Love, Love, Love Your People!

Love, Love, Love Your People!
 
Friends, do you know what holiday is right around the corner?  Can you feel it in the air?  Is Cupid dancing around in your dreams?  Are you having visions of chocolate and flowers? Well, my spouse better be thinking what I’m thinking because, yes! It’s almost Valentine’s Day! And lucky me, I will be flying off to Virginia for a wedding to be held on that very afternoon.  Could there be anything more romantic than that?

Truth be told, Valentine’s Day is sometimes a real drag for people (I should know, I lived through many of them). So how about making it a treat for the people in your congregation?  This is your opportunity to let your people feel the love by thanking them for all they do, for their generosity, and for their desire to grow spiritually.   Here are a few ideas: Pink, red, and white balloons. Decorate them with a thick Sharpie pen with phrases like, “Thank you," “You are loved,” “You lift us up," or “You rock!”

• Hand out old-fashioned Valentine cards. This week “Movie Mondays” posted a great two-minute video “A Quick Way to Steward Your Donor’s on Valentine’s Day” which shows Shannon Doolittle cutting out heart cards and sending them off with a special message. Make it fun, make it joyful, make people smile.

• Give everyone a scripture card. Use 1^st Corinthians 13:13 (“Now faith, hope, love abide, these three, but the greatest of these is love”), 1Peter 4:8 (“Above all, love each other deeply, for love covers a multitude of sins”), or Colossians 3:14 (“And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity”). Whew, I don’t think I’ve quoted that much scripture in a long time – just call me “Bible Wiz Kid.”  Have the scripture on one side of the card and on the other – “Thank you for all you do. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

These things don’t have to be fancy. In fact, there’s something quite charming if your effort to thank and acknowledge people is simple and simply surprising.  So take a break from all the administration, writing your sermon, and being interrupted…think of a way this Valentine’s Day that you can let your congregation know how much they are loved. There’s a bunch of people out there that need to hear that message.
 
 
From last week:  Rev. Pamela Nelson-Munson (Ashland FUMC in Oregon) sent me a few email blasts that she has sent out to her congregation. Her e-blast from Holy week 2014 is right here. Remember…more communication, not less, is better.

Cesie Delve Scheuermann is a consultant in stewardship, development, and grant writing. Over the past decade, while working as a volunteer and part-time consultant, she helped raise over $2 million dollars for numerous non-profit organizations. She served as the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference Lay Leader from 2008-2012. She is so excited to be going to Kara and Andrew's wedding in Charlottesville. Love abounds!  Her position with the Conference is funded through a  generous grant from the Collins Foundation. You can reach her at inspiringgenerosity@gmail.com.

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