The Moravian Day of Service helps raise awareness of the importance of mission work to the Moravian faith, encourages congregations to think of new ways to make a difference in their communities, and demonstrates our ability to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world.
This year’s Moravian Day of Service is scheduled for September 17, 2023. You can schedule your actual service day whenever it is most convenient to you and the service site with whom you are working. But we do ask that you focus on mission and serving others in your worship services on this day.
The idea for the Moravian Day of Service sprang from the 2018 Synods of the Northern and Southern Provinces. The Synods recognized that coordinated efforts of Moravians can help engage others in service and ministry and raise awareness of the Gospel message; that Moravians have always celebrated their faith through service and mission work locally, regionally, and globally; and that Moravians derive a sense of common unity and identity from serving together and with others.
Synods resolved to set aside a day, every year, for individuals and congregations to get involved in mission work in their communities, and share their work across the Moravian Church in North America. The Day of Service isn’t a one-time thing but an annual event; it is not to replace the great local mission work already going on in our congregations. The Day of Service offers a chance to rethink how your congregation interacts with your community and encourages you to make local missions an enduring part of your congregation’s identity.
Resources for Moravian Day of Service, including ideas on where to serve, worship resources and ways to share Day of Service activities, are available in the articles below. And to see how congregations and agencies participated in the 2019 Day of Service, click here.
To see how some of our individual congregations serve, click here:
Planning anything during this pandemic is a challenging thing to do, so keeping things simple might be the best approach. We would encourage you to consider having individuals or family units do things at home or in the community that would help others. These might include:
- Collect food for your local food bank. They all need help and contributions as many federally funded programs from the Covid relief efforts are now being cut.
- Host a Blood Drive. According to the American Red Cross, there is always an urgent need for blood. Contact your local blood collection agency to see about setting up a blood drive in your congregation on a Sunday morning.
- Check on seniors, the disabled, or other at-risk neighbors in your area. These past few years have been very difficult on the older population, particularly those who live alone. Call ahead and set up a brief visit and prayer time.
- If you are in a walkable neighborhood, take a group of your members of your on the sidewalks surrounding your location. Pick up trash, say hello to neighbors, and share love to all that you meet.
- Check in on anyone you know who might have depression or anxiety, both of which can be exacerbated during times like this.
- Have children draw pictures and write letters to local seniors in nursing homes who don’t have a family to visit them.
- Shop or do errands for folks who do not have easy access to transportation.
- Send thank-you notes and cards of appreciation to front-line workers at hospitals, public safety workers (police, fire-fighters, rescue squad workers), those working in the service industries (grocery store workers, restaurant staff, etc.). Simply be kind to them when they are assisting/serving you!
