some live music if there are musicians and singers in your group. You can have your own worship session in the shelter. If the shelter is near the location where the community fireworks will go off later, so much the better.

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7. Consider Volunteering at a Soup Kitchen

Consider checking around in your community to see which soup kitchens are open and serve a meal to the less fortunate. One very interesting place to visit on a Saturday is a ministry in Chicago, Illinois called Pacific Garden Mission. They create a radio drama called Unshackled, and visitors can watch a live broadcast in the studio and then enjoy dinner. Click here for more information.

8. Read Bible Verses or Stories about Labor or Work

Tell guests in advance to look up a verse or story about working or labor in the Bible. Have each guest share why that verse or story is meaningful to them. For example, Proverbs 22:29 (Amplified version) "Do you see a man skillful and experienced in his work? He will stand [in honor] before kings; He will not stand before obscure men." 

Who doesn't want to be recognized by kings and other leaders in high places? There's something very satisfying about that sort of recognition – especially when the one doing the recognizing is the King of kings.

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