• Liturgy
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  • Valentine's Day
  • Father's Day
    • Resources for Father's Day
    • Notes for Father's Day Service
    • Suggested readings
    • Suggestions from around the Church
    • Let’s celebrate Father's Day by the Rt Revd John Inge
  • Celebrating the reign of Her Majesty The Queen
• Clergy Appointments Adviser
• Bishops and Cathedral staff
• Ministry
• Remuneration and Conditions of Service Committee
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• Common Tenure
• Archbishops' Secretary for Appointments
• Archbishops' Adviser on Bishops' Ministry
• Pastoral and Closed Churches
• Child Protection & Safeguarding
• PCC information

In this section, we will be adding suggestions and ideas for Fathers' Day events and services from around the Church as we receive them - so do keep checking back to see what has been added.

If you have an event or idea that you think would inspire other churches to celebrate Fathers' Day, email suzanne.gray@churchofengland.org.

Ideas for Fathers' Day events before or after your service

• Feed the fathers! Food is always a hit, and gives plenty of time for newcomers to get to know your congregation. Many churches put on buffets or barbecues (particularly popular on a warm summer's day). How about a barbecue where the men don't cook?

• Football fever Churches have successfully held rounders matches, and five-a-side football matches involving dads and their children.

•Support network One church has organised support sessions for fathers in their parish - a safe place where they can discuss issues that are relevant to them. These take place in the days leading up to Fathers' Day, with a special service for all those that have taken part on the Sunday itself.

Ideas for your Fathers' Day service

•Give a gift On Mothering Sunday churches traditionally give out posies of flowers to all the women in church. So why not give all the men in the church a gift? One church gave out Mars bars- what can you think of?

• Bring a memory Why not make your worship interactive? One church is inviting people to bring something that reminds them of their father, which will be placed in a large cut-out of a father as an act of thanksgiving.

•Shake up the seating If you want to make your service more informal or more formal, how about arranging the seating differently? This might help visitors feel more at ease if they don't usually attend church.

•Fathers up front! One church makes a point of involving as many fathers as possible in the service, doing readings, leading the intercessions, etc. You might also want to involve the children; one of the prayers on our website is suitable for children to read out in a family service.

•Light a candle Some churches invite all those at the service to light a candle in memory of fathers who've passed on.

•Invite back the baptised Invite the fathers of all children baptised in the last year or couple of years, along with the rest of the family, for a special service.

Ideas for promoting your service/event

• Invitation from the kids Encourage the children in your congregation to invite their Dads to church on Fathers' Day. Your Sunday School classes might want to make special invitations in the weeks leading up to Fathers' Day.

•Involve local schools If you are visiting your local primary schools in the weeks leading up to Fathers' Day, make sure you let them know about your service/event.

•Tell the papers Some churches have put posters up around the parish, and placed adverts in their local paper. It's also worth letting the newsdesk of your local paper know about your event in case they want to publicise it, or they may want to send a reporter. Even though the story will be published after the event it will highlight what's going on at your church.