The position of Sunday school teacher is one of great responsibility and deserves recognition and appreciation by the church and its pastoral staff. Sunday school teachers are worth their weight in gold, volunteering time in both preparation and service. They lead the leaders of tomorrow. Have you honored your Sunday school teachers lately? Have you let them know how much you appreciate their ministry? For ideas on what you can do personally or corporately to honor your Sunday school teachers and show them how much you appreciate them and the Sunday school supportive staff, read on.
Standard Appreciation Gifts
A church family can always express appreciation in standard gifts like those given by secular organizations. Here are some gift ideas used by many church and non-church organizations as appreciation gifts: ceramic mugs, bookmarks, key chains, pens, lapel pins, zipper pulls, desk flip calendar, note pads, candles and candle holders, pocket planners, gift sets of lotion or soap, recognition cards, letter openers, magnet frames, postcards, seed packets, potted plant, cut flower arrangement, balloons, flower cookie bouquet, and baskets of preserves, baked goods, fresh fruit, or flavored hot beverage mixes.
Appreciation Gift Certificates
Rather than standard thank you gifts, you might want to consider giving a special gift certificate for a local restaurant, a night at the beach, a spa, the theater, a Christian concert, an invitation out to lunch, or a dinner at your home. Gift coupons work well too. Consider giving a coupon for free babysitting, lawn care, or a car tune-up. When possible, consider gift certificates for businesses or services represented by families in your church.
Inspirational Appreciation Gifts
If you want to present a more inspiration gift, consider tote bags with inspirational Bible verses, Christian devotionals to uplift and encourage, Christ-centered gift books or books of scripture passages and inspirational quotes, music CD’s by Christian artists, gospel golf balls with scripture verses inscribed, prayer journals, gift books about teaching, gift certificates to Christian book stores, Christian Christmas ornaments, T-shirts with inspirational messages, or a class picture or video of the teacher teaching his or her class.
Job Specific Appreciation Gifts
Teachers need classroom supplies on Sunday and often for other church programs during the week. Consider giving a shoe box of classroom craft supplies, themed objects, children’s Christian videos, classroom posters, student treat bags for rewards, teaching posters, relevant games, or Bible story themed objects.
Words of Appreciation
Use the church bulletin for personal commendation, use the church newspaper or website to focus on one individual or department each month, or create a church bulletin board where folks pass by each week. Present a specific age level classroom and teacher each month or quarter with pictures and student work. Finally, include videos of teachers and classrooms in your church Power Point presentation during service. You might also consider using funny or serious skits to highlight classrooms, teachers, and the need for Sunday school volunteers.
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Appreciation Events
Some ideas you might consider for the theme or setting of your appreciation event are the following: dessert fellowship, special church service, appreciation banquet, after church potluck, ice cream social or pie social, or an appreciation pizza party or taco dinner. Be sure to set seats of honor for your honored guests. Have an award presentation and allow the Sunday school children to help with preparation and program. Children can personalize certificates of appreciation or thank you cards, and be sure to have the Sunday school classes sign the thank you card. Think outside the box. Remember, this can also be a recruiting tool to recruit new teachers for your Sunday school program.
Ongoing Appreciation
Go beyond the once-a-year appreciation event and decide to remember birthdays, anniversaries, and special events in the lives of your Sunday school volunteers. Consider weekly reminders of your appreciation for them by providing coffee, tea, and fresh doughnuts in an office location prior to classroom time. And one of the best ways to show teachers your appreciation is to think about their ongoing needs as a teacher. Have an organized and well-stocked supply closet available, enough audiovisual equipment handy, and a budget sufficient for their task.
Anytime is a good time to show your Sunday school teachers and supportive staff how much you appreciate them. These men and women do so much to inspire their students and help them grow in a personal relationship with the Lord. As you appreciate your Sunday school teachers and staff, you not only do right by them, but you will be modeling appreciative behavior that will make its way into their classrooms with their students. Show your appreciation in tangible ways through gifts, through written and spoken words, by hosting a special appreciation event, and by remember them throughout the year on special occasions. These are ways to honor your Sunday school teachers how show how very much you appreciate all they do.
