by Diana Davis

Here’s a fresh and simple way to invite school teachers and staff to your church. Honor those important community leaders by planning a “Meet the Teacher” Sunday during the first month of school.

Students and adult church members will invite school teachers, principals, librarians, bus drivers, nurses, food servers, coaches, music teachers, home-school teachers, professors, counselors and other school personnel, to a Sunday worship service. They’ll be recognized with a small gift and a special prayer.  

Invite them

• Students from kindergarten to college use printed cards to personally invite their teacher and school personnel to come for worship and sit beside them.

• Church members or groups prepare big, gorgeous snack baskets and deliver them to teacher break rooms at local schools. Include a card with a promise of your church’s prayers this school year and an invitation to Meet the Teacher Sunday.

• Provide printed cards and e-invitations for adult church members to personally invite their friends and neighbors who work in the schools.

• Advertise on your church sign and in local papers to invite teachers and school personnel to Meet the Teacher Sunday.

Welcome them

• At a welcome table, provide beautiful nametags for the special guests, personalizing with their name, job and school.

• Plan a brief after-worship Milk & Cookie Fellowship. Serve homemade cookies, milk in cartons, and coffee. Assign adult Bible classes to intentionally chat and invite guests back to worship next week

• Children’s classes can prepare index-size thank-you notes to include with the pastor’s follow-up letter to the special guests.

Honor them

• Recognize teachers and school personnel by asking them to stand. Student ushers give them a small gift, such as a Scripture bookmark or imprinted mug or pen. Lead a prayer of thanksgiving, asking God to bless them.

• Invite students of all ages to stand for a separate special prayer of blessing and commissioning.

• Include students in leading worship as ushers, prayer leader, or praise team. Our church planned a simple rhythm Scripture performance, and every student was included in the presentation.

You probably know a school employee you could invite to church. Wouldn’t it be awesome if that teacher met the Master Teacher—Jesus—on Meet the Teacher Sunday?


© Diana Davis 2012 See sample invitations for Meet the Teacher Sunday at www.dianadavis.org