Ideas for Recognizing Birthdays in a Congregation?

Hello Kathy,

Our church regularly publishes the names of those members of our congregation over a specific age who are celebrating their birthdays. One of our members receives that list through our church software and looks after the postings in our newsletter. On occasion, there is a special announcement for a member, for example, someone who is celebrating their 100th birthday.

Hi Kathy - our church has a prayer calendar in which each day (Mon - Fri) we list a person/family that members of our congregation can pray for. On the other side of this calendar, we print a second calendar with names of those who are celebrating a birthday and the specific date. Not everyone submits their names for the birthday calendar, but many do. 

We keep it simple in Miami.  We have a birthday cake available in our fellowship hall on the first Sunday of the month.  We invite those who have a birthday in that particular month to gather around the birthday cake for a special prayer of blessing for the new year by a Council member and then they get first dibs on a slice of cake.  If we missed anyone's birthday from our printed list, that's the time for us to update our directory.  Works like a charm and it incorporates anyone who wants to be recongized regardless of age. 

Hi Kathy!

We distribute a monthly serving calendar and on the back of it we have a list of those who have a birthday that month, as well as the couples that are celebrating a wedding anniversary. We indicate if it is a milestone number with a happy face next to the date and a note under the list that says ":-) = "Special" Birthdays (1, 5, 18, 21, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100+)" And then the highlighted anniversaries are 1, 10, 25, 50, 75+

Hope that helps!

Hello, Kathy!

This response was sent in via email from Mary Coleman:

When you join our church, the month you are born in is your immediate family. We have 12 clubs who worship and fellowship, in meeting, sharing in each others joys and sorrows, fundraising, Bible study. This group provides support in sickness, repass for immediate family members, and much more. On the 2nd Sunday of December every year, we wear our month's club color and sit together in celebration of everyone's birthday for service that day. The name of the club that has raised the most funds for the year goes on a special cup. The service is followed by a special luncheon where we all participate. I serve as the Month Club coordinator over all clubs and assist with several kinds of support when needed. We will be celebrating 50 years this December 2018. It's really a lot of fun and keeps us close as a church family.

I take care of the birthdays and anniversaries in our Church, which are put in the bulletin at the beginning of the month. I take a calendar to Church and if I see someone who isn't on the list, I ask them if they would like to be on the birthday list and then have them print their name on the date (that way if there is an error I can check back with them for corrections). I also do anniversaries.