October Celebrations

Rev. Joshua Patty
Regional Minister and President

As we enter the fall, there are many holidays and celebrations that we often include in our worship services. Some, like Advent and Christmas, become the focus for services, while others are simply elements for us to add or adapt in a worship service.

October brings a few celebrations. Foremost, I hope that you will find a meaningful way to mark World Communion Sunday -- which for decades has been the first Sunday in October.

As Disciples, we gather at the Lord's Table frequently. World Communion Sunday gives us a special chance to affirm Jesus' prayer that his followers might all be one. I hope that you'll find a meaningful way to share that Christians of many traditions covenant to gather at Christ's table on October 3. Global Ministries has prepared some resources you can use in worship.

For many years, several denominations have celebrated a Week of the Ministry between the 2nd and 3rd Sundays in October. (In fact, some have extended it so that October is the Month of the Ministry.) This is a good time to honor your congregational pastor in some way, perhaps with a gift from the congregation or a special time of appreciation in worship.

In congregations where I've served, we've also taken this opportunity to honor previous ministers, elders, teachers, church officers, ministry leaders, and more. Sometimes, it is as simple as inviting people to share cards/notes and offering a special prayer for these leaders. Pension Fund has some worship resources and ways to honor ministers.

The Children's Defense Fund also invites faith communities to have Children's Sabbath observances the 3rd weekend of October, and shares some new resources here. Our Disciples Ministries Across Generations offers the Light a Candle for Children prayer vigil in the weeks leading up to Children's Sabbath.

October 31 is not only Halloween, but also Reformation Day, honoring the date when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door. November 1 is All Saints Day, when the church has celebrated the lives and legacies of those Christians who have gone before us.

Now, it is common for the Sunday nearest those days to offer observance as both Reformation Sunday/All Saints Sunday. This year that Sunday is October 31. It might be the perfect day to include Luther's most famous hymn, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." And it also is a good day through a litany or prayer to honor saints in the congregation.

Input for Chalice Press and Disciples Home Missions

Do you wish you could find some different worship, Christian education, and outreach materials? Disciples Home Missions and Chalice Press have created a survey to gather information on what kinds of resources, both hold-in-your-hands and virtual, congregations plan to use in the next few years. Take the survey here. Thanks for you help as we adapt to this new ministry environment.