Notes for Fathers' Day Service

The service is non-eucharistic (i.e. a Service of the Word) and is offered as a fully worked out example.  It is not intended that it be reproduced locally in this exact form.

The Ten Commandments

The Commandments have been included for their reference to ‘obeying your father and mother’. Care needs to be taken that their inclusion does not make the service feel too ‘heavy’, especially if many visitors have been invited and the overall feel of the service is one of celebration. The Commandments have been included here in a brief form, with only two responses. They could further be ‘lightened’ by the use of different voices, or by the careful choice of a different Bible translation from which they could be taken.

Sharing experiences

The chance to let members of the congregation speak of their experiences and their faith can be an excellent way of connecting the worship to the rest of life, and can especially help visitors to see how our faith is worked out in practice. Before the sermon (or as part of it) it might be possible and appropriate to include such an element of ‘testimony’. This might include, for

instance:

• asking a new dad to describe the difference being a father has made to his life and his faith;
• inviting someone to share (sensitively) their experience of having a father who let them down badly, and the difference that knowing God’s love has made to them;
• inviting a grandfather to speak about what it is like to be a grandparent, including any advice he has for new parents, or any things he wishes he had done differently when his children were young.

It might be particularly appropriate to conclude such sharing with the Affirmation of Faith.

Giving gifts to fathers

If you intend to give symbolic gifts (or cards) to fathers, this might appropriately happen at the end of the prayers of intercession. This element of the service needs to be conducted with sensitivity. Music might be played or a hymn or song be sung while this takes place. Fathers present might be asked to stand during the prayer, ‘Heavenly Father, you entrusted your Son Jesus …’.